Profile ideas for bikes with high resistance?

[amybatt]

I just posted in Bike Maintenance that we just took delivery on new bikes with very high resistance. The director says we just need to break them in and eventually they'll loosen up and resistance will lighten up. If that remains the case, and I feel it's safe for people to ride them (that's questionable), what would you do for profiles until we get a true flat road resistance again? Obviously I think it'd have to be some strength/hill rides. I was thinking of something like an add-it on profile where you'd be changing your hill position every 1 or 2 min with sufficient recovery between loops.

I took a class on these bikes last night in which the instructor didn't adapt her all-terrain profile at all, and kept doing cadence checks looking for 90-110 and doing sprints, which is all but impossible when I could barely get to 80 rpms. I don't want to be that instructor!

[like2bike]

I think this issue was once addressed on another forum, and I'm not sure but I think (if I remember correctly) someone suggested turning up the resistance on the bikes and allowing them to sit overnight that way (and do this for a period of time)? Am I high or did I read that somewhere?

I'm hoping perhaps billy, miamitom or midnight rider might chime in here...

[yvonne]

dont know what kind of bikes you have ... but i'll take a shot.

Brand new Spinners used to have that problem. the solution was to turn the resistance knob alll the way to the right, and leave it that way for a few hours (preferably over night). This would allow the springs which drives the resistance mechanism to release (you might even hear the pop) and full range is restored.

[sandy]

Yes, I believe I asked the same question a couple of years age and did the knob turned up overnight thing that someone suggested and VIOLA! Made me look like the gym hero but it was not me it was one of you I give props to!

[amybatt]

These are Schwinn Evolution SRs, so I guess this should be expected? It just doesn't seem right though.

I did a quick search on the P-O forum and found similar advice about cranking it up overnight. I've also gotten a couple good PMs on how to do pre-use maintenance, which I'll forward to our director...unfortunately I don't have the influence to just do this myself!

Thanks all....!