Triple Crankset

With autumn’s colors already well past their bloom, and temperatures dipping daily closer to freezing, indoor cycling season will soon be upon us. Trainers and rollers must once again be pulled out or unfolded, tires possibly changed, and other tools of the trade, DVDs and iPods, must be sorted.

For some, the transition from outdoor to indoor cycling is seamless, and sometimes even welcome. But if you are like "most outdoor cyclists, who see indoor cycling as a sub-par method of training, as well as an extremely boring alternative to true cycling," then Global Ride Video Production's virtual cycling DVDs may just be the perfect solution to your off-season/winter cycling blues.

Founded by entrepreneur and long time cyclist Gene Nacey, Global Ride actually started out as a local Spinning, yoga and pilates club ⎯ of the same name ⎯ in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In an effort to close the divide between the hard core outdoor cyclists and the indoor cyclists, who have no desire to brave the elements and go outside to ride a real bike, the Global Ride team set out to create the highest quality virtual cycling DVD on the market.

As Gene states on the Global Ride website, "Previous encounters with virtual cycling DVDs and feedback about other products had been relatively negative - there simply existed no product that truly captured accurate cycling principles, a real feeling of being on the road and appropriate instruction. Global Ride changed all that by filming high-quality international scenes using honest cycling training methods, paired it with multiple coaching tracks from international coaches and industry leaders, layered it with upbeat, commercial music and topped it all off with bonus yoga, pilates or strength training sessions on every DVD."

The Reviewers

A few months ago, we were given the Hawaii Rides DVD set for review. As the original Triple hails from different parts of the United States, I enlisted two local Midwestern cyclists, both of varying experiences, to assist in the review.

Amy K – A seasoned sprint triathlete who is a regular top five placer in her category as well as in her age group. Amy uses a stationary trainer when cycling indoors and is well versed in all aspects of indoor training and cycling training DVDs.

Bryan M – A relative newbie to the cycling world, but is a former collegiate athlete. Bryan trained for his first century ride this spring. He also uses a stationary indoor trainer, but has never used any cycling training DVDs prior to reviewing this set.

Overview

The “Hawaii Rides” set consists of three DVDs, Strendurance in Hawaii, Oceanside Ride, and Maui Rollers. Each contains a virtual cycling training sessions followed by 30-minute strength, pilates, or yoga session specifically geared toward cyclists. Common features throughout each DVD include:

Music on/off - For those who attend spin classes regularly, this genre of music will not be unfamiliar to you.

Coaching on/off – Each DVD has the option of choosing an American, Australian, or Italian coach or a pre-recorded LIVE session.

Each DVD begins with approximately 5 minutes of warm up time and ends with 5 minutes of cool down time. During these down times, the viewer is shown slides of the route and images of the island's landmarks, scenery and fauna.

Each distinct riding area is preceded by a route map and profile, which appears briefly before the start of each riding session.

Virtually Speaking

The concept of “virtual cycling” is not necessary new. Many have attempted it, but few have been successful. Videos in this genre have ranged from actual race film to video game-like representation of the rider and the environment ⎯ the latter usually requiring additional equipment to integrate the rider into his/her virtual cycling world.

Coaching You Up & Getting You Down

In addition to the painstaking detail that the Global Ride team injected into the video production of the DVD set, they also put great effort into providing quality coaching and exclusive, royalty free music tracks to insure that you maximize your training session.

Headed up by Gene Nacey, a certified Spinning instructor and Heart Zone Cycling Coach, the Hawaii Rides DVD set also features coaches Nicci Heath, an Accredited Cycling Australia Level 1 coach, and professional triathlete and 2008 USA Olympian and USA National Champion, Matty Reed.

In addition, recording artists such as DJ Tony, E Nature, C & V Media Concepts, and Liquid Factor, among others, headline the musical tracks on this DVD set. The music selections are perhaps best described as Techno Dance, but some of it could quite easily be slipped into the Trance genre.

Pumping You Up

After each cycling session, a 30-minute yoga, pilates, or strength training session follows. For those cyclists who do not cross train, these sessions are the perfect introduction into each exercise discipline. The more experienced practitioners of yoga, pilates or strength training may find these sessions basic, but most would agree that each is perfectly tailored for cyclists.

Pros

Upon agreeing to review their Hawaii Rides DVD set, I was a bit skeptical of a video-only virtual set up, and was left wondering what really defined “virtual cycling.” With more complex systems, like the CompuTrainer or the Tacx VR Trainers, the rider is more or less integrated with the landscape and sometimes even with the roughness of its terrain. Anything short of this type of integration; however, can easily leave most outdoor cyclists longing for warmer climes rather than attempting to sit through another painfully boring training session.

But unlike some other virtual reality cycling sets out on the market, Global Ride’s DVD set accomplishes what the more complicated, and markedly more expensive, systems are known for, a virtual cycling experience.

The cycling sessions provide two points of view: a traditional first person point of view, and a third person point of view, where you watch the actual rider tackle certain parts of the same terrain.

The first person account of this DVD set surprisingly pulls you into the action and simulates, through changes in speed of filming, the actual terrain on the various routes. For example, when the actual terrain kicks up or flattens, the speed of the film varies accordingly; slower up hill and faster on the downhills.

During these cadence changes, it is also worth mentioning the accompanying background music, which likewise seemed perfectly synced to the speed of the video.

Moreover, the vacillations between first person and third person point of views helps to keep your efforts calibrated. Similar to being in a paceline or even in a spin class, it is sometimes extremely beneficial to watch the actual cadence or leg/foot action of the riders around you, to not only match their cadence, but also their speed.

Both of our reviewers were similarly surprised by the ability of Global Ride video to provide a tangible riding experience. Our less experienced reviewer could not stop remarking how “awesome” the experience was, while our triathlete reveled in the fact that it was a welcome departure from the spin class like cycling training videos to which she had already become immune.

Cons

The only real complaints of the DVD set stemmed from the choice of music, and a perceived lack of intensity of each workout. Although the Global Ride team took great pains to find music that would provide the perfect accompaniment to the cycling session, those who are not fans of techno driven, beat heavy music may be reaching for their own external music compilation. Luckily for our dissatisfied reviewer, the remedy to this situation is an easy one as the opportunity to turn the music on/off is an option in the setup window.

In regard to the intensity, or perceived lack thereof, of the cycling sessions and the subsequent 30-minute workout session, hard-core cyclists may find it difficult to simulate the “burn” of an actual outdoor session, while in a similar fashion, seasoned practitioners of any of the exercise disciplines may find the corresponding workout sessions somewhat rudimentary. Our seasoned triathlete, who is an avid workout warrior and feels most comfortable in a hammerfest, found this to be the case with all three DVDs.

As for those of you who do not necessarily feel the need to hammer all the time, these training session are like anything you invest in, you get out what you put in. Unless you are attentive to the changes in cadence, or the slowing down or speeding up of the pace of the videos, it is easy to wander into your own comfort level and therefore not receive the full benefits of the workout, or in a similar fashion if you fail to concentrate on each movement during any of the exercise routines you most likely will not garner their full benefit.

In either case, the coaching options that supplement the cycling and workout sessions really are worth their weight in gold as the variance in coaching styles really helps you dial in the appropriate amount of motivation on even your most unmotivated day.

Overall

The Global Ride Video Productions team set out “to create the highest quality virtual cycling DVD on the market.” And by all accounts, they have succeeded. Short of cycling outdoors or being hooked up to a more complex and more expensive virtual training system, the quality of Global Ride’s film production is the next best thing to an actual riding experience.

Each video provides a stunning visual representation of the roads around Hawaii. And with each DVD I couldn’t help but feel that this specific Hawaiian series would be perfect for those who use rollers with a resistance fan, as it would simulate the area’s well-known trade winds. For those of you who have never ridden in Hawaii, or even Florida for that matter, the wind is as much a part of the ride as the road.

As for the zealous indoor cyclist, these DVDs contain all the elements you have grown accustomed to while riding inside, but also exposes you to the exhilaration and freedom that accompanies real biking.

The price point for the Global Ride Hawaii Rides DVD set is $75.00 ⎯ discernibly less than even the cheapest virtual training system.

We would recommend this set or any of the Global Ride DVDs to those looking for a realistic outdoor riding experience, seasoned indoor cyclists looking to supplement their training video library, and even to gym owners and Spinning instructors looking to provide their members or students with a quality alternative to their classes.

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