Most workout facilities currently offer indoor cycling classes for individuals of all ability levels. Usually classes run from 30 to 60 minutes and can include a combination of any of the following: flat roads, hills, intervals and races. You can alter the difficulty of your ride by adjusting your cadence and resistance throughout your ride.
Legs
During a cycling class, the primary muscles you use are your glutes and quadriceps. When you push down on the pedal at the beginning of your stroke, you are using these two major muscle groups to power the movement. Indoor cycling bikes have toe clips that attach your shoe to the pedal or cages to lock your foot on the pedal, allowing the rider to use the hip flexors and hamstrings to pull up on the pedal to return it to its original position. Calves are used throughout the stroke to stabilize foot position during the pedaling motion.
Core
Your core consists of your back and abdominals. The transverse abdominis muscle wraps around the entire lower torso. It acts like a corset to stabilize the hips, lower back and pelvis. Keep your torso upright and tighten your transverse abdominis to better support your spine, while still allowing proper breathing and technique during your ride. Engaging your transverse abdominis is different from tightening your abs. Often tightening your abs will restrict airflow and result in short, shallow breaths. Tightening your transverse abdominis should feel like you have a thick belt wrapped around your waist for the entire ride.
Upper Body
Although indoor cycling is primarily a lower-body exercise, you use your upper extremities isometrically throughout the class, according to Working-Well.org. During sprints, you will find that you begin pulling your upper body toward the handlebars as you increase your speed. Hill climbing will result in the opposite effect in the upper body, you will be pushing against the handlebars as you push your legs around the pedals. Your arms are also used to support your upper body, and to stabilize your torso on the bike.
Proper Technique and Bike Setup
Cycling classes can be dangerous if your bike is not set up properly or you do not ride with enough resistance. To ensure proper seat height, bring one foot to the 3 o'clock position and check that your knee is directly over the pedal. Riding with your knee over your shoelaces or behind your heel can result in knee injuries. If you are cycling with little to no resistance on your bike, it will feel as though your feet are being pulled around by the pedals. If you are not in control of your cadence and pedal stroke, there is a greater chance of knee injury or accidentally slipping your foot out of the foot cage or toe clips.
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