Indoor group cycle setup and proper riding form are the two main components of a safe, comfortable ride. A correct, personalized bike setup decreases your risk of knee injury and upper body discomfort during your workout. Riding with good form in each of the five basic indoor cycling positions also decreases your risk of injury. Good form includes controlled body movements, proper hand and foot positioning, and an appropriate amount of resistance on the flywheel for the terrain you’re simulating. Before class, the instructor should help you adjust your bike and give you a brief overview of the five positions.
Bike Setup
Step 1
Stand next to the bike. Raise or lower the seat until it’s approximately hip height.
Step 2
Sit on the saddle with your feet on the pedals. Extend one leg by reaching your foot to the bottom of the pedal stroke. Your knee should have a slight bend. If your knee locks, the saddle is too high. If your knee has more than a 25- to 30-degree bend, the saddle is too low.
Step 3
Stay in the saddle and bring your pedals level. Ensure that the balls of your feet are on the center of each pedal. Your kneecap should be directly over the ball of your foot. If you can’t see your toes, your seat is too far forward. If you can see your entire foot, your seat is too far back.
Step 4
Raise or lower the handlebars until your upper body feels comfortable. If the handlebars are lower than the seat, you may put unnecessary stress on your lower back, neck and shoulders.
Seated and Standing Flats
Step 1
Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the handlebars. Keep your shoulders relaxed and a soft bend in your elbows. Your wrists should be straight, not bent.
Step 2
Add resistance to the flywheel to simulate gravity. Your cadence on a seated flat should be between 80 and 110 RPM. You can count your revolutions by watching the second hand on a clock while counting each time one knee comes to the top of the pedal stroke. If you’re going faster than 110 RPM, add resistance. If you’re going slower than 80 RPM, you may need to back the resistance off a bit or increase your pace.
Step 3
Keep your feet level. Don’t point your toes toward the floor at any point in the revolution.
Step 4
Add resistance to the flywheel. Transition out of the saddle. In standing positions, your body weight helps you power your pedal stroke, so you should add more resistance than you would for a seated flat.
Step 5
Keep your body weight centered over the pedals, not the handlebars or the saddle. If the flywheel pulls your legs through the front half of the stroke, add more resistance.
Seated and Standing Climbs
Step 1
Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the handlebars. Keep your wrists straight, elbows and upper body relaxed.
Step 2
Add resistance until your cadence is anywhere between 60 and 80 RPM. If it’s faster, add more resistance. If it’s slightly slower, pick up your pace or release some of the resistance.
Step 3
Use your hamstrings, or the backs of your thighs, to power the back half of the pedal stroke. Use your quadriceps, or the fronts of your thighs, to power the front half of the stroke. Allow your upper body to move slightly from side to side, in rhythm with the climb.
Step 4
Transition out of the saddle. Place one hand at a time on each end of the handlebar. Maintain straight wrists and soft elbows. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears.
Step 5
Keep your cadence between 60 and 80 RPM. Put the rhythm of your climb into your upper body.
Jumps
Step 1
Begin in a seated flat. Add more resistance to the flywheel so that when you stand up, your body weight won’t control the pedal stroke. Your cadence should be between 80 and 110 RPM.
Step 2
Pedal in smooth, even strokes. Transition out of the saddle into a standing position. Don’t increase your pace when you stand, and keep your weight over the pedals. Transition back into the saddle with control. Don’t slow your pace in the saddle.
Step 3
Jump when you feel like jumping, staying up and staying in the saddle for as long as you desire. Don’t jump faster than two counts up and two counts down.
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