Setting up your home for online classes

There’s are good ways, and a best way to do this, everyone is in a different situation so I will try to cover all the bases. The aims here are to have a strong internet connection, great sound, and a good video view. In that order!

I’m not going to talk about bikes/turbo trainers in this post, check another blog post by clicking here to learn about different types of turbo trainers, indoor bikes, smart trainers etc and what to choose for your at home cycle workouts

(Note: mentions of equipment in bold are clickable affiliate links to the items on Amazon if you want to buy anything after clicking I will get a small kickback at no extra cost to you)

Minimum setup

Requirements:

• Mobile device (phone or tablet)

• Fast internet with good Wi-Fi OR strong 3G/4G data connection

• Speakers/headphones

1. If using Wi-Fi set up close to your router/Wi-Fi access point and disable the Wi-Fi on as many other devices in your home as possible. If using a data connection try setting up in your garden or near a big window/upper floor of your home for a more reliable connection.

2. Try and get your device’s screen close to eye level, using a table/stand. Alternatively if using a phone you can lock it and ZOOM will continue the class as audio only so you can put your phone to one side and focus on just music and instruction, this is also a good option for poor internet connections as the data needed for just sound is substantially less than the video feed.

3. See steps 4 and 5 from “Ideal setup”

Good setup

Requirements:

• Computer (laptop or desktop)

• Fast internet (>10Mbps)

• Good Wi-Fi signal

• Speakers

1. Set up your computer in a room close to your router/Wi-Fi access point, and disable the Wi-Fi on as many other devices in your home as possible

2. Workout in front of your computer screen. if using a laptop place it on a high table/stand, for indoor cycle training these tables are perfect for training with a laptop

3. Connect your speakers to your computer via an AUX cable, AUX to RCA cable, or bluetooth. Always choose cables over wireless where possible

4. See steps 4 and 5 from “Ideal setup”

Ideal setup

Requirements:

• Computer (laptop or desktop)

• Fibre optic internet (>40Mbps)

• Ethernet cable

• Large screen / TV

• USB Audio interface

• Hi-Fi / Home Theatre System

1. Run an ethernet cable from your internet router to your computer, if using a modern laptop without an ethernet port you can buy USB-A and USB-C adapters, I use this one with my MacBook Pro as it gives me 3x USB ports too.

2. (Optional, not needed if your computer screen is close and in front of your training area) Plug your computer into a bigger screen such as a living room TV with a HDMI cable, if your computer doesn’t have a HDMI port you can buy cheap USB-A and USB-C adapters, I use this other hub with my MacBook Pro when I need HDMI.

   (Note: yes I use two separate hubs with my computer as once you start plugging lots of stuff in to one they become very unreliable, with my MacBook Pro I have 4x USB-C ports and nothing else. So I have power, 2x hubs, and my camera’s capture card taking up all 4 in total. One hub has the ethernet plugged in and my second camera angle webcam, and the other hub has my audio interface, external storage, and HDMI if need be)

3. Hook up your computer to a good sound system, ideally via a USB audio interface or a system plugged into your HDMI TV, both of these get the signal out of your computer digitally so it can be converted by a dedicated audio device. If not an option you can use the 3.5mm headphone port to get the sound out with an AUX cable, or AUX to RCA cable to a speaker system but the sound quality won’t be quite as good as the signal is being converted to analogue inside your computer, and they’re generally not very good at it.

   (Note: if you don’t have a good sound system or need to be quiet you can use headphones/earphones but will need to make sure they are comfortable and sweat-proof, if cabled it is once again better to plug into the audio interface and if bluetooth you can connect to the computer or TV)

4. Cover your floor, it’s a good idea to have a cleanable training area especially underneath a stationary bike. I use these squares to make training areas in my flat. For bikes on turbo trainers you also might want to prevent the frame from sweat damage with one of these.

5. Disable your video and microphone, sometimes we say hi and ask questions with vid/mic before and after the class, but during it can cause problems. The class all having enabled mics causes feedback echoing which isn’t very nice so I will always forcibly mute everyone when we are about to begin. I leave videos on if you choose to share footage of you riding along which is nice for me to see, but it will put extra strain on your internet connection so if you are concerned especially with often bad upload speeds, disable your video for a smoother experience.

I hope this was helpful information, if you have any questions leave them in the comments or send me a message I’ll be glad to help

Stay Safe,

Chris