To Spin or not to Spin and why I would pay money to ride a WattBike

Earlier this year, when the weather wasn't so great and I needed a change in my training, I purchased a block of ten sessions from the CycleStudio in Balgowlah.  I thoroughly enjoyed my training every time I went and had a great time meeting up with my mates and training hard this way.  If you are a seasoned cyclist, then you have probably done the odd spin class at a gym, just for something different or for when the weather turned "sub-optimal".  But this place is something entirely different.  Customised and optimised for cyclists, CycleStudio has a warmth and an ambience that makes you fall in lovely with cycling all over again.  And if you ride to and from the Studio, it's even better!

Here's 5 reasons why I reckon you should give it a go.

The Weather:
Let's face it, noone likes riding in the rain, it's dangerous, it wrecks your bike and you spend the next 3 days trying to clean the grit out of every nook and cranny, so enter the CycleStudio.  Nothing is quite as nice as getting in a quality training session while it;s chucking it down outside. Spending time in a nice clean spin room, with the music pumping, a stage of the TDF playing and the lights tinted red, makes for a perfect training environment.  #gameon

Get Coached:
Getting coached in cycling is the best thing you can do if you want to improve.  No matter where you are at, a good coach will always have some suggestions on how you can tweak your training and get another 1% out of those heart, lungs and legs.  At Cycle Studio there is of course the world famous James "Chops" Lamb, but the other instructors are just as good and they are trained specific to cycling, unlike ordinary gyms.

Power and Technique:
The amount of data available on a Watt Bike can be overwhelming for some, but put those numbers to work in context and you get a very clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses and what you need to work on, even how to plan your next big event.  Training with power is the best known way to accurately measure your performance and it isn't just for the pro's.  It doesn't matter whether you can ride away from Tony Martin or you are just a beginner, training with power (Watts) will give you the information you need to get better,faster, fitter.  And with the WattBike that power meter is always pinpoint accurate.  On top of that, the WattBike has this cool little graph that shows you your pedalling technique and teaches you to spin those pedals as efficiently as possible while you pedal.  The WattBike also comes with all the adjustments you'd want to get set up in your optimum position so you can play around with this a bit and see how your riding position impacts your performance and comfort in the saddle.

Numbers can be fun!!

Comaraderie:
There's nothing quite like the motivation produced when cyclists get into the competitive spirit and starting competing on a numbers basis.  The WattBike doesn't lie and there are no shortcuts.  No drafting and no hanging back at the start of a segment.  "Iron sharpens iron" was never so true when it comes to putting a bunch of cyclists into the same room.  Guaranteed, you will leave nothing in the tank and give every workout your best when there are bragging rights up for grabs. But you are not just competing against your mates.  You are competing against yourself, looking for that next best 20min average.  Another advantage is because you are stationary, you aren't left waiting at the top of a climb, or worse, you will never have that feeling of holding back the bunch.  You can go along with whoever you like, it doesn't matter what level cyclist they are, you all get to push to the max and you all finish at the same time.

Good mate Phil Welch building a bigger engine

Testing:
If you are using power to dictate your training levels, then you need to know what you are capable of when you are at your best.  A threshold test on power in a controlled environment is the only way to really tell whether or not you are making progress.  Whether the result is good or bad, you'll know exactly what you need to do next, maybe take it up a level or maybe back it off for a few days and get a bit more recovery.  Either way you will have confidence that you are making the most of every single training session.

So there you go, just one way you can change up your cycling. Are you looking to get into cycling but not sure where to start, maybe this is for you and noone is going to abuse you from a car window either, nice and safe.  Why not give it a try!

Keep Riding
Mighty Mike

MAMIL Musings

Blogging about cycling is kind of like cycling itself.  Sometimes you are excited to be blogging and have a great blog planned, other times the blog seems a little like a chore, but once you do it, you are glad you did for your own sanity.  Sometimes you question why you blog, of if you are blogging in the right place, but of course you just keep blogging because YOU ARE a blogger.  Blogging is in your DNA.  And of course there is always the lingering self doubt, am I becoming a better blogger,  Now replace the word BLOG with RIDE and you'll see what I mean.

Everyone's written the blog about turning up to a race feeling like crap, overcoming unimaginable adversity just to reach the start line then realising you mistakenly packed your unicycle, but somehow you still perform beyond your wildest dreams, drop your competition while texting your partner to explain why you'll be home 3 hours later than promised and to top it off you bring home the bacon and podium.

This post is not like that (OK there is one brief podium mention), it's just random collection of stuff bouncing around in my head, so keep reading or just look at the pics, I dont mind either way.  As one avid and entertaining blogger who is known to bring on a chuckle or two put it, keeping it fresh is a bit of challenge.

This year has started pretty well, with a change in focus and training for shorter races and more social time on the bike.  It's also meant some quality training at Cyclestudio Balgowlah with James "Chops" Lamb and Phil Welch.  With so many events available, I love sitting down at the beginning of the year and finding those races that are still on the bucket list.

The Duo Classic weekend was one I wont forget in a long time.  Swooshing through the groomed single track of Kowen forest, catching up with mates on and off the bike and just being outdoors away from the hustle and aggression of the big smoke makes for one very cathartic weekend.  Pete and I won our category which was icing on the cake and I brought home my years supply of beer.

Exhibit A: Czech beer and tyres, what a great combination!

Duo Classic Masters Podium, partner Pete Selkrig scarpered to get back for a H&C concert so I got to keep the beer

This was a friendly duckling down Bobbin Head one morning.  

We ride through there so often, it's good to just stop and sit for a while and admire the scenery

I never get sick of the view from the top of Mt Stromlo

Cycling isnt all about numbers, but it helps

So where to from here?  The Ellsworth has been brought out of retirement and looks like featuring in a race sometime soon, actually it would have been today if Awaba hadn't experienced a flash flood.
3 Peaks is now the focus for next weekend; it's definitely been on the list for a while and just about everyone I talk to is going, should be one for the books.  And then CapPun the following weekend so it all happens in March.  There is the Peloton Sports Snowy Tour and The Mont coming up on the radar soon too and then a "little" trip away in April, yes I finally get to spread my wings and get a taste of Europe with my best friend Sarah.  First time for everything, never too late, good things come to those who wait, yes I just happen to be GenX.  Oh and something else really cool, I am teaching Tom to drive.  Yes it is a bit nerve racking but it's fun too and rather nice being driven around by your GenZ offspring.

Keep riding and blogging
Mike