Fit to Print Volume 24 Issue 3 September 2015 | Page 6

Cover Story

by Carmella Milano, et al

Matrix Revolution
Raves for New Cycles and Coach by Color

design; helping members achieve their
goals.
Since their debut just over 3 weeks
ago, members (and instructors) have
really enjoyed seeing their values and
work in front of them, and are enjoying
the Coach by Color concept. No more
guessing. Just follow the colors!

Girl Meets Bike
by Iris Greco
Carmella Gets Into the Matrix Spirit

T

here is some new terminology
buzzing around at Fitness
Incentive. Our club is home to
the newest technology in
indoor cycling, housing the new Matrix
IC7 bike. Wondering what makes this
bike so unique and a cut above?
It's the new light up computer display
and Coach By Color. Each bike is
outfitted with a computer that will give
the rider immediate feedback and realtime values to observe. These include
your RPMs, level of resistance, power
output (watts), FTW %, heart rate,
calories, and more! There is no more
guessing if you are working hard
enough or too hard. It's all right in
front of you!
You may already be familiar with RPM
and resistance, but what are watts and
FTW? Watts is a measurement of the
power you produce, using the speed at
which you pedal and the force you use
to move the resistance you have on
your bike. Monitoring your watts—just
like monitoring your heart rate—will
help you to train smarter and more
effectively.

6

FTW, is an acronym for “Functional
Threshold Watt Rate.” FTW is the key
value to focus on while riding. It
indicates the highest level of work
you can achieve and maintain while
staying functional—performing the
task at hand well. The FTW number
is a percentage of your threshold
wattage, which is automatically
estimated by entering a variety of
factors into the bike computer or by
performing a specific test. Once the

These bikes are simply
incredible! Not only do
they look great, they ride
beautifully. But beyond that,
they empower us to
transform our cycling
program...

values are entered, your instructor
will coach you through your ride by
using color! Your monitors will
change colors based on your work
zone or specific percentage of your
FTW. What's particularly cool about
Coach by Color is that regardless of
your ability or fitness level—whether
you are a seasoned outdoor rider or a
casual cycling participant—you can
ride side by side, at the same color
level, and work based on your
individual FTW.
These bikes are simply incredible!
Not only do they look great, they ride
beautifully. But beyond that, they
empower us to transform our
program, and our classes. Coach by
color can help participants realize
their work effort and deliver
immediate feedback which can be
used in goal-setting and program
Autumn 2015 FIT to Print

The Meeting:
I fell in love with the Matrix IC7 when
the test model was delivered to Fitness
Incentive along with two other test
bikes. The ride was smooth and sitting
on the bike felt very natural and
comfortable to me. As an instructor
and avid indoor cyclist the idea of Color
Coaching was very interesting and
exciting. To be able to ride to the best
of our ability, to see and track the
progress of my class participants would
bring our training sessions to a much
higher level.
The Arrival:
On August 19th I awoke feeling like a
two year old on Christmas morning.
The anticipation had been building
since the IC7 was selected, by the
members, as the future bike of the
Fitness Incentive Cycling Program. As
the bikes were wheeled into the studio
I had to restrain myself from jumping
on one and riding off into my imaginary
sunset.
The First Week:
I was as nervous as when I taught my
first Spinning class many moons ago.
The riders started filling up the room
and I could sense their excitement and
anticipation. This was it! Showtime!
I'd been talking the bikes up for weeks,
and now it was time to prove to my
fellow riders that the IC7 Coach by
Color was indeed the right choice for
them. As with anything new, we
encountered a couple of hiccups but
nothing that couldn't be addressed
immediately.
Week Two:
Today the class really had it! They
understand the concept of Color
Coaching and are now working to the
best of their abilities based on their
personal information. It's exciting to
see the bike consoles reflect the color
of the zone at which everyone is
working.

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