The Modern British Invasion Over Two Climbs

Audio Master Class The Modern British Invasion Over Two Climbs

Created by Jennifer Sage Objective: theme ride, climb Working intensity: moderate to very hard Length: 60 minutes

Like the previous British Invasion profile, this ride is for fun, and is based on music from artists of the UK. But unlike the first profile, which focused on the two “official” British Invasions of the ’60s and ’80s, when songs from the UK dominated the charts in the US, this one uses more modern songs from the 1990s to the present time, most of them from the electronic and alternative genres. It was not an “official” invasion of any kind, because these genres are filled with bands from all over the world. However, I must admit that hearing some of these songs during the London Olympics, I was actually surprised to discover some of these groups were British! (Out of nothing more than ignorance on my part, of course.) So I am still choosing to call it the Modern British Invasion, because well…it’s fun!

This ride is a fun climbing profile with two mountains and two fast flats afterward. The first climb begins rather calmly and ends with a bang, and the second climb goes full-on from the beginning and ends with a varied climb with short steep rollers and a few respites. In between it’s a descent with a fast flat before the next climb hits you. Often in climbing profiles, you end with a climb and go right to the cool-down, but in this one you stay committed to the challenging work and ride hard and fast to the end.

Intensity objective? Like any ride, you can offer options, but the music is aggressive at times, so I would use this profile when your intention is for everyone to give it their all.

Indoor Cycling Association Audio Master Class Modern British Invasion Over Two Climbs

The Modern British Invasion Profile No real music trivia for this profile like the first British Invasion. Your goal, if you choose to accept it, is to work as hard as possible and have as much fun as possible. Oh, and while you’re at it…enjoy the music!

#1: Warm-up Adele, Hometown Glory (High Contrast Remix) 6:35 86 bpm

Today we are taking on two long climbs. I’ll allow you to greet the first one gradually, using the lower slopes to continue to warm up your legs. But it will get more and more intense. It’s about 24 minutes long.

The second climb is 15 minutes and is going to hit you hard from the beginning. However, the second two-thirds of it, while still steep and hard at times, will give you a few respites, because it has some short downhills that sweep back up to a climb. In between the two mountains, and after the final climb, we are going to ride two fast flats. You’ll recover a bit, but you won’t go down to cool-down mode just yet! So when the hill is over, don’t think the work is over!

Guiding you through these hills will be music from British artists. The songs are all from the 1990s and 2000s, so they are more on the modern side. Let’s let Adele help us spin our legs out here. Grab this 86 rpm pace and use it to open your legs up.

#2: Lower slopes of the climb Dark and Long, Underworld 7:36 120 bpm There’s a solid beat to guide you; grab onto it and dial in a mild hill. Legs are fairly slow, about 60 rpm. Use the next 4 minutes to get used to climbing.

This song has a mesmerizing quality to it, kind of like a consistent climb does. No distractions, just pedaling…pedaling…pedaling…

(After 4 minutes) It’s time to add a little more hill. Your legs are ready, aren’t they? Let’s stand up for 30 seconds, then sit back down and return to the consistent climb. (Over the rest of this song, add a little more resistance each minute, and stand up for about 15–20 seconds every minute after increasing.)

#3 Aggressive climb New Born, Muse, 6:03 152 bpm This is a much faster climb (76 rpm). Ease into it at first, then when the song takes off at 1:25 stand up and push! Hold for 30 seconds. 2:03 Sit back down; keep the high cadence throughout—it will probably work them pretty hard. 3:31 Stand back up until 3:55, Then sit down, back off a little 4:45 Add more R 5:10 Stand up for 10–15 seconds, then sit to the end

Indoor Cycling Association Audio Master Class Modern British Invasion Over Two Climbs

#4: Continuing the climb, a little easier Drifting Away, Faithless, 4:09 118 bpm The song has a very cool, operatic entrée. Let them recover a bit, but still on a hill. It’s going to get steep. When the beat starts at around 50 seconds is when you get serious. OK, your legs are ready. Now, greet a steep and hard climb. This is just below 60 rpm. Dial in enough resistance to make you wonder what’s hit you, but not so much that it hurts, or that it forces you to slow down. I want steep but doable. Ya got me?

Alternate seated with standing on this. Nothing aggressive, that’s coming next. This is continuous and strong, but still aerobic.

#5: Aggressive climb to the summit Climbatize, The Prodigy, 6:35 129 bpm The song will build up gradually, and continue to build, and build, and build. When it starts, tell them: It’s about to get real here! Who’s with me on this? Shall we take this final section with everything we’ve got? Legs are going to speed up just a little!

Listen to this song carefully in advance, so you know exactly what’s coming when. Use the energy to dictate when to stand and sit. On the final 30–40 seconds out of the saddle, push until breathless. Here’s how I do it: At the beginning, sit and gradually add more. 1:05 Add more R…stay seated but aware… 2:05 Add enough to stand, hit it hard but in control 3:04 Sit, working, working 3:49 Stand 4:20 Sit down when the energy breaks…control, let it build, add a little more as it builds at 5:03 5:18 Attack! And hold until the end…(1 min)

#6: Downhill, flat road Galvanize, The Chemical Brothers, 6:32 103 bpm At first, just let them recover and catch their breath. Then go “downhill,” pedaling quickly. You think that was hard? That’s only the first climb! Right now, grab the quick beat at 103 rpm. Let the legs spin easily at first, then I want you to engage a gear. As we get to the bottom, it will get harder because you’re going to continue pedaling quickly, but you won’t have gravity in your favor when it’s no longer downhill.

After about 2 minutes you’ll add some more resistance. You be the judge of how your students are doing and how quickly you can bring them back to a working aerobic pace. It won’t be a lot, but enough to raise the HR slightly. 103 rpm with resistance isn’t easy! Just be careful you don’t push them too hard. Do it in intervals if necessary.

Indoor Cycling Association Audio Master Class Modern British Invasion Over Two Climbs

#7: Lower slopes of second climb Uprising, Muse, 5:05 124 bpm You won’t really ease into this—imagine it steep and hard from the beginning. The song dictates that for you with its energy right from the start. Mother Nature doesn’t always give you a gradual start to every mountain, does she? Nope, and that’s what we’ve got now—it’s there in your face from the get-go. Grab the beat right away and dig in! We’ve got some switchbacks just ahead.

After 1 minute: Here’s the first switchback. Turn it up and stand up. Then alternate standing with seated every 30 seconds. Finish the song out of the saddle, pushing pretty hard.

#8: Final assault of the mountain—rolling terrain Salva Mea (Help Me), Faithless, 10:47 106–130 bpm A truly amazing song, extremely fun to do in an indoor cycling class, with breaks in rhythm that help you dictate your climb. At its slowest rhythm, it’s a very slow and steep climb of 53 rpm; at its fastest rhythm of 130 bpm, it can either be an attack on a steep grade or—when it really takes off in energy—think of it as a downhill. You won’t be pedaling fast on the downhill, but the energy break allows you to gear up for the next standing attack.

You will have to listen to the song on your iTunes (or whatever you use) with a pen handy, and write down the exact times you interpret the energy breaks. Practice it a few times on your own before doing it with your students. It’s even more amazing to your students when you hit the timing of the song just perfectly. Here is how I do it: Beginning: Sit and climb, moderate resistance, slow cadence, every 30 or so seconds add a little more hill 1:24 Add enough to make it hard. Pay attention here. Music is talking to you with a message. 1:56 Stand up as the music gets a little louder 2:10 Push HARD for 15 seconds 2:26 Sit and take off some resistance and pedal “downhill” (it’s short so don’t get too complacent) 3:10 Dial it in again, sit and climb hard 3:26 Add some more and stand, HARD 3:55 Sit back down and get into a slow hard climb (53 rpm). Leave room for more hill, though— it’s going to build and get steeper (staying seated) 4:47 Add some more, get into this rhythm over the next minute and a half 6:09 Stand up (even though it’s slow—visualize that it’s very hard, very hard, slow cadence) 6:42 Speed up the legs, ATTACK! Hold it for 15 seconds to the next rise 6:58 Take it over the top of this rise and spin the legs downhill (short recovery) 7:12 Dial in the climb again 7:42 Add some more 8:12 Stand up, it’s going to build with you out of the saddle 8:27 Add some more, commit, almost to the next rise 8:42 Downhill! Speed up the legs briefly 8:57 Plateau, start adding a little more… 9:12 Add more and stand briefly

Indoor Cycling Association Audio Master Class Modern British Invasion Over Two Climbs

9:28 Back to a steep grade, sit and push 9:45 Stand up. The song’s energy has died out, but you imagine a continuing climb out of the saddle, above the tree line to the barren summit; it’s misty and cold as you climb out of the saddle to the very top. Your cadence will slow down as you get closer.

#9: Downhill, fast flat Renegade Soundwave (Leftfield Remix), Renegade Soundwave 7:50 99 bpm Like the last downhill after the first climb, let them recover as much as needed. But after about 2 minutes, start dialing in some more resistance at the faster 99 rpm cadence. OK guys, it’s time to get back to work—it’s not downhill all the way home. We’ve got a good flat road ahead of us, and we don’t plan on pussyfooting our way home! Commit yourself for the homestretch; we will not let up. You can do this—99 rpm feels so good after that monster climb, doesn’t it?

#10: Cool Down One and Only, Adele, 5:48 NOW it’s OK to recover! We’re back home; it’s time to circle the block a few times to bring our heart rates down and flush the legs. I hope you enjoyed our Modern British Invasion over these two climbs.

Indoor Cycling Association Audio Master Class Modern British Invasion Over Two Climbs

The Modern British Invasion Playlist All of these songs are easily findable via a variety of sources, including iTunes, Amazon, eMusic and more.

Adele, Hometown Glory (High Contrast Remix), 19 6:35 Dark and Long, Underworld, Dubnobasswithmyheadman 7:36 New Born, Muse, Survival 6:03 Drifting Away, Faithless, Reverence 4:09 Climbatize, The Prodigy, The Fat of the Land 6:35 Galvanize, The Chemical Brothers, Push The Button 6:32 Uprising, Muse, Resistance 5:05 Salva Mea (Help Me), Faithless, Reverence 10:47 Renegade Soundwave (Leftfield Remix), Renegade Soundwave, RSW 1987-1995 7:50 One and Only, Adele, 21 5:48