Well, I was a roadie snob when it came to spinning classes. However, after my bike accident in January and then not able to do much activity for about a month, I decided to give it a try.

The first week I went (3x a week) I thought I would die at the end of the class! I was soooo tired. But I've kept at it and now it's 3-4 times a week. The instructors I have are mostly indoor cyclists, but they use outdoor training plans when they do the classes. I'm definitely in shape leg wise and cardio wise for when I get back on the bike. I try to push myself a little further each week. Yesterday when we did a cadence count I was up to 138rpm. I was pretty happy about that as it wasn't that hard for me.

I recommend spinning because it does help with the cardio and also with keeping a steady pace on the bike. We do some jumps, a lot of standing in different "gears" and lots of cardio and leg work. I"m so glad I have something to keep me in shape while I heal. I don't know what I'd be doing at this point if it weren't for spinning.

I"ve gotten my friend Sarah to go a couple of times. She immediately noticed a difference in her riding style- she's more consistent in her cadence and stronger on the hills. She was already a strong cyclist (another young'un)and spinning is just accelerating her training.

One of the women in our club- Laurie Fenech (MP- she races with MACO) does spin classes 5x a week, races on the weekends, rides most every day and runs as well. This is in addition to a full time job as a teacher! She is winning races in her category this year. She's 51- and beats people who are 30. Go figure!