Spin class?

This is about as much fun as spinning could be
The glory days of Skidmore Cycling
And you couldn't beat the view!

It's almost spinning season -- those short, cold days of winter where riding outside on a daily basis is simply not possible.

The only time in my life when I can recall truly enjoying regular indoor rides was in college, when the Skidmore Cycling team would gather on a near-daily basis for spin sessions in the pent house of Johnson Tower. Even then, riding a trainer wasn't exactly fun, but at least there was some camaraderie involved.

Since then, with a few exceptions, I've been training on my own almost exclusively, watching movies and desperately trying pretend that I'm not bored out of my mind.

Since we're not really into training mode yet (that comes sometime in December), I've been making a habit of hour-long spin sessions on days where I simply can't make the time for a ride outside. Tomorrow, though, I'm going to try something completely new: a spin class at Blue Sky.

The class, which runs from fall until early spring, is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays after the shop closes, so I'm going to join in the fun tomorrow -- it'll be better than riding the rollers alone at home, right?

Most of the people in the class seem to be a little bit below my level, but these classes, from what I understand, tend to be exactly what you make of them, so I figure I'll be just as worked after the class as the first-year triathlete on the trainer next to me.

Of course, I'll have the added challenge of my rollers, which I'm using exclusively at this time of year. So, I'll be looking to impress my peers in the class by doing one-leg drills and sitting up on the rollers. I'll also be looking not to embarrass myself by riding off the rollers and falling over -- which I feel would likely have the effect of toppling a few others along with me. Yeah, that wouldn't be good...