Spin Class - What to Wear?

[nscrbug]

It's interesting to hear that so many of you wear actual cycling shorts for spin class. Maybe it's the area I live in, or the clientele, or whatever, but I can honestly count on 1 hand, the amount of times that I've seen cycling shorts being worn during ANY of the spin classes in my gym (a Bally's). Cycling shoes are a different story, as I see many of those...but shorts, nope. Most just wear regular gym clothes and sneakers. On the rare occasion, I sometimes see folks wearing regular STREET clothes. My gym is pretty lax on enforcing the "wear appropriate workout clothing" rule. I see guys working out in jeans and work boots all the time. Seems uncomfortable to me, but whatever....

[surgtech1956]

One other thing I forgot to ask. Do you use your own Ipod?

[Dogmama]

One other thing I forgot to ask. Do you use your own Ipod?

The instructor should provide music and combine it with moves on the bike.

I've seen shorts, bike shorts and full kits. I will say that the full kits were overkill.

Gloves, I wear them because my hands get sweaty & I won't slip off of the bars.

[Crankin]

At my former gym, I'd say there were as many people wearing full kits as those wearing a combo of bike shorts and other tops.
It depended on what class you went to. Some classes had more outdoor riders in them, especially the ones that were added in the winter, for "training," and were geared for cyclists. If I happened to go at 9:30 AM, well, it was the housewife crowd. But, most of them wore bike shorts.
I couldn't sit on those seats in regular shorts.

[Irulan]

The instructor should provide music and combine it with moves on the bike.

I've seen shorts, bike shorts and full kits. I will say that the full kits were overkill.

Gloves, I wear them because my hands get sweaty & I won't slip off of the bars.

I have seen people bring their own players/headphones and do their own thing... rude I guess but sometimes the music sucks so bad....

[OakLeaf]

Wow.

I don't teach indoor cycling (and I'm *really* glad to have the bikes' long crankarms and my knees as an excuse not to), but there's a contingent of people who show up for my strength and step classes and don't pay attention. In that situation, it's "merely" rude and distracting to the other participants.

But in a spin class, where bikes are nearly always limited, it's more than rude to take a bike that someone else could be using and then not participate in the class. If I were the instructor in that situation, I'd speak to the person after class, and if they continued to do that I might even speak to my program coordinator.

[indysteel]

Wow.

I don't teach indoor cycling (and I'm *really* glad to have the bikes' long crankarms and my knees as an excuse not to), but there's a contingent of people who show up for my strength and step classes and don't pay attention. In that situation, it's "merely" rude and distracting to the other participants.

But in a spin class, where bikes are nearly always limited, it's more than rude to take a bike that someone else could be using and then not participate in the class. If I were the instructor in that situation, I'd speak to the person after class, and if they continued to do that I might even speak to my program coordinator.

I'll take somebody wearing headphones and quietly doing his or her own thing over people talking all through class. Now that's rude. When I used to go to spin classes, there was one group of friends who chatted with one another through the entire class. It was such a distraction.

[Miranda]

I'll take somebody wearing headphones and quietly doing his or her own thing over people talking all through class. Now that's rude. When I used to go to spin classes, there was one group of friends who chatted with one another through the entire class. It was such a distraction.

As an instructor, I can not begin to tell you how angry that makes me!

For some different reasons, I just let go all of my class load except for one class (happens to give me gym access for free, so I need to keep it). In that class, I have a click of outdoor riders, with one person in particular that's the ring leader so to speak, that have got to be the rudest people on earth in regards to that. My boss there is pretty much all about her and of very little support. It's colder now, and I know they will be in. My heart is filled with dread. Ugh. I take very seriously what I do and try to conduct myself as a professional, BUT I have to tell you that I have never been so close to screaming "shut the f*** up!!!" (while wearing the mic, mind you) at someone in all my life!

*d e e p * b r e a t h*


OP...

Just finding this thread... looks like you have gotten lots of good advice.

One thing I do not see answered though is besides bike shorts you can bring your own gel saddle pad. Sporting good stores, and Walmart sells them for $10 &up. I carry an extra one in my gym bag for students.

The spin bike has adjustments to get many sizes of bodies comfortable but the frame size is unchanged... SO... that means for someone like me who takes a small frame size I'm rolled forward onto my pubic bone on the spin bike. Bike shorts chamois plus gel pad makes it fine for an hour class.

[Catrin]

...
But in a spin class, where bikes are nearly always limited, it's more than rude to take a bike that someone else could be using and then not participate in the class. If I were the instructor in that situation, I'd speak to the person after class, and if they continued to do that I might even speak to my program coordinator.

I agree entirely. Especially in the winter there are always more people than there are spinning bikes, so if someone simply wants to do their own thing and not participate in class then they should choose to spin outside of class time. This is more than rude...in the cases where I've seen this happen (not often) they are quite obviously totally ignoring what the class is doing. Better they spin outside of class and allow someone else to have their bike who wants to be there.

[Blueberry]

I don't do spin classes - but just wanted to chime in on one thing:

Our gym takes the seatposts off the bikes when there isn't a class going on. We've asked, and you can't get one unless there is a class going on. So - no chance to spin at other times (sadly) - otherwise, I would love to do just that....

[Dannielle]

If I don't wear padded shorts I regret it. Every time. I didn't wear padded shorts one day last week and afterward I resolved to wear them from now on even if it means changing before/after class. I will continue to do so until they outfit spin bikes with Brooks saddles. ;-)

But yeah, bike shorts and a tank/cami (I get way too hot/sweaty for a cotton tshirt!).