Biketodetroit

I want to thank Sean Dries and tell you about his role in making this ride a success for me.

At the begining of 2005 I decided to try spinning classes. In spinning, you ride a stationary bike, but the exercise is quite active, with a good deal of pedaling while standing, and a variety of pace and resistance. I had the good luck to have Sean as my instructor. I have been bicycling all my life, but never had any training in technique, nor and guidance on how to train physically to be a stronger rider. The class was billed as an exercise class, but Sean taught me more about riding a bike than I had learned in 55 years of riding.

I got stronger, especially in being able to stand and climb hills. Momentum is extremely important in cycling; every time you slow down you have to exert more energy to regain speed. If you can maintain speed while going up a hill it makes a huge difference in your overall rate. After a couple of months spinning with Sean I found myself riding my bike in a new way, more focused on my technique and getting much more out of my effort.

Most important were the simplest things. Constantly on this trip I recalled Sean's mantra: "round, smooth, full pedal strokes." Of course I didn't remember it all the time, but each time it came back into mind I concentrated on the basics of pedaling the bike in the most efficient way; my pace picked up, and the work got easier. In class Sean would say, "Relax your shoulders." He said that perhaps every 5 minutes, and every time he said it I realized that I had tensed my shoulders, making the work harder. I recalled that advice during the ride. I had to recall it hundreds of times a day, but that was a lot better than riding all day with tensed muscles.

Sean has started his own fitness practice now: www.jackalopefitness.com. I recommend the site for a good story on how he developed as a fitness instructor. Thanks, Sean.

# posted by Jeff @ 6:59 AM