Interpretive Spinning?

Right, so I posted this video with the comment "What did I just watch?  And why do I want to try it?"  I was reasonably amused that the first two comments were:

• Friend 1:  For your own safety, please don't!
• Friend 2: Please let me know when.  Will bring hi def camera to capture the magnificence as it happens.

lol the two types of friends, ladies and gentleman :).  I'm very pleased to have both.

And yes, I tried it.  Lol you can’t possibly be surprised by this.   

Lesson one - remove all tension from the bike.   Hmmmmm occurs to me I forgot to put it back on - next spin workout may start w more drama than required.

So taking the first advice in mind, and rejecting the idea of any video evidence, I started w just sitting on the bike making the pedal go w one leg.  Okay great.

Then tried the same thing standing.  This is significantly harder than you’d expect ;).  But I got it going, and was able to bring my right leg over to the left side both by going over the seat and across the bar in the front (*not* over the handles - just the bar).   I’m not super flexible or coordinated so I’m pleased this was injury free.

I also made the very conscious choice to work my onesidedness to my advantage.  Left leg is stronger and my balance is better -- it gets to peddle.  Right leg is more flexible and coordinated -- it gets to move around.

Okay so I can pedal (not long, admittedly, and there were a few times I’d get almost to the top and then it would fall back the other way which either resulted in 12 yo me giggling or adult me expressing adult language) -- but theoretically I can pedal and move leg around.  Okay, that’s a start.

But I was very aware I was holding to the handles as though I were hanging from a 10th story window...   So I forced myself to pry one hand off and see what happened.

And admittedly it wasn’t tragic.   Turns out years of riding has given me reasonably good balance ;).  And I could do this very ungraceful star shape thing...   But - I DID IT.   Lol not pretty or graceful, but it happened.

However - the vast majority of the movements this young lady is demonstrating requires no hands.  This, this is beyond my current capabilities.   Lol failed.  More than once.

So out of curiosity I broke it down.  Can pedal seated w no hands, one foot or two, no problem.   Can pedal standing with no hands, at least for a few rotations, all good.   But w only one foot pedalling?  No.  Just no.   I can go exactly half a rotation before I need to hold on.  Fail.

And obviously no grace or coordination or linking of actions.

More entertaining than you’d think though ;).  The standing start is easy and  may be how I get on my bike from now on.   Standing w no hands I found an entertaining personal challenge so may work that into some of my spin workouts.  Don’t know if I’ll fight the battle to learn the no hand, one leg, rotation or not, but the whole activity added a degree of entertainment to my Saturday.

If you choose to try it - lmk how it goes for you :)