What was said about being a good teacher is absolsutely true. Just because someone is good at an activity, does not mean s/he will be a good teacher of the activity. When i taught high impact aerobics, my classes may not have been the fanciest or even the hardest, but they were safe and I think my "real" job as an educator helped me a great deal in teaching the steps to people and with just dealing with the clients. I feel the same way about leading bike rides. I may not be the fastest cyclist, but I can lead people and make it an enjoyable experience. And yes, a spin class led by a person who rides outside is really the best because it is focused on training for riding. But, I have had a few other instructors who are either runners or really good step instructors who have very good spin classes that appeal to all types of people. Yesterday, I went to my first spin class since April. It felt really hard, just like Tasha said. There's no coasting, easing up, stopping, unless you're one of those people who puts no resistance on the bike at all (and I still wonder why those people even come). The longer I exercise, the more important it becomes to vary what you do. My body just adapts too quickly if I only do one thing. I love riding the most, but I am trying to become a (very slow) runner. It's painful, but necessary or else I don't feel challenged.

Robyn