Indoor cycling used to mean one of two things. A gruelling solo effort on the turbo trainer in your living room, trying to concentrate on Eastenders to stop the pain, or a techno pumping, dance-on-your-bike spin class.

Now we've got nothing against either of those things (if that's what you're into), but if you like suffering with other people, or want some stats with your techno, where do you go?

Well luckily for you, Digme Fitness exists to offer you a much better alternative. An indoor cycling studio (well, multiple studios in The City, Richmond and Oxford) that caters for both stat heads, pedal pushing techno dancers and everyone in between.

Digme also love to promote for the community aspect of indoor cycling - large classes (around 50 bikes) feel small with the use of flat screens showing stats and animated cycling avatars, and hugely enthusiastic trainers get everyone involved.

In order to test out Digme's offering we dropped into their Blackfriars studio to take part in the lunchtime 'Ride' class ( a mix of data driven training and a sick beat!)

We do almost all of our training outside, and we love it, but we were curious about the idea of taking a group indoor class.

Can the same camaraderie found on the road be transferred into a dark studio? The answer is yes, it absolutely can.

Not only that, it can massively enhance your training and overall performance, no matter what type of cyclist you are. Here's our top 5 reasons to train indoors:

1. It's Not a Spin Class!

Our main problem with spin classes (and granted we've only done a few) is that you never really know how hard you are riding. As opposed to outdoor cycling when you (almost) always know what gear you're in, changing gear on a spin bike was just guess work.

Now the Keiser bikes (below) that Digme use have a very clear screen that shows you what gear you're in.

The bikes have 24 gears to be exact, so pretty close to most modern road bikes (21-27 gears.), and therefore easy to replicate that 'outdoor' feeling and transfer to your road bike when you do actually get back outside. 

Not only that, the coach/class leader can be very specific about what gear you should be aiming to be in. David (our trainer for the class) tells us to be in gear 16 (or 2 gears either side if you need) so you can put yourself in gear 16 and try and maintain pedalling in that gear.

Of course if you can't you can drop down a gear or two, but at least it gives you an aim; as opposed to the vague 'make the resistance harder' attitude of a spin class. Being specific is good.

2. Training with numbers/data

Whilst it can be pretty scary, data is your friend! It can be a bit overwhelming from the outset, especially if you've never used any numbers to train with before (having a strava account is a great start, but it goes waaay deeper than that!)

Using data to train shouldn't be scary; it's a very fast and accurate way to track your progress. People always ask us "how do I know I'm getting better", and it is very hard to monitor 'out on the road'.

It's not hard with data in a class format. It's right there in front of you!

And the best thing about an indoor cycling class like Digme is that you don't have to understand everything before starting. The instructors and staff will explain what 'cadence' is when you're riding, and you can watch the RPM (cadence) numbers increase and decrease as you pedal.

So it starts to make more sense as you're learning on the go. Power and heart rate stats are also available and each class you can watch your power output go up. It's a pretty awesome feeling!

3. It's still group riding!

It's pretty obvious that we here at Dirty Wknd don't like solo riding. And it seems like most other cyclists don't either, as cycling club/group numbers are swelling, and platforms like Zwift are taking off. Static bike training doesn't have to be done alone anymore, and hallelujah for that!

The Digme trainers try and get everyone involved in the class (sometimes hard when your heart rate is at 189bpm) and you really do feed off the energy of the group.

Another added bonus is the 3 large flat screens that show you leaderboards and stats from the class. They also show you as an avatar on the screen along with everyone else in the class (ala Zwift), so it really does feel like a group ride.

Now if you're not 'competing' with the rest of the group, then the stats are just an easy way to check how you're doing, and the riders on the screen just a welcome distraction.

However if you are competing (and we definitely were) then watching your avatar break away from the group really motivates you to push harder.

When the leaderboard is shown on the screen and you're near the top, you feel great, and pedal a bit faster.

4. Learning discipline and measuring your effort.

When riding on the road, even if you have all the bells and whistles that measure cadence and power, it's quite hard to stick to a set number.

Either you're matching the pace of your group, or normal 'outdoor furniture' (cars, people etc.) gets in the way of your training effort.

The Digme trainer (David) tells us what gear to be in, and what cadence to ride at (between 70 and 75 RPM say). If that gear is too easy or too hard to maintain that cadence, you can change gears as you need to. 

As the effort gets harder, David tells us to increase the gears by two, but maintain the same cadence. Essentially pushing harder in a higher gear to keep the pedals rotating at the same speed.

This causes other data to come into play; you see your power stats go up (good), and your heart rate go up too (bad). It's a great way to see that they're all connected, and one affects the other.

As you get more fatigued your gearing becomes even more important, just like out on the road

We also get asked a lot "what gear should I be in", which is a really hard question to answer.

On the road, it very much depends on the person, the gradient and a whole heap of other things. However being in a class where you're told what gear to be in, as well as a cadence to maintain, helps to illustrate what gear YOU should be in.

Can't hold 70 rpm in gear 16? Drop a gear or two. Instructor has told you to hold 60 RPM in gear 15, but you're spinning at 80 rpm? Either calm down a little bit, or go up two gears.

This knowledge of RPM and gear choice can be taken out onto the road and used for climbing. It might not be as exact in the wild, but it will start to help you to pedal in the 'right' gear more.

FYI I was terrible at maintaining the RPM David asked us to hit. I was at least 10 over all the time, but that's because I have a very high cadence (I like to sit in an easy gear and spin) and these classes will help me to practise using lower cadences to deliver more power. Everyday's a school day! 

5. Concentrated efforts and max power tests

In the class we did two 3 minute time trial efforts, with one long climb in the middle. The first of the 3 minute tests was supposed to be at 80%, but I of course gave to 100%, determined to be the 1st Avatar on the screen.

I was, but boy did it hurt me on the second effort! Where else, especially in London are you able to do a totally uninterrupted 3 minute effort, and have a full set of stats to show for it?

The climb was a 10 minute effort, and David told us what gear to be in and what cadence to pedal at so it really did feel like climbing. The avatars on screen also started going uphill and, I don't know if it was just me, but they definitely looked like they were suddenly in a lot of pain.

Very realistic! One thing that did surprise me was how much the music helped to set my rhythm. David told us to use the beat when out of the saddle and it wasn't long before I was 'bouncing' from side to side with each pedal stroke.

The second 3 minute test was hell on earth. Determined to prove to David that I had only give 80% during the last test, I would have to find another 20% to go on top of last effort's 100%.

I'm no mathematician, but that's not easy.

Of course I tried, and of course I failed. But having that immediate goal meant I wasn't just burying myself for no reason.

At the end of the session I could check my stats (Digme email you an easy to use break down, above) and could analyse the two efforts side by side. I like stats and data, but I don't have the patience to dig through complicated numbers, so this is a super easy way to track my progression.

We will always be 'outdoors' cyclists and that won't change. Unless it's absolutely lashing down or the roads are covered in snow we'll always prefer to be outside.

Having said that, having an indoor option, for days like above or when you're short of time, is a real asset. Not only that, if you're fairly new to training with numbers or want to understand your data better, then a class like Digme is the best place to learn. 

Likewise if you're an experienced rider who's looking to take their training up a notch (maybe you want to race) then this is the way to do it.

As our official Indoor Fitness Partner, Dirty Wknd members get 15% off Digme classes.

Click on the link below to find out more about Dirty Wknd membership and how to access this amazing discount - Club Membership. 

All images courtesy of Digme Fitness.