Indoor Cycling Etiquette: Rules of the Bike Room

When it comes to indoor cycling, there are plenty of options for enjoying the exercise. You can invest in a bike for home and train there. You could join your local gym and use their bikes, or you could even go to a spinning studio for the full experience. 

When it comes to training at home, anything goes, but when it comes to going to a spin bike class, there’s a certain etiquette that I recommend sticking to in the spin room. In this article, I tell you the dos and don’ts of the spin room. 

As an indoor cycling instructor, I have taught and attended many classes. When clients first get into the class, there’s so much going on, and all you want to do is get ready and start training. I often see people go against etiquette, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but it can come across as rude. Let’s discuss what to avoid. 

Etiquette In A Spin Class

Now, for the exciting part, let’s discuss etiquette in the spin room. This is just my personal advice from many years of seeing people in a spin room.

1. Not Booked? Give Up Your Bike

A lot of spinning studios are incredibly popular and require booking. However, I have seen times when people who are not booked jump in, hoping for a space. There’s nothing wrong with this, but if someone later comes in who did book, it’s good to give up your space. You would be surprised at how many people don’t.

2. Don’t Be Particular About A Certain Bike

When I used to teach a class at a gym, I had a few clients who were very particular about what bike they were on. They would even ask people to move because they wanted to use that bike. Don’t do this. It can make others feel uncomfortable.

3. Turning Up Late

As an instructor, I used to plan the class beforehand, get everything set up, and take the time before the session to ensure everyone was set up correctly. Then, I would turn the lights down, start the warm-up, and get the class going. Then, someone would walk in and set up a bike, completely breaking the class flow by turning late.

4. Talking During The Session

When you’re in a session and giving your all to teaching, it’s great to have everyone engaged and working together. A big distraction for many is when you start getting people having conversations midway through. It not only upsets the instructor but also the other people who have paid to be there.

5. Not Cleaning Your Bike Down

You will see in most studios that they have cleaning goods near the bikes. It’s good to use these, and people really respect it when you clean down machines. You get sweaty on a bike, and the last thing you want to do is leave it for everyone else.

6. Respect The Other Riders

Another factor to mention is that it’s important to understand everyone is different, and no matter the level of ability, the number of moves they do in the class, or how hard they work, you have to respect that they turned up and are probably giving their best. You never know what journeys others have been on.

A Final Note On Indoor Cycling Etiquette

Indoor cycling is a lot of fun, especially when you go to a group class and enjoy it with others. As an instructor, I feel that a certain level of etiquette needs to be followed. Thanks for taking the time to read this article. I hope I have taught you something new.