maggie
05-31-2007, 06:24 PM
Hi! I work at a gym that uses both Schwinn and LeMond bikes, depending on which club one is teaching at. Anyway, my question is about the LeMond bikes, which have a belt mechanism (versus a chain) and rides very quietly and smoothly. Anyway, I have a problem with some of the instructors insisting on riding the pedals backwards during class for all types of profiles. Jumping backwards, sprinting backwards, flat backwards, hills backwards. They say it is like an eliptical trainer and works the quads and hams and blah blah blah. Aside from this being really STUPID and dangerous to the students, is it harmful to the bike or equipment? Can it cause the pedals to screw off or break the crank arm or bottom brackets? I wrote an email to LeMond on this and they never responded. I wanted some sort of opinion to give to the instructors to show them that not only are they destroying the riders they may be destroying the bikes.