I am sad to say no one mailed in to complain that our July newsletter did not go out – are you not missing all the news from Pedal Studio?

There is good reason this has been held up, we have been bedding down the much promised, spoken and written about web site. It is here and so this email is more a bit of house keeping and we will follow it up with some newsy news. Hopefully some revealing pictures from the Pedal Studio Summer Cruise will accompany this. With 145 party people chilling out to a fine London sunset this Saturday night as we party the night away I am sure there will be lots on the go. So why are you not on board? I hope you join us next year, I will definitely be ordering in a larger boat.

So let’s talk Pedal Studio and the changes, it may seem long but it is critical.

I have changed the pricing for the 5 ride card to £30 and a drop in to £10. This is because we do not want any change. The £50 for 10 rides still remains the same and is the best way to buy your rides. Whilst we talking payments – there will no longer be a box with change in it, so if you buying drinks, please bring the correct change and drop it into the box. Ride payments go in the safe in the ride zone and please folks – remember to put your name onto the envelope otherwise how the heck are we going to work out who has paid us – don’t laugh, we have had them!

There are no time limits on the ride cards as previously stated.

From Monday you will see a complete new look website.

You will have your own account that will track the number of rides you have left. You will be able to view your remaining credits every time you log on as well as check out what rides you have booked for the next 7 days. When you buy rides we will credit them to your account (this may take up to a week) so please keep an eye to ensure you get more rides once you’ve paid. When you book, the ride balance will reduce immediately.

Cancellations are all managed off your account now, you will see when you book it actually adds the word ‘cancel’ rather than your name. Please remember our cancellation policy of no cancellations if there is less than 24hrs till ride time. Once you are past this point of no return, the word ‘cancel’ (representing your booking) disappears and your name gets captured. You can still view who is booked in without having to log in, just click the ‘ whose booked in’ web page.

We are asking you to recreate your account with us because in a few weeks you will be able to see your stored data. In time this will auto update the Suunto system. This will be really important as it will ensure you know what data is on the Suunto system and that it is accurate when changes happen. This is really import as it will ensure you are training in the correct HR zones and your feedback – calorie burn – report will be accurate. If you do not create this account, you will not be able to book a class.

As with all system changes bugs do occur so please let us know if you experience any of these. Often the many versions of explorer and of course the Apple vs. PC  issue has odd affects on the views – so please let us know if this is the case.

Your profile now accommodates messages and the first message you will see is a reminder of the door code. Please keep looking because we will be changing this every now and again to increase the security at the studio.

Please folks, you know the policy and you will have to tick to agree to this when you create your account again. If you need to cancel you can up to 24 hrs before the ride. Go to the booking page and you will see the word ‘cancel’ rather than your name on it.

If your name appears this means there is less than 24hrs till ride time and that no changes can be made. Please respect this and do not email us, we just can’t change things, the system is now set to work like this and cannot be changes without getting the web developer involved and that will cost way more than the ride !

We do not operate a waiting list.

This is a new requirement! No booking No Ride even if there are free bikes.

The instructors will be checking now and if you are not booked in, you will be asked to book in. This will hold classes up so please, book in, in advance. I will provide a lap top at the studio so that you can do this if you decide to pop in and ride but we do encourage you to book ahead so that you are not disappointed. The new site does work off your mobile phones so you can even book in on your way to the studio.

If you are recommending us to friends, please get them to register and book in ahead of time as we need a few days to get their details logged into the HR system.

You will see I am busy loading up web banners where I can get us good deals. Shout if you get crappy service as I will take it up with these Pedal Studio Partners but I am expecting good service and better prices and will strive to increase this. In some cases they do give me a little kick back and if you wanna know just ask. I mostly do pass this on to you and do not act as the middle man taking a cut. The idea is you get the discount but operationally some of the Partners are auto set up to pass that to me because I have a client account with them and for them or me to try and track this and pass it to you means staff requirements to manually do this and changes in processes which equals costs again. So for those I will be getting a little cut, but I assure you, you will not be getting done over.

Drop me a line if you want to know which ones I get a cut on but for these I intend to pass on the entire discount: Torq, Suunto, Cape Storm, Diadora Shoes and many others – so take advantage through the studio you are scoring big!

There are some very exciting developments here. Some of you will have noted the comfy belt a little funny round HR monitor, this is Sunnto’s newest belt. I have struck up a great new working relationship directly with Suunto and not through an agency which was really giving us no support at all (you recall how long stretchy belts used to take to get delivered). Hence the new comfy belt which seems to work a lot better than the old belts – Suunto just sent it J. Only problem is that the stretchy bit is expensive at £14. You welcome to get one so you can use that one comfy belt (belt 31) in the studio.

My suggestion is why not look at getting a HR monitor – the T3 – the full watch and strap, it is fantastic and with the new relationship with Suunto I am on the verge of securing us all a great price deal and it means you will have your own belt for training in the studio and the out doors. Drop me a line and I will hook you up.

Shortly we will be updating your captured data from the Pedal Studio web site automatically to the Suunto system. You will see online forums offered with tons of training advice. Your feedback will be to a web site through a log in and not rely on emails. This will have fantastic training logs and programmes. Suunto are investing heavily here so expect more. This will really compliment your training and as you are no doubt realising, knowing where you are in terms of your HR and Thresholds for aerobic and anaerobic training is crucial to achieving your goals.

You train hard, so splash out a little and invest in yourself – get a Suunto T3.

You will see I now have the gel to be applied to the HR Belt that helps facilitate HR reading. Please use this on the belts. That said, for the comfy belt it really sits well on the chest and delivers the HR reading from mid chest so it will not need this. I hope to get more of these and in time will slowly convert to ensure no more single problems happen.

You may have noticed there is now a wash basket for dirty towels near the men’s toilet. Towels are available for £1 so please help yourself, these are for both using on the bike and showering. Now this may seem a bit cheeky as some of those towels have been left behind by you – and we are hoping that you can spare us more. If you do bring a towel in, then please feel free to use a towel without dropping £1 into the box each time you use it for the month of August.

Starting in September please be kind enough to pop £1 into the box as I do need to cover cleaning costs. I really hope you can spare us a few unused towels; this will really help the environment to as I am sure you have a few kicking about even if it is just one.

We have listened to you and we are planning to introduce some 30min buzz classes shortly, especially over lunch time. You will see there are a load more higher intensity classes so you can get your tough training in. This does not mean recovery is not important, we do still offer the classes and for easy reference you will see this is now colour coordinated on the class schedule. You can also track if the class is being covered for the class owner. The cover instructor will be named.

New Riders – Blue

Please if you have never ridden on a Spinning bike; make this your first class. Invest in yourself, this will be worth it. We will also tell you about Pedal Studio and what we offer you. We have so much on the go, we are not a gym we are your social studio where you get to ride. People arrange out rides and social activities, just like the boat cruise taking place on Saturday 8th Aug 09 which has 145 Spinning friends on board departing from Putney! I see people making new friends and swapping training ideas at the studio all the time.

This class will cover, amongst other things:

Bike set up
Hand positions
Riding technique – Pedal technique (Down and up stroke)
Heart Rate training – how to stay in the right zone
What is the right HR zone – you need to align this to your goals
Controlling your HR through: Breathing, Cadence and resistance

What is Cadence – Test your cadence
What is Max Heart Rate – does this change?
Classes: Recovery, Enduro, Cycle and Stretch, Core, Strong
Intensity: Interval (anaerobic interval, Extensive Interval, aerobic Interval, Hi Intensity Interval)
Class feedback and calorie burn

So get the most out of your Spinning and join this, it also makes for a good recovery session too.

Cycle and Stretch (Recovery) – Green

This is so important and if you are not doing it in the studio, please make sure you are doing it in the park. Before you choose to go for a run, get a heart rate monitor (borrow mine) and just see how hi your HR goes when you jog, you will be amazed. Do not run and think that is recovery, it is load bearing on the knees and I bet your HR will be above 50% of max. Try and book in for a recovery ride and be strict on your HR, go for a swim or walk.

Enduro – Yellow

If there is one thing, it is BUILD YOUR BASE! No questions, hitting it hard feels great, you think you have worked hard and you probably have – you are sweating after all. But what are you really doing? What are you goals? Fat Burn, Tri races, cycle races? If so you need to be building your base! Focus on this and your goals will be delivered.

Core Pedal – Orange

Ah – the fun stuff, it makes you sweat and you sure are working hard, but make sure it is in a controlled manner – use the HR system – keep the focus. Interval training in this zone is fantastic, especially if you have been Spinning for a while now. Challenge yourself to be strict, sometimes the class is up, but you stay down, to build strength, focus on the pedal stroke, breath, relax, and drink! You should be complimenting this with out rides on weekends.

Strong – Red

Okay – the tough tough stuff. Of course the class will not be red lining all the way, so work hard and be controlled. Focus on that Heart Rate recovery from red zones down to orange and then yellow and back up. You want to tone up, inside and out, work hard. But remember the wise person takes on the right diet and supplements  after training in this zone – look after the body and if you training in the red, you better be doing recovery rides / swims otherwise I am gonna kick your assss ! If you want the privilege of taking your body into these zones, then you need to smarten up, read up and be wise to the full dynamics of training. two stretch days a week, yoga / cycle and stretch is compulsory – listen to your body!

Wise advice from super amazing tri athlete Pete Jacobs

·  Under-train, not over-train
·  Balance. Days off must be without guilt – enjoy them or sleep.
·  Brain training – everything, every second, must be focused and working on technique.
·  Supplements (vitamins) are a must.
·  Keep yourself in top working shape – massage, physio, acupuncture,
·  Recovery from today’s session is preparation for tomorrows.

Give this a go for something different – mix your training up – it will cater for everyone at all your differing levels. It is full on but you get to ease back and pedal it through when ever you want.

Please folks, we are not a gym that just leaves you on your own once that direct debit form is signed and the monthly fees are coming in. Further Pedal Studio does not hire out our floor space and bikes to private personal trainers as the likes of Virgin ‘In’active, Canno’t’s and others do.

Your qualified Spinning instructors from our Master Instructors to our Level 1’s are living and breathing the Spinning Programme and they are part of the Pedal Studio team. That is why they all have Pedal Studio email addresses. Each of them has a unique interest and passion involving cycling and fitness. Some are Tri coaches, some are nutrition experts, some are MTB crazy, others are road bike crazy and some are just pure spinning nuts. All are there to help and guide you – so please ask ask ask, we love this stuff and the rewards when you achieve your goals are our rewards. So if it is just getting to be strong and confident enough to get out and do 3-4 laps of Richmond park in the traffic, then lets us help you get strong, we will help you with bike choice, we have mechanics, we have partners who take out rides with training and we can recommend so much.  Are you after your own Heart Rate monitor? Speak to us we use these things every day. Maybe you want to join a group on a Tri Training weekend away – Jono, Mark and Sandro are the gurus.

And me – well I am pretty passionate about Pedal Studio – maybe  a little more than pretty - and I hope there is no one out there who, when they email me, has not got a personal response back? Look out for the Afan Park MTB weekends away – you are warned.

So on that note, please let me know how the new web site is working out, any feedback will be great.

Our newsletters will go out and will basically be off the Blog now, so read up and keep up to speed there.

Best wished for the last of the summer races if you have any left, don’t neglect your training as it gets darker, Pedal Studio will be here to energise you through the dark months.

Thanks for all the support over the last 6 months. Your active word of mouth advertising has been our reward for the good service I think we give to you.

See you in the ride zone,
Andrew

Unsubscribe