By Stephanie Vegh

Stephanie Vegh has a BS in Exercise Physiology from Chico State and has worked in the fitness industry for over 12 years . She is the Health & Wellness Director & Fitness Instructor at the Centennial Recreation Center ( CRC ) in Morgan Hill . She lives in Gilroy with her husband Frank , four-year-old twin daughters , Isabella and Addison , and 23-month-old baby girl , Alexis .

First , it ’ s important to understand that the majority of indoor bikes are different than normal road , mountain or triathlon bikes . Most of these bikes have a “ fly wheel ,” which is a 30 to 40 pound wheel that provides the resistance as you pedal . This is the primary reason the pedals on these bikes keep moving after you stop pedaling .

As a result of this fly wheel , your hamstrings ( back of your legs ) must work harder to slow down the pedals as they come around . In contrast , when you ’ re outdoors , you ’ re pedaling against the friction of road and wind resistance , and this motion requires more work from your hip flexors and quadriceps .

Because of this fly wheel , it ’ s very easy to let these bikes “ do the work for you ,” since once you get that wheel spinning , it ’ s very easy to keep it moving . This is why lots of people in cycling class can appear to be pedaling very fast when they ’ re actually not doing much work at all .

A study by the American Council On Exercise ( ACE ) observed that a typical cycling class keeps you at around 75 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate . That ’ s pretty good . Big motivators might be the heat of an indoor cycling room , the peer pressure of cycling classmates and the motivation of an instructor in your face , but regardless , it ’ s a good enough heart rate to get a very good cardiovascular response . However , as you ’ ve just learned , indoor cycling bikes tends to use primarily your hamstring muscles because of that flywheel , which means more help from the bike and fewer overall calories burned . Serious cyclists and professional cyclists can easily get their heart rate as high and higher as those in a cycling class . But most recreational cyclists just have a hard time pedaling that fast while balancing the bike , navigating , and not having the motivation of a crowd and an instructor .

Let ’ s face it — riding a stationary bike is way more convenient . You simply get on the bike or show up to class and go . The most inconvenient part , for many , is getting to the gym . Outdoor cycling can be logistically messy .

You need to dress appropriately , bring a tire change ( and know how to change a tire ), be ready for rough weather , deal with stop lights , stop signs and traffic , and the list goes on .

To get the most out of your indoor class and maybe even use your class to become a better outdoor cyclist ; Ruben Barajas , Hawaii Ironman finisher recommends these techniques :

SEATED CLIMBING : Most outdoor cyclists know that they should pull up on the pedals on the upstroke , which activates your calves and reduces the load on the quads — but they rarely do it for long outdoors . Here ’ s the technique for indoors : Suck in your lower abs to help push your butt to the back of the seat , then drive the pedals down with your heels lower than the toes . Keep the heels low when you pull up , too ; as soon as you lift the heel above the ball of the foot , you turn off the calf muscle . Most outdoor cyclists sit too high on an indoor bike and don ’ t hinge their torsos forward enough , says Kostman , keeping their heels up and pulling up with their shins and quads , not calves .

STANDING CLIMBING : To cultivate the hamstrings , glutes and back muscles as you would outdoors , you must adjust your posture for the lack of angle , says Kostman . On an outdoor climb , the front end of the bike is tipped up . To replicate the position on an indoor bike , hinge at the hips , keep you back straight and parallel to the ground , and push your nose down to within a few inches of your handlebar .

STANDING SPEEDWORK : To build explosive power and raise your lactate threshold as well as rapid turnover , stand straight up and “ run ” on the pedals , says Kostman . The key to is put the entire weight of the body on the quads . The technique : Stand tall , with ears , hips and bottom bracket in a straight line , the upper body stabilized by tensed abs , with no hand pressure on the bars ( using only fingertips for balance ). Then blast your cadence up to 200 rpms — which blows away the 150 rpm most top cyclists can manage outdoors .

SITTING SPEEDWORK : Ideal for building rapid turnover , this technique is easy : Use very little resistance , sit forward on the saddle , suck in abs to stabilize hips and upper body , and go like hell . Again , shoot for 200 rpms .

Resources : www . magazine . foxnews . com / food-wellness

On the Inside Looking Out : How to Use Indoor Cycling to Become a Better Outdoor Cyclist By Roy M . Wallack

Stationary Bikes . Outdoor Bike by Jillita Horton

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