WHICH BIKE DO I CHOOSE?
Whichever one calls to you, that isn’t already taken.
HOW DO I KNOW MY SEAT IS THE RIGHT HEIGHT?
Make sure your seat is adjusted to sit at the height of your pelvic bone. You want to be able to pedal without completely straightening your legs, but without your knees being too bent. Your seat is gas powered, so pull the red handle forward at the rear of the spin bike seat, and the seat will automatically rise. Push it down where you want your set, and push the red lever back in to lock the seat into place.
HOW DO I KNOW I’M POSITIONED CORRECTLY ON THE BIKE?
Make sure your handlebars are slightly lower than your seat, so you are at a decline as you lean forward. This too has red lever at the front of the handle bars. Pull this out, position the handle bars where needed and lock it back into place.
OK, I’M ON THE BIKE – WHAT DO I DO NOW?
You will see the black screen in front of you. Start pedalling your bike and you will notice the screen powering up (this can take a few seconds). It will then take you to your home screen.
Don’t stop pedalling if your battery symbol is flashing red! It means the battery is low, and if you stop, the screen will turn off. You’ll have to pedal to start it up again, which takes you back to the beginning.
The screen isn’t touch screen, purely due to sweat reasons. Use the symbol buttons at the bottom of the screen to direct you.
THERE ARE A FEW OPTIONS THAT APPEAL TO ME ON THE HOME SCREEN – WHICH ONE SHOULD I CHOOSE?
If you want to personalize your experience, then start with the FTP Test (Functional Threshold Power). This is a fitness test that will help give you an idea of your fitness level.
You can either choose to do the FTP 5 MIN or the FTP RAMP.
FTP RAMP
Every 4 minutes your target wattage will increase by 25 watts. Keep within 15 watts of the target, for as long as you can. When you can no longer continue, select the TICK which will end your test and you will get your FTP result (this is a numerical value).
This can take anywhere from 4 minutes upwards, depending on how fit you are. Please allow time for this.
FTP 5 MIN
Ride as hard as you can within the 80-100 RPM zone for five minutes. This will give you your FTP score.
The test will start after a 30 second countdown. Make sure you have had a good warm up before.
To end the test, select the TICK button at the bottom of the screen and follow the instructions.
DON’T WANT TO DO YOUR FTP TEST? IT’S OK, JUMP RIGHT IN
On your home screen, select ‘POWER TRAINING’.
You can pair your app and your smartphone at this stage as well. You just need to have this downloaded and ready to go on your smart device – which then keeps your information from every REV workout meaning you can track your progress.
SELECT YOUR FITNESS LEVEL. If in doubt, always select MEDIUM as it sits in the middle range for fitness and makes the bridge between each level manageable. It will ask you your gender and your FPT, which you already know as you have just done the FTP test! If you haven’t, it will calculate your FTP from your user settings.
The benefit of power training is that it coaches you by colour, takes into account your gender and FTP, and you train on your own ability.
I’M CYCLING, BUT WHEN I’M PEDALLING IT SEEMS TOO EASY …
You can increase your resistance by using the resistance button between your seat and the handlebars. Twist this up or down, and it will increase or decrease the resistance of your pedals, which may make your ride more comfortable for you.
QUICK NOTES
Don’t push the emergency stop button in the middle of a workout, unless you really need to. This will immediately stop your bike mid-cycle and can be uncomfortable.
You can decide whether you want to train by colour or not in the power training menu. While it can feel competitive training by colour, it allows the instructor to see where you’re at, and you’re really only competing against yourself.
Your version of yellow may look different to someone else’s yellow – it’s based on how fit YOU are, not anybody else.
The red zone doesn’t have to be hard, but if you’re feeling it’s not challenging you enough, increase your resistance or power. This can increase the challenge for you.
Enjoy your new REV experience.