Spinning is what tops, dancers, ferris wheels and spiders have always done.

And now it's what keep-fitters and celebrities are doing too.

"Spinning is the latest craze in cities like Los Angeles and New York,'' fitness expert and frequent Bermuda visitor, Mr. Nelson Aspen, explained. "It is such a hot trend that even celebrities are jumping on the new bikes, not only for fitness, but as a way to raise funds for charity.'' He recently conducted a spinning-for-charity class, in which actress Laura Birn from "The Young and the Restless,'' actress Lily Tomlin, actor Warren Burton ("Valley of the Dolls'') and actress Karen Witter from "One Life to Live'' participated. And just what is spinning? "It is a 40-minute work-out on a stationary bicycle which simulates the bio-mechanics of a real racing bike,'' Mr. Nelson said. "The bike is designed architecturally to be exactly the same as a professional riding bike. It is not your average home or gym bike.'' The hot new exercise cycle was designed by Mr. John Goldberg, a well-known US long distance cyclist and racer, from whom it takes its name: the Johnny G.

"Goldberg was looking for a way to train without actually having to be out on the road, and he also wanted to share the joy of cycling in a more mainstream way,'' Mr. Nelson explained. "Not everybody can afford to go out and buy a bike, and maybe they don't live in a place which is conducive to going out cycling -- like big cities, for example -- so this indoor model is the perfect solution.'' While state-of-the-art exercise equipment comes and goes, Mr.

Nelson feels the simulated racing cycle is the way of the future because of its application in controlled exercise environments.

"Just as step aerobics exploded onto the exercise scene all over the world, I am sure it is only a matter of time until the racing bike is manufactured everywhere, and everyone is spinning,'' he said.

Unlike home exercise bikes, more of which are covered in cobwebs and dust than are actually used, spinning is designed to encourage -- and make fun -- exercise through group participation.

"What is unique about spinning is the motivation that makes you use it, because you are in a classroom environment with music, and the instructor leads you through a simulated ride across varied terrain,'' Mr. Nelson explained.

"It's much more interesting than pedalling away in your living room, with all its distractions, and even having to get motivated in the first place.

"All you have to do is show up in the class and be ready to sweat. In the spinning room there are no distractions because you become so focussed on your ride,'' he said.

Indeed, the 40-minute "ride'' provides an excellent work-out as it progresses through a peaks-and-valleys style programme.

Another "plus'' was spinning's universal appeal.

"You don't have to be talented or co-ordinated. From childhood, everyone loves the feeling of getting on a bike. There is nothing intimidating about it.'' Traditionally, spinning classes feature a group of racing bikes arranged in a semi-circle, an instructor armed with a microphone, and riders wearing earphones so they can receive individual as well as group instruction.

Background music adds to the atmosphere as the ride rolls along the imaginary countryside.

"The ride is structured so that it uses about eight to nine songs of different tempos per class, as well as different types of music, so that every song relates to a different "terrain,'' Mr. Nelson explained.

Music can vary from New Age to hillbilly, classical and rock, depending on the instructor.

"I like to use a lot of popular dance music and throw in a few surprises along the way to represent the unexpected hill, whether it is an old swing song from the 1940s, the William Tell overture, or a modern blues beat,'' Mr.

Nelson said.

Spinning bikes are equipped with a resistance lever, and the instructor cues riders on when to increase and decrease the intensity, depending on what terrain he or she has planned for the class.

"Some instructors even include push-ups on the handle bars or jumps out of the seat that work like leg squats, so it is an excellent cardio-vascular workout and unbeatable for defining legs and buttocks,'' Mr. Nelson said.

The fitness instructor added that spinning was a very "knee-friendly'' form of exercise because the knees were "always bent and going in circles, so there is no pressure on them.'' "Even for amateur, Sunday driving-type people, spinning is a great way to check your form,'' he said. "If you go out on a regular bike, nobody checks your body position to make your workout more effective.'' But it is not only aerobically that spinning is beneficial. There are also mental benefits -- and here again, instructors played an important role.

"Some make it a very spiritual experience, even referring to making the hills a metaphor for your life, so that by the time you leave class you have purged not only your body but also your soul,'' Mr. Nelson said. "Still other instructors like to make spinning more like a party, with hooting and hollering, and the class travelling `in a pack'.'' The latter is especially popular in glitzy New York, where some spinning classes are more like discos, complete with revolving mirror ball and jazzy lighting effects.

"Spinning is the new rage in the US, and while I am sure that videos are soon to follow, as an instructor I can say nothing beats the social experience of `riding' in a group,'' Mr. Nelson said.

Part of its broad appeal to athletes of every level is the fact that each rider controls his or her own distance.

"If you need to pull back you can, or if you plan to move up, you can push yourself a little harder,'' the fitness expert explained. "There are certainly days when you need to cheat a little, so you can throw a towel over the lever and no-one knows the difference!'' But, Mr. Nelson, what about those narrow little racing bike seats which are so uncomfortable? Do they also torture the indoor rider? "Sometimes women feel a little discomfort from the seat the first few times they spin, but after two or three workouts that usually goes away,'' he allowed. "You build up a tolerance level for it.'' For the truly unhappy, however, Mr. Nelson said padded seat covers could be fitted over the traditional, unforgiving racing seat.

And how often should one spin? "I would recommend two to three times a week, but as is the case with most trends, fanatics are signing up for classes four to six times a week,'' he said. "However, I say `Moderation, moderation, moderation'. People get addicted to it because it is such a great experience for the mind and body.'' So much so, in fact, that Mr. Nelson says his classes "always end in spontaneous applause because of the great feeling riders have of having gotten through the experience together.'' And while all of the terrain variations, gizmos and gimmicks that make spinning classes beneficial and fun are important, none is more so than a good instructor.

"A good spinning instructor understands not just the human body but the bicycle itself and the equipment he or she is working with, so they can make sure the handlebars are adjusted to the correct height for each individual student, for example,'' Mr. Nelson said. "A good instructor must also understand the objectives of the class and what has to be accomplished in 40 minutes from the warm-up to the stretch.'' Although spinning has not yet reached local shores, Mr. Aspen feels it is just a matter of time before someone picks up on the craze.

"Certainly there seemed to be considerable interest among keep-fit enthusiasts, and even the not-so-fit, to whom I spoke,'' he said.