Spin Class Rant

I went to a local bike shop last year about two times a week - partly for fitness, partly for motivation to train (easier in a group). They advertised a training program based over a set number of weeks, gradually building from base to anaerobic intervals. The thing is, every class was pretty much the same - everyone ended up redlining, sweating up a storm and panting like a dog. I was doing my own training program and used the classes as a break from the longer, base training I was doing at home. Ce la vie.

I had some left over classes from last year, so I thought I'd go and finish them up - intervals would be some good training for the upcoming road trip down south. I knew what I was getting myself into, I knew how the classes are run.

What's frustrating was the instructor said at the beginning of class that it was a "base" class and we'd be spinning in Zone 1 and a little in 2. The first five or ten minutes after warming up were in fact in those zones, then a five minute standing climb. What the f*ck? What's more is that the instructor was yelling out that we should me "maxing out" our cadence and "going hard". Again, what the f*ck? Base class my ass.

I don't mind the work, I enjoy sweating profusely, barely being able to breath and working til my legs feel like they're going to fall off. But, there were alot of people not use to spinning or even cycling . . . . what kind of message does that send? If you're going to advertise a base class, run a base class. It's misleading to newbies and might turn people off the sport. I could rant on . . .