This post originally appeared April 2015 but has since been updated with additional flower-related songs. Please see the playlist below.
Class Profile: The Language of Flowers
Christine does it again with another creative theme ride. This profile is perfect right now as we move from April showers to May flowers (at least here in the northern hemisphere). Or, use this ride in the winter when you are dreaming about flowers and sunshine!
This coaching in this profile is unique in that Christine encourages her riders to self-select their intensity, with some gentle guidance from her and the energy of the song. She explains that this tactic is most successful after a period of more structured classes in which your students have been guided through a variety of intensities. If you are uncomfortable with allowing your riders to do this, you can certainly add more intensity cueing.
The songs are very specific to the profile. We’ve provided a list of alternative songs at the end of the profile, but if you know of any other songs about flowers or with flowers in the title, please list them in the comments below.
A few more to add to the Flowers concept:
King of Carrot Flowers Part 1 by Neutral Milk Hotel, 2:00 at 95 bpm perfect for a recovery. Warning, King of Carrot Flowers Part 2 and 3 should probably not be played in an indoor cycling class.
In The Flowers by Animal Collective, 5:21 at 122 bpm, good for a surge on a steep hill, starts softly, picks up around 2:30 for 1:30, and finishes softly; weird and bizarre, which is typical for AC.
Broken Flowers by Danny L Harle,5:15 at 122 bpm, very catchy tune for a climb with extremely processed vocals. He released a remix titled Awake For Hours, which is essentially the same song sped up to 146 bpm and shortened to 3:32, which could be used for a faster, more intense climb.
Ahh Bill. We’re so in tune with our musical interests. King of Carrots is listed in the PDF–one of my fav songs. I forgot about the AC song, and Broken Flowers is new to me. Thanks for the suggestions as always!
Sorry that I missed King of Carrot Flowers Part 1 in the list. It’s important to distinguish Part 1 from Part 2 and 3, especially for any instructors at the JCC. You may want to add Danny L Harle’s Awake for Hours to the list. It’s the same melody and lyrics as his Broken Flowers, just sped up and renamed.
For those into ambient electronic or shoegaze music, Run Into The Flowers from M83’s second album, Dead Cities, Red Seas, & Lost Ghosts, repeats the muffled lyrics ‘flowers, flowers, flowers…’
Here’s a few others:
I’m Looking Through You, Wallflowers, 127 bpm
You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, Barbara Steisand, 110 bpm
Wildflower, Sheryl Crow, 124 bpm
Desert Flower, Wayne Jones, 117 bpm
Lotus Flower, Radiohead, 128 bpm
Thing of Beauty, Hothouse Flowers, 128 bpm