Indoor Cycling with the Louisville Bicycle Club

By Linda Burry, M.Ed.

They range in age from 13 to 69. Some come with their family members, while others know that friends and familiar faces will greet them the minute they walk through the doors of the Broadway Baptist Church on Brownsboro Road . It's 6:30 p.m. on a Thursday evening and the folks coming in aren't exactly dressed for a worship service, yet they are definitely on a mission. A mission to accomplish what they wouldn't and couldn't do on their own: an indoor cycling workout. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 7 to 8 p.m., a group of up to 50 cyclists sweats it out together to that evening's cycling video projected on the big screen in front of them. It's all about social support for this group, and within the camaraderie is the process of becoming fit for the spring cycling season.

At 69 years young, A.B. Sandefur has already been in the church's community room for over an hour. The former Ballard High School assistant principal recently "retired" as Louisville Bicycle Club's vice president of education, a volunteer post he had held for three years. Tonight he has once again volunteered, this time as "ride captain," a role he is known for reprising some 41 times in 2004, earning him LBC's distinguished education volunteer of the year award. He knows that folks will be thirsty and hungry before and after the ride. Pitchers of iced tea, lemonade, water and an assortment of munchies have been set out by Sandefur.

"I'm ready for them!" he exclaims as a familiar face walks through the door escorting his bike. "Indoor cycling is such good exercise. But it's not fun to do it alone. That's why we do this. It's a great way to have fun, lose weight, get fit and make friends, although not necessarily in that order!"

In fact, a 1996 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report concluded that social support is a key aspect that has consistently been linked to physical activity and adherence to structured exercise programs among adults. In group exercise programs, cohesion develops among the members, increasing exercise adherence (Estabrooks, 2000).

"I can't do this at home," admits Dick Krakowski, a lean 60-years-young LBC member who proudly attributes his 40-pound weight loss over the past two years to the motivation supplied by the group rides. "I'm still a student of the bike. My club friends call me 'Grasshopper.' It's so much fun and doing this each week makes my performance at my job that much better, because I am happier and healthier!"

"Here, they can't run off without me!" chimes in Leslie Marlin, who shares the same weight loss success as Dick. "I don't want to have to start over in the spring. I can feel the difference after doing the indoor cycling workouts. I certainly can't make myself do this at home by myself.plus, A.B. provides the cookies!"

Sandefur has headed for the door to greet a new rider and helps them set up their bike on their foldable V-shaped stand called a trainer. The trainer holds the rear wheel of the bike in a stable triangular base. The tire contacts a resistance unit with a flywheel. It helps smooth the trainer's spin and it may offer settings that can be used with a bike's gear system to provide the exact pedaling resistance needed for a great workout. Sandefur notices the new group member doesn't have a block to put under their front tire, and promptly supplies one they can keep.

Why a block? "So you aren't riding downhill!" he says. "Putting the front tire on the block makes it even with the back tire that has been lifted up by the trainer." The new group member was astonished to learn that that she had been riding downhill at home for the past three months.

"Now you see why we push each other," said Laurie Boone. "Cycling is my main sport. I would not do this at home! I push here because I want to go as fast as the person next to me!"

The person next to Laurie tonight is actually a family. The Sarson trio consists of Steve, the new LBC vice president of education; his wife, Rita; and their 13-year-old daughter, Michelle, who rode her first century (a 100-mile bike ride) when she was 9.

"My family motivates me," quips Michelle, a student at Newberg Middle School . "They encourage me to get the exercise. My whole family is into cycling. I have two other sisters, Danielle, who is 21, and Jessica, 22. Dad got us into it. I'm usually his tandem partner, but tonight my mom is, and I'm on my bike. We plan our family vacations around our bikes, and it is so much fun!"

Research shows that active children who receive parental encouragement for physical activity will be more active as adults than will children who are sedentary and do not receive parental support. Along these lines, an extensive survey of some 40,000 school children whose parents, best friends and siblings took part in sport and physical activity were much more likely themselves to take part and continue to exercise into adulthood (Weinberg, 2003). With childhood obesity at such alarming levels, the Sarsons' consistent cycling program has helped them to serve as positive role models for their family.

Chad Green comes in a few minutes before the class is about to start. The bikes are set up two and three deep tonight, yet there is always room for more, especially for Green. He works in Louisville , but lives near Ft. Knox .

"I've been doing these indoor cycling workouts for about a month now and it's a heck of a lot better than riding by yourself," said Green. "It's quite a commute to get here, but it is definitely worth it." Chad 's high level of intrinsic motivation is what keeps him coming back. Chad values his workout with his biking buddies and knows that the payoff in the spring will be his continued strong riding abilities.

Jim Preston is set up next to Green, and welcomes him back, "I did this two years ago and that year was the strongest I ever rode outside. It is very boring in my basement. The only reason I come is that the group is here when I need them."

Sandefur calls everyone's attention. The video selection has been made, and tonight it is a one hour Troy Jacobsen Spinerval's video, "Time Trials." Many present have these tapes and DVDs at home, but their intensity level tonight will be taken up a few notches. They cajole one another and start their warm-up. The sound of the spinning wheels during the first high cadence interval lets one another know they are truly all in this together. Group exercising leads to better adherence than exercising alone (Dishman & Buckworth, 1996).