Top 210 Spinning Indoor Cycling Songs
What? Were you really expecting a Top 25 Indoor Cycling Songs? Maybe even a Top 50? Remember, this is ICI/PRO and we like to
do things BIG! To close out a spectacular year, we’re asking you, the best Indoor Cycling Instructors in the world, to join forces and create a list of your favorite songs for 2010. But here’s the catch. In addition to providing the title and artist, you must also describe HOW you teach that epic gem!
When our goal is reached, (one song per post) the list will be edited, organized, chilled and served to perfection. It’s our way of saying THANK YOU for a tremendous year!
UPDATE! Have you seen our new: BEST 210 Indoor Cycling Songs in 2010 list? It’s free to subscribers to our email newsletter. Click here to join now.
Here are my three favorites from 2010…..now it’s your turn!
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit (Doctor Werewolf Mix) www.soundcloud.com Enjoy this powerful 7 minute remix of a classic. Establish a seated climb until 3:29. From 3:29-4:29, I tell students to prepare both their bike and mind for an all out attack just seconds ahead. At 4:29, transition to a standing climb and unleash, increasing cadence for 2 minutes. I count down last 8 beats to end the song. Search for Doctor Werewolf on Soundcloud and click the download tab.
P. Diddy with Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) – Come with Me (Godzilla soundtrack) Create a grinding seated climb for 3-1/2 minutes, staying in the saddle if possible or taking a few steps out for switchbacks. At 3:39, during the very quiet moments of this song, whisper to your class, “There’s a jersey ahead of you…let’s explode out of the saddle and wave as you make the pass.” At 4:32, increase your voice tempo/volume, and slam it out for 90 seconds.
Dylan Rhymes and Jono Fernandez featuring Seany B. – Breathe (General Midi Remix) www.amazon.com. This awesome song combines a standing climb with jumps on a hill (or another element). Create a moderate hill for about 60 seconds. From 1:22-1:43, increase resistance and tell students an ambitious climb awaits them, climbing the first half of the mountain and then jumping our way to the top. At 1:43, begin a standing climb, keeping RPM steady and adding 3 resistance changes, 1 per minute. They should really be feeling it by the third shift! At 4:55, back off a touch and hit the saddle, grab a quick drink on the gear and prepare to jump your way to the summit, building anticipation with verbal encouragement until 5:40. “Try to give me 20 jumps on a hill in two minutes, your rhythm, your gear. I’ll see you at the top!” At 7:38 I count down the beats to end the song. (Make sure you download the 7:45 version – there is a 6:30 min. one as well.)
- top indoor cycling song
- songs for indoor cycling
- indoor cycling hill songs
- indoor cycling christmas songs
- christmas songs for indoor cycling
Posted in Uncategorized
Similar articles
- ICI/PRO’s Top 161 Indoor Cycling Class Songs
ICI/PRO’s Top 161 Songs! See updates below. Want to punch up your playlist with some of the best music on the planet AND get the inside scoop on how to teach each empowering song? Thanks to a suggestion from ICI/PRO member Charles Farrow of Montgomery, Alabama, we’re going to collect 100 of the
... - All Over The Map: Simple advice for beginner spinning indoor cycling instructors
A new instructor asked me for advice on teaching a spinning class. I teach almost all group exercise class formats and I find spinning to be the easiest format to teach. You don’t have to worry about choreography, the 8-count or the 32-count phrase. No one has two left feet in
... - Spinning Christmas Profile
Here’s a list of Holiday songs, some sources and my annual Christmas profile. If you are doing a Christmas/Holiday ride, then you’ll want to download these free mash-ups from A Very Bootie Christmas. Fun and irreverent. Here’s a very fun song, The Christmas Can Can – you can only buy the cd here
... - Spinning Bike Workouts
Spin bikes simulate climbing hills and riding through various terrains. This aerobic workout, which cycled its way into gyms in the late 1980s, has people shedding pounds in fitness facilities and home gyms throughout the United States. Exercising on a spinning bike burns between 400 and 600 calories in an average 45- to 60-minute class,
... - “+ Redux” 60 Minute Spinning Mix Power 10 Spinning
“+ Redux” 60 Minute Spinning Mix December 10, 2009 16-song music mix and choreographed workout includes “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi “This Is How A Heart Breaks” by Rob Thomas “In the Morning” by Junior Boys This mix, originally put together in December 2008 as the first hour of
...
Bonus for fun: Fear of The Rockstar 101 (DJs From Mars Remix) |
Rihanna vs. Iron Maiden | 5:42 | found on
You could also use it at the end of particularly challenging
class, when they know that they have really earned it.
…and if you have it, the bpm.
Yes, we’ve got a great start to this list!
Thank you all! I’m looking forward to checking the list
often. What’s helpful, very helpful, are the ideas of
movements, cadence, coaching tips for the songs. It helps to
visualize why the song is a favorite and what can be done with it!
Thanks again!
“Kill Me Everytime” (instrumental version) by Blue
Stahli, 5:08. It is PERFECT for a full blown maximum power interval
or time trial effort. I have to hold myself back from using it too
often in my playlists.
Yup, it’s the theme song to the Biggest Loser. Tami Reilly
suggested this in one of her workshops. It’s a great way to
mark an accomplishment and get them psyched up. I love to use it at
the end of a periodization training, right at the beginning of the
final event (e.g. race day)
@Dane, I’m looking forward to hearing what songs
you’re using. Morgan is lucky to have a mentor like you to
co-teach with. What a great way to get a start as a new instructor
– we’re so happy to have him (and you) as a member!
hi John, this would be even better/more useful if the BPM of the
music was included.
About half way through the song slightly changes – time to
come out of the saddle. Be careful of how much you add each time. I
think there are 17 turns the song. Nice way to sneak in a really
big hill.
“The Sound (John M. Perkins Blues) by switchfoot. Very
motivating and driven song. it opens with a resounding BOOM! You
can push hard straight through for 3:36 or back off and apply some
HIT surges at 1:13(28s), 2:17(20s), and 3:03(33s).
Alegria from Cirque du Soleil – Starts on a easy rode and
adds resistance every time you hear the title Alegria. They come
frequently.
This song can be used two ways. I prefer to use it for a long
slow climb, but it needs to be “pitch controlled” up a
bit to bring it to a 60 rpm cadence.
Combines seated climb with 3 hard efforts out the seat and a run
at the end.
“Time” from the Inception soundtrack. like a clock
this climb is progressive and starts building at 1:01 every 30
seconds. Some volume control or editing is required as this piece
starts very quiet and ends very loud. Once the build starts every
30 seconds more instrumentation and energy gets added in. it peaks
at 3;01 for the last 30 seconds before returning to the intro
rhythm. Forget about beat matching this is all about emotion.
I know they are old, but I love the Propellerheads. On Her
Majesty’s Royal Secret Service is a 9:23 minute track with a
great, fast beat that slows down in the middle (from 4:46-6:50). I
use it as a Carmichael steady state interval, beginning on a
moderate hill, quick cadence (80-85 rpm). When the beat comes in,
surge out at third to get the cadence going, back down to the
saddle and maintaining a fast cadence on a challenging flat (95+),
keeping intensity right below LT for entire song. When the beat
slows down, switch to a hill, but keep intensity constant, and when
it comes back in at 6:50, come out to 3d to finish the interval
(but don’t cross threshold). Recovery should be about half
the length of the interval.
Samurai Set-Gaelic Storm
Great song for a seated climb!
Following the beat will put you on a heavy climb at 60
RPM’s.
I explain that any climbing will be done between 60-80 RPM’s
and that this seated climb will be heavy (uncomfortably challenging
at 75% of max to start)
1:20-prompt them to keep resistance but increase cadence as close
to 80 RPM’s as possible.
at 1:35-do a 15 second cadence check
At 1:50 tell them that in counting their cadence on one leg that
there number should be as close to 20 without going over. If they
were easily able to get cadence past 20, then have them add more
resistance.
1:52-cadence drops back to the beat at 60 RPM’s
At 2:24-prompt them to increase cadence again
At 2:40-2:55 Do a 15 second cadence check again to see if they were
able to spin up to 80 RPM’s.
this time have them hold 80 RPM’s
At 3:19 drop cadence back to the beat at 60 RPM’s and max out
resistance at that speed.
At 3:28 come up to hand 3 and do a 20-second sprint to the top!
Since Doug already posted “The Sound” by Switchfoot
(my favorite), I’ll post my second choice … is
“Sweet Emotion (David Thoener Remix)” by Aerosmith.
(Make sure it’s the remix — not the original song.)
Love this as a heavy, seated hill climb, with 4 standing 20-second
pushes, and end with a 60 second sprint for the finish. Is 50 RPM
and I have riders gear-up heavy (to the beat) seated, right away.
Then queue them for 4 standing, 20-second pushes (ahead of the
beat) at 1:15, 1:54, 2:52, and 3:30. Return to seated after each
push and hold the beat. Add a gear as needed to stay at max effort
while keeping tempo. At 3:52, I have them drop a gear or two (while
seated) and sprint the last 60 seconds to the end. Most of the
instructors at my club don’t ride the low end of the RPM
spectrum, so my class enjoys this change of pace — with a
little extra run at the end. Enjoy!!!
MY OWN LITTLE WORLD-MATTHEW WEST (4:12)
Good seated flat road with 2 standing runs
Following the beat will put the cadence at 96 RPM’s
at 2:00-2:30 come up to a standing flat road run and try to keep
the cadence as quick as it was in the saddle or at least above 80
RPM’s
3:07-3:37 come up again to a standing flat road run and again try
to keep the cadence the same or at least above 80 RPM’s
Establish a moderate hill, climbing in your seat.
:55 – add enough resistance to challenge the legs but
maintain cadence and come up to a standing climb
1:22 – the incline increases significantly – power up
that hill
1:38 – come off heights back to a moderate hill but one that
is slightly steeper than the first, seated climb
Sufjan Stevens – Too Much 6:44 148 BPM
Sufjan’s sterling vocals and impeccable production techniques
go electronic on his latest CD, Age of Adz. This makes a great
climbing song, even though Mixmeister says it’s 148 BPM
I think the available music is hopeless. I am changing my
freestyle classes back to Les Mills RPM because at least the
PPCA-free stuff they provide is passable.
Jade – Now I am going to reveal my ineptness. I love the
Linkin Park mash-up – but when I click on the link
you’ve posted, all I get is the song playing. How do I
download the song?
@Bill – 148bpm is a perfect climbing beat of 74. I have
found that sometimes you see it written as the full beat (some call
it double time) and other times as the half beat. Music sites (such
as Mixmeister, or albums) will usually list the double time;
instructors (like me) will often post the pedaling beat. When I see
songs posted with BPM from European instructors it really varies,
depending on who is posting it. So for me personally, it’s
easier to write it as the equivalent rpm that I’ll ride it
to. Sometimes that means the full (double time) beat of say, 95bpm
for a fast flat, or I’ll write 75bpm when it’s a fast
song with a great half beat for a climb (that would technically be
150bpm).
Proud (Josh Harris Pride Remix) by Heather Small; 3:47; 128
bpm’s (I figured out how to get these!)
Some of my favorites are:
Walking Wounded (remix) by Everything But The Girl
Fast climb seated or standing with rollers
I share your pain. For those outside Australia – imagine
that you could no longer use any orginal artist music because the
copyright fees increased %1000 ! That’s the situation in
Australia.
System 7 – Song for the phoenix 7:52 110BPM great for a
warm up or a fast long flat.
Someone earlier mentioned Swamp Thing by Juno Reactor. LOVE
IT!
But, here’s another fun one to do in the same
class…
Two Step by Dave Matthews (6:21)This song can be used for so
many profiles… I use it for my first song, it starts off slow
in the beginning so I get in some warm up stretches, then it picks
up so i get them to find there base line pedal stroke… from
there I have them come on and off their base using only cadence,
the music has great energy and you can feel just the right timing
within the beat and lyrics. I throw in a few pedal stroke drills
and then we add some more resistences and hit the road running!
This is also good for race days.. or your last few miles home at
the end of the class… ENJOY!
Feel Good Inc (Album Version) by Gorillaz 3:41 – rock
steady beat for warmups or flats with changeups.
@Jenni, I’ll check those out – I’m so happy
that you did the Gratitude Ride! I can always use new song ideas
for it for next year.
Looking for my old really old ones found
Atom Heart Mother by Pink Floyd 1970 a 23 min powerful song you
have everything there is a mix of simphony and Rock good for
climbing another old I just used I hope is not too old.
Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple.
Fanfarre for the Commom Man by Emerson Lake & Palmer.1977
1) Enter Sandman by Metallica — Live version – all
on a run, alternating between 2 and 3, 30 sec interval picking it
up in 3. Heartrate around 80%.
2)Nightmare by Brainbug Flat road that picks up in cadence. Good to
do sprints to. It’s impossible to go slow with this song.
Heartrate around 70% at the beginning, 85% at end.
3)When You Say Nothin At All by Allison Krauss – the power of
a smile! A hill, 30 sec in and out of the saddle. Increase
resistance coming out of the saddle. I ask the students to keep
their heart rate above 75%. Their tendency is to use hills for
recovery and heart rates to drop below 70%. I remind them if they
don’t pedal hard when they are on a hill outdoor, their bike
will fall over! Cadence 60-70.
4)Let It Whip Dazz Band – All on the run, with jumps.
Intervals can be 15 or 30 seconds, 5 jumps then return to running.
Heartrate around 85% of max.
5)Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler, Super positive message.
30 secs flat road cadence of 90, add resistance, 30 seconds cadence
110, add resistance 30 seconds regular run then 30 seconds fast
run. Repeat all. Usually use as final working song before the cool
down. Heartrate to 90%.
Thank you all for your suggestions–many of these are going
to make their way into Monday’s class!
I love this playlist, more and more ambient music and less lyric
! I know it is a choise we made but it is so easier and relevant to
what we do TRAINING.
I change over time … but my two current for speed
intervals are Radar Love by Golden Earring and Sultans of Swing
I have my class start at 70%, and add small bits of load on the
first 5 “small” builds, reminding them that we have
three big adds coming after those.
Hi Pascal,
I played around with the Belly Tribal Rock song you listed below
and added an extra minute so it’s now 3:30! You’ll
never notice where I spiced the music. You can download directly
at:
Forgot another one by LCD Soundystem. They do a fantastic cover
of Harry Nilsson’s Jump Into The Fire. In the podcast,
Barbara mentions the use of covers or remixes of familiar songs.
This one fits that profile (it’s even better than
Nilsson’s original). plus builds energy as described
above.
Take My Hand by Simple Plan (3:51)
I like using this song for standing sprints. It has clear markings
in the music for the standing sprints and the music is motivating
with a nice simple phrase “Take my hand”. It is a good
song for an interval class, especially for the last working song.
The class participants always respond well to this song and
challenge themselves.
Barbara, THANK YOU for providing that link from Redanka! Do you
guys know how cool this is? I’m listening to it right now!
Thank you!
Hills: The Longest Road (Deadmau5 Remix)| Morgan Page |
7:28
I use this song for a hill climb, and for turning + hill climbs on
a RealRyder bike.
B-Side Wins Again Featuring Chuck D (By DJ Spooky and Dave
Lombardo)-4:31
This entire song makes for a great seated flat.
It can be used to teach those about maximum cadence for a flat
road.
If your indoor cycling bikes do not give the cadence reading,
following the beat will put their cadence at about (104
RPM’s).
They can be told that the max is 110 RPM’s, but wait about a
minute or so into the song at holding to the beat before you let
them know where there cadence is.
Having them hold it for the entire song is challenging, especially
when prompting the “saddle bouncers” to have enough
resistance at that chosen speed to take away their bounce!
For those wanting additional challenges, prompt them to add just
enough resistance to make a slight but noticable change with each
minute that passes (up to 4 changes in resistance), without
compromising their pedal speed.
Starting level of intensity at 65% of max and with each change in
resistance increasing intensity by 5% and ending at 85% of max.
Push! Push! By Falco. I use this song for intervals – 30
sec. on and 30 sec. off Has a great rhythm. I use the words Push
Push to help motivate. Also you could use it as a flat road
ride.
“Dog Days are Over” by Florence and the
Machine
“Tubthumping” by Chumbawumba
“1901″ by Phoenix
“Just Say Yes” by Snow Patrol
“Spaceman” by the Killers
“Read my Mind” by the Killers
“Float On” by Modest Mouse
Start off in a seated incline for 30 sec., then jumps on an
incline for 30 sec. , then a seated sprint on an incline for 30
sec. ,
Repeat this 90 sec. routine for 5 times alternating the sprints
between seated and standing.
Heart Rate should be between 80%-85%.
I use this song to run a couple of laps. A lap is one minute in
the saddle on flat road and then two minutes out of the saddle
facing a head wind. Repeat twice. Cadence in done at a high enough
rate to keep your heart rate In the 80% range for the whole
song!
I really think that Exhibit 13, by Blue Man Group, 8:50, merits
inclusion on the list. I used it exactly as John had suggested, at
the end of a longer class (90 minutes), using the silent portion
towards the end to help them visualize the fatigue at the end of a
long ride, the feeling of almost “losing it”, followed
by the triumphant return of energy in the final couple minutes of
the song.
The only site I know of woudl be JJJ Unearthed for unsigned
bands. PPCA free, I am looking through the following but so far I
have been disappointed:
Reminds me of You
If I knew then. Gary Hoey
I used these songs at the end of Jennifer’s Gratitude ride.
They are both available on iTunes
Wolfgang Gartner “Wolgang’s 5th Symphony”
128bpm
Prometheus “9th (The Man Who Swan Through a Speaker)”
144 bpm
Il Divo “Amazing Grace” 127bpm awesome CD song
Flat roads never felt sooooooo good!!! This is a blood pumping
instrumental version that samples the original song by Heavy, a
group with a James Brown-sounding lead singer. Make sure you find
the 320kbps since high bit rates (256 and above) make a huge
difference in quality compared typical 128kbps. If you can’t
find this song, email and I’ll send purchase/download info.
and one of my favorites because of the message is the song
Indestructible by the band Disturbed. I tell my students to picture
themselves competing against one of the strongest riders in a race
up to the finish line.
Shango by Angelique Kidjo. It’s 4:53, and has a great,
fast strong beat. I like to use it for a set of switchbacks, trying
to keep the RPM’s around 80. It also makes a great, strong
flat.
Typical (Josh Harris Club Mix)by Mutemath – from the
popular Twilight soundtrack. The strong beat is a nice contrast to
quiet moments in the song where you can offer instruction and
transform the terrain from a flat road to a soft hill or even
jumps. Very versatile, uplifting.
Redanka (personal friend!) has just offered a free download of
his new album, Jetstream by Doves. Incredible….he’s a
genius. Grab this powerful, layered new mix (Redanka is one of the
best mixers on the planet and happens to have a fondness for indoor
cycling in Great Britain!) Hill or false flat, you decide…I
can’t stop playing this song!
4:04 – significant increase in resistance, rise to a
standing climb
4:20 – coming to the summit, up the resistance
4:47 – begin 30 second run to the top
Keep the songs coming! We need about 50 more! When we hit 210,
I’ll compile the list, clean it up and make it available in
PDF form. C’mon, more music! Thanks to all for a superb
job!
Sandstorm by Darube is a really good one to do a last exercice
at 110% at the end ! Like the end of a bike race !
Cold Case Love from Rihanna’s Rated R CD. Produced by
Justin Timberlake (genius). Total time 6:05
This is a race up a hill. A minute of jumps starts this hill and
then alternating one minute seated and standing climbs adding a
little more intensity each set till heart rate reaches 90% at the
final minute !
I use this song to cross a HR zone.
CAD is above 80
Take Heart Rate to 90%, when you reach 90% recover to 80% and then
repeat to 90% and recover to 80%(when it hits 80% take of to
90%)——Do this the whole song , everyone is on their
own.
Orion / Rodrigo y Gabriela, 7:44. I tell the class that not
every hill goes straight up. This one is going to take us on a
journey. The first 3 minutes or so, climb steady in and out of the
saddle. Around 3:30, the music transitions a bit–this is the
steepest part (gear up, slow down, perhaps stand to give more power
to the pedals). Around 5:50, feel another change as the hill gives
up a bit of steepness and you settle into the saddle for a
faster-paced push to the top.
Rods and Cones (Blue Man Group) (5:58): Great for testing how
well we can keep a pace while adding resistance. I have my students
progressively build resistance while seated (I encourage them to
just make small touches, add a ‘dab’ of resistance,
etc.) while keeping the same pace. At about 4:15, I’ll tell
them they should have on the max resistance they can handle while
keeping a strong pace and then we keep that strong pace/resistance
for the last 90 seconds.
Cafe Mocha – Jesse Cooke – This is what I call our
“interlude” song. I often insert it half way through
our workout. I have my clients drop there head down, close their
eyes and imagine riding from one spot to another, describing this
ride. or, have them focus on their body, taking them through from
toe to head, what they are feeling, noticing.
Paritcipants rise up from this 3 min. interlude smiling and ready
to push through the rest of the worksout. Can be as easy as a few
choice words, or if you’re a good story teller, take it
further. YUMMY!
Thunder by Nuttin But the Strings
End game song!
2 standing intervals 1:38, 1:29 long
This is my trademark song and my riders love it. Hope you can get
some use out of it.
They ask for it often and want the name of the song/artist/CD,
so they must like it.
Bee Hive Baby by Reverend Raven – seated climb @ 65 RPMS
with 3-8 count jumps in middle.
The first 30 seconds explain to the group that they are going to
set their own pace for 2 minutes and focus on holding that pace. It
is a mental challenge as well as physical.
Hard Sun by Eddie Vedor soundtrack from Into the Wild. Just a
plain power climb song. Pick’a big hill and climb.
SITTING HERE READING ALL OF THE GREAT IDEAS. WE ARE ALSO MAKING
A PLAYLIST ON RHAPSODY WHILE WE READ AND DISCUSS TODAY’S
CLASS. CO-TEACHING WITH OUR NEWLY CERTIFIED AND NEW ICI/PRO
INSTRUCTOR – MORGAN L – THIS AFTERNOON. WE WILL LET YOU
KNOW WHAT SONGS WE CHOSE AND THE RESPONSE.
So many choices….Try this one. Dreams (Featuring Melanie
Rev) by DJ Icey Like to use this during uphill run, loading
resistance along the way, using all positions. I like to challange
the riders to keep pace with me, with a few breakaways on a hill.
Deep techno beat with Vocal Trance
Rory Gallagher from the live album “Live in Europe”
the title “In your Town” great climbing song for about
9.30 minutes.
Jumbo by Underworld is a fantastic way to wake up, I mean warm
up, your riders first thing in the morning!
So if you ever see a song suggestion from me with a bpm attached
– it’s the desired rpm equivalent.
Hi John! My favorite three songs of 2010 are (1) Break On
Through – D J Disse, Buddha Bar X (Bonus Track Version), 5:57
– 110 BPM. I use it for warmups and group speed intervals.
(2) Blurry – Puddle of Mudd, Come Clean Album, 5:04 –
160 BPM. Hard Climb & Jumps on a Hill. (3) Drivers Seat (Neil
Nuff Original Mix) – Dogtooth, 5:54 – 133 BPM. Use
– speed intervals (40 second leg burners).
Fire (Extended Emergency) by Scooter from the Fire(EP) Album.
142RPM. Good for runs. It is fun to ask everybody to run when they
hear the word “Fire” in the lyrics.
It has a great intro.
“Switch off the lights and close your eyes. Feel the energy
inside. Relax. Relax. Your mind, your body and your soul. The
atmosphere of your surrounding.”
Above & Beyond – Good for me (Redanka Vocal) 6:55
130BPM great for a steady climb, seated or standing, the song has a
strong beat but also smooth melody in the background. So this is a
good track to climb while focusing on relaxation and
harmony…
WOW!!!!! Thanks for the GREAT start to this list of GOLD!
I’m already inspired and can’t wait to teach your
favorites! Remember, we need information on HOW you teach the
song.
Keep ‘em coming!
I love Mojave by Afro Celt Sound System. The first 5 minutes are
quiet and slow. I use his time to built resistance – seated.
This is not monster hill. I cue them to where the riders feeling a
medium hill not heavy but not easy. They can still keep a steady
smooth pedal stroke. As it approaches the 5 minute mark the music
slowly begins to pick up pace. At 5 minutes, it is up out of the
saddle and off. The rhythm defines the pace. You will be able to
see many of the riders all in sync both pedal stroke and body
movement. This is neat to watch.
I understand that PPCA do not represent all original artists, so
there is some music we can use legally. But, I am currently trying
to find out how to check PPCA free or not.
It starts out slow for the first 30 seconds and then picks up
with a strong driving beat for 2 minutes.
Murray’s wife…see above Sometimes we like to team
teach. We use this song to introduce an Indian/Asian Techno-themed
ride into the hills. T his song introduces a series of rolling
hills before a big mountain climb. 3 resistance increases, about 20
seconds apart in each position….up and over…take 2 off,
back in the saddle…next small hill…resistance loading
with each hill. Sultry Indian techno takes you there.
Ali (radio edit) Midivil Punditz
Hi Pascal,
I played around with the Belly Tribal Rock song you listed below
and added an extra minute so it’s now 3:30! You’ll
never notice where I spliced the music. You can download directly
at:
One of my all time favorites. Soulution by Utah Saints. 7:42.
I’ve used it as a long flat into a headwind, rolling hills or
switchbacks. It’s a nice piece when you are looking for a
medium to long interval.
Swamp Thing by Juno Reactor
Climb standing or seated. I like to have my class think of how a
powerful cat moves and think of the supple movement and the
powerful dynamic strength as they climb this climb.
Jade, I too love the Carmina/Linkin Park mash up and I only get
a black screen with the song playing. Please, how do we download
this great song?
Uninvited – The Freemasons feat Bailey Tzuke.
Long version great for big gear flat ride for first two minutes
– followed by increasing resistance seated climb with a
standing breakaway.
If you can be bothered, consider contacting Matt clarke at
.au and suggest some tracks that are PPCA that he
could produce on his releases. Also .au are the same,
you may be able to talk them into something.
The bottom line is I have always had a bit of a cheesy taste to my
music and now I am going alternative which is proving to be good
for my classes and my members. Hope that helps.
“Arcana” by Globus off of Epic Live. Starts fast
from the gate, sub threshold or threshold then at 1:25 there is a
strong transition, kick up the intensity to anaerobic capacity for
90 seconds to finish. You can also opt to kick it up another notch
at 2:26 for the final 30 seconds.
This is a great, layered, long climbing song. I’ve used it
at those emotional moments on long climbs where you want them to
focus on those affirmations to get them to the top of those long,
tough hills. You know where you get above the tree line, the clouds
from the rain that just hit them start to part, the sunlight is
getting more and more exposed, the landscape on the remaining hill
and valley below really revealing itself, the top of the climb is
in sight – and you know you’re going to make it.
Extreme Way (Bourne’s Ultimatum) By Moby
This is a great climbing song. Add a little resistance every minute
and power over the hill.
-For a HIT level: 160bpm by Hans Zimmer 10’11″
imagine yourself on a final 2miles of a race
surge-control-pace-control-attack-control-sprint you have all
that.
-A perfect ambient mode: Transform your life through sacred
geometry by Ivan Rados 10’12″ it can be used as a
warm-up or a seated climb part the voice and cry are bring you
somewhere.
-Just a mix I like: Belly tribal rock by Celso Makhara
2’30″
themix of belly dancing drum andelectric guitar is great, I wish
the track was longuer. I used it for short rolling with pace change
more than load.
2:35 -same as :55
3:05 – repeat 1:22
3:20 – back off the hill, return to the seat, and work on a
moderate climb, slightly steeper than the last round
I start them on a seated climb with moderate, then have them
increase the resistance, go into a standing climb, and then
increase the cadence for the standing sprint. The standing sprints
occur during the chorus:
0:46-1:12
1:49-2:15
Watch out for the “false” lead at 2:54. I use this to
get them to add resistand and get up to a standing climb and then
add extra resistance to make the last standing sprint the most
difficult. I tell them to make this last one their best!
3:20-3:48.
Dance About It: Paper Tongues. Start out as a slow seated heavy
climb to the handclap beat; on chord change come up to position 2
at double time beat, on chorus come out to position 3 for a short
sprint; revert and repeat three times.
Beck + Bat for Lashes – Let’s Get Lost 4:10 110
BPM
The best song from the Twighlight Eclipse sountrack
E.S.Posthumus with the great song Pompeii. This is a perfect
Running on Hill song,
I make a point of telling them that these will be standing
sprints (92%HR) and not to be scared to add too much resistance
because they will take the extra added off after the sprint. This
is important because we often keep on adding resistance on a
climb.
This is for those building intervals with moments of greater
intensity. A little over six and a half minutes to get a number of
increasingly greater challenges in. Makes for a nice race day tune
when you have several moments where you want to briefly pick it
up.
Wish I could Fly like Superman…The Kinks,,,
The beat says it all…I always feel like superwoman during
this song!
The National–Terrible Love
The Besnard Lakes–And This is What We Call Progress
The Drums–Let’s Go Surfing
The Chemical Brothers–k+d+b
DJLobersterdust–Celeplanes (M.I.A. vs Rare Earth)
Radiohead–Street Spirit (Funkagenda Remix)
Edward Sharpe/Magnetic Zeros–Home (RAC Mix)
You Promised Me by In-Grid.
This is a fun song to do lifts( jumps ) to. When she says
“you promised me” change positions on the bike, if you
are UP then come DOWN and back and forth. I usually let the
first ”you promised me” be free and then I call
the next two or three before letting the riders do their own. You
can also get the anything other than English version for more fun.
Use MixMeister to splice the two versions together.
I LOVE Tribal…nothing like the drums to crank up the
energy. My new favorite is Yerbatero (Tarantella Redanka remix) and
you can buy it most anywhere. The song is so cool because it just
keeps building, and with every instrument added you can add a pedal
stroke. There is a nice minute of quietness toward the end, and I
use this to evoke the feeling of a finish line
approaching….then complete the 6:30 minute song in a big
way.
Armin Van Buuren’s new album Mirage has some useful tracks
on it. I like using the extended versions because it gives me a bit
more time to work with:
Temper Trap Sweet Disposition 6:46 remix – climb to heavy
climb, 7-8.5 on the RPE scale, then 2 minutes from the top a surge
for the peak, to breathless.
Sounds of the Drums (original stereo mix) [feat. Di
Simmon]
by DJ Chus & Abel Ramos
Ibiza 2010 vol. 1
Time 7:45 minute
This song has a combination of heavy, hard, banging music mixed
with a quiet measures to break up the noise. You get a nice
combination of teaching moments using the soft/hard contrasts of
the music.
Here are a couple by the same artist, LCD Soundsystem, that can
be used similarly. They start small and soft, then build energy as
the song progresses. Both make for excellent songs to end a
class.
“old” doesn’t matter. All that matters is that
you enjoy it, your students enjoy it and it does something to
you/for you as you ride your indoor bike!
‘Til I Collapse-Eminem (RADIO EDIT ON I-TUNES)
Stay in the saddle with the cadence to the beat, which will put you
on a flat road at about 88 RPM’s.
When you get 58 seconds into the song come up to a standing
flat.
At 1:40-2:05 d0 4-count jumps to the chorus then after stay in the
standing flat road.
At 2:48-3:10 do 4-count jumps again on chorus and then resume
standing flat.
At 3:55-end of song…4-count jumps again.
FIGLIO PERDUTO-SARAH BRIGHTMAN (4:37)
Haunting song for a heavy seated climb with resistance
loading.
Climb to the beat which will put you at 60 RPM’s.
There will be 3 changes in resistance while keeping the speed at 60
RPM’s.
1:45 resistance increase
2:35 resistance increase
3:26 resistance increase and come up to hand 3
4:00 increase cadence by 5
4:08 increase cadence by 5
4:15 increase cadence by 5 and hold til the top!
The Ballad of You and I (Melee) (4:41): this was one of the free
singles of the week on iTunes a few weeks ago. It’s got an
almost U2-ballad-esque feel to it. Perfect for warmups, or seated
flats.
Such a nice, sexy, grungy climbing song. You can stay in the
saddle for a few minutes and feel the intensity begin to build
around 2:30. At 3:00, make a powerful transition to a standing
climb for remainder of song.
I love using Ravel’s Bolero as a long climb. It’s
about 13-14 minutes, slow beat (don’t know the BPM’s)
and the great thing about it is that it just keeps building and
building. My favorite way to use it is in the third block of a
series of three long climbs, each 13-14 minutes. First one is at 80
RPM’s, moderate intensity; 2d one is at 70 RPM’s at
hard intensity; and the last is Bolero, 60 RPM’s at LT.
During the last two minutes of the climb – out at 3d, bring
each of the 10 RPM’s that they lost back (10 each minute) to
cross threshold. Really powerful way to end a class. (I got this
idea from a spinning workshop)
Love this song: Shining by David Morley
The beat is infections and makes me want to add resistance and
charge to the top of a climb. It was actually a free download a
while back on . It one of those little gems that can
often be found on Amazon’s daily downloads.
Starlight (Muse) (4:03): great for surges/controlled increase of
pace for 30 seconds. I cue them at :58, 2:25, and 3:30.
Hey Hey Hey (Michael Franti)(3:47): perfect for easy jumps,
feel-good cooldown, or when you want to have a little
‘break’ in the middle of a longer class.
La Vie est Belle (MC Solaar) (3:54): climb; begins seated, add
resistance at student’s comfort level, at 2:44, the feeling
of the song really increases & it’s a great opportunity
to crank resistance and change to a standing climb.
Artist: Kosheen
Song: Overkill (Main Edit)
Establish moderately heavy seated climb, then use the chorus to
offer cadence increases. If your purpose is to force a recovery
afterward, use the chorus as 16 second sprints; otherwise, an
increase in cadence works incredibly well.
Warm-up: We No Speak Americano (Vhyce Remix) | Yolanda Be Cool
& DCUP | 5:50
Great warm-up tempo – can be used for cadence drills and
getting the heart rate up!
Proud Mary – start a steep seated hill @ 1:00 @ temp chg
2:36 take off on a almost 3 minute long sprint!
Molossus-Hans Zimmer (4:49)
Great for a simulated seated flat into a head wind.
Prompt them to stay in saddle the entire time and select a
comfortably challenging gear at 65% of max.
Do a cadence check to be sure they have picked a speed between
80-110 RPM’s.
They are picking their own speed in this range to hold for the
entire song.
Explain what Lactate Threshold is and tell them at 1-minute in the
road will turn into a head wind. Have them keep their speed and
increase the gear to feel like a heavy climb.
Their goal is to hold this resistance to the finish line for 3 1/2
minutes!
At 3:29-3:45 tell them this quote, “Only a man who knows what
it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul
and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the
match is even.” –Muhammad Ali
Tell them it’s not over yet and that they have to increase
their cadence at least by 5 to the finish line.
at 4:00 tell them to hang onto it for 30 more seconds.
At 4:15 tell them to give you another slight increase in cadence to
the end!
4:30 they are there and cadence drops back slightly and resistance
comes back to comfortably challenging.
Here’s the cool part. JT put incredible instrumental
builds into the song: small ones at :53, 1:15, 1:36, 1:57 and 2:40.
Big builds at 3:44, 4:29 and 4:50. Obvious musical declines at
5:00, 5:20, 5:30 and 5:40.
Grace Potter and Joe Satriani’s cover of Cortez the
Killer. Good ole fashion back to the basics live jammin. Good for a
six minute grinder of a hill. See it here:
Runnin through the Fire, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown
Band. 78 RPMs. I just used this in Jennifers High Cadence Climbs.
Worked great.
Mushroom – Junkie XL
128 BPM
Big gear on a flat or seated climb with a break away.
One that’s been a favorite of mine forever is Let There Be
Light (BT’s Pure Luminescence Remix) / Mike Oldfield, 13:16.
I use it for a long climb with 3 periods of uphill surges (not
super fast, just picking up your climbing tempo a few rpm to power
to the top; could do them seated or standing) at 2:23, 6:02, and
9:04.
I could see using it on a flat road, too.
Show Me / Mint Royale, 4:07. A fun flat road, maybe with some
controlled, powerful jumps thrown in for fun and to bring the
effort and HR up.
One of my favorite groups is E-Type, they have some great songs
that you can let you imagination run wild with .
A few of their songs are :
Africa,
Angels Crying,
Arabian Star
Far up in the Air
Just listen to one of them and it will call to you!
I put the songs that show up most often in my playlists and came
up with 75. Here’s the top 5 from that list: