Discussion: 56

Mate, you need to forget the hills and do a few rides on the flat for a fortnight or so and teach yourself to spin more freely, even if you just aim for 80 to start with - longer term so much more efficient and energy saving (and soft-tissue saving) to spin rather than grind. Just look at all tRicky's knee issues...

Mate, I concur with the above assessment. I have firsthand knowledge of all tRicky's knee issues...

Good, I'm glad you concur, mate.

um I am up from 50 two rides ago - I can assure you cadence is on my agenda along with a few other things - and yes there will be some flat riding soon - keep in mind while i am being slack on the down hills my cadence is 0...

56! Ow, my knees!

Looking at the graph on GC, I think that might be your moving average - ie. discounting coasting/stoppage time. You're climbing Lovekin Dve at 50-55rpm, which *cannot* be good for you.

Spin faster, don't end up a cripple like me who is powerfully strong on hills.

hard to spin fast on a climb when your already gear reaching :P

Geez I don't know what gear you were pushing (read that how you will) but I was doing something around 50s in the 13 chain ring in last week's strength session, which is a ridiculous gear to be pushing up hills.

I am gear reaching in the opposite direction to what you are thinking... as in I was reaching out for more but there was nothing easier to ride on.

You were on the SCR??

You're on a fixie??

if SCR = small chain ring and your talking about the front one then yes I was on the smaller of the two, going to the larger ones at the back because I was trying to spin while going up the hill.

Wouldn't it be easier to find a small gear at the back so that your legs spin comfortably and then as you get fitter you can slowly up it to the bigger gears?

No Tash, you have bicycles all wrong.

Okay - correction - I meant:

Wouldn't it be easier to find the "easier" gear at the back so that your legs spin comfortably and then as you get fitter you can slowly up it to the "harder" gears.

But I guess my confusion over 'big' and 'small' gears has meant that I missed the whole point that you were already doing that in the first place. Sorry Brycec!

No wonder the Bike Doctor didn't want to sell you a chain - you probably would have tried to replace your fan belt with it.

I used to do (deliberate) seated BCR reps up Greenmount where I had to slowly grind up with my cadence between 60-65. I can clearly see/remember those reps even now. 56... ouch! Go flat, spin more, get fitter, come back to gentle slopes first.

That said Tooms - I've always been low cadence I've never believed in spinning until I really tries to understand it. I don't have good data to support it but my spinning is probably 70 I doubt I hit 80 as an average in the past.

Incidentally I am trying to build a bit of strength in my muscles before I go for speed - that may seem counter intuitive to you. Not planning to spend my whole time in KP - mt Henry loops will start soon enough.

How about a wind trainer? Easier to get spinning... hard work! Good for sessions at home when it's raining.

As far as I can tell, everyone is low cadence when they first start cycling - it's an acquired skill being able to spin. I used to devote my Monday evening rides purely as a 'recovery' ride around the river, but my goal was to stay in my SCR and keep cadence at 90 or higher. This was because my default cadence used to be high 70s, low 80s, and that's just not conducive to efficient cycling. It used to take real concentration to hold a faster pace without it just feeling silly. Over time I found in my triathlon races my BCR cadence climbed to being around high 80s - still not up where the decent cyclists were, but able to muscle my way along ok.

The trick is to work on specific attributes (a) spinning; (b) aerobic fitness; (c) strength; (d) anaerobic fitness. And, I think in that order too.

Yeah, I used to get wobbly if I went over 80, and 90 was just loony territory. Now anything less than 85 feels like grinding.

Spinning isn't about speed, it's just efficient, as Tooms said - Bryce, you remember when we went around the Mt Henry loop that time, and a couple of times I just disappeared off the front without seeming to make any effort? That's because my cruising cadence is around 85-90, and from there it's very easy to get up to 100-110. If you're cruising at 60-70 it takes a lot more effort (and time) to get up to speed.

I don't disagree with you Tooms.

Interestingly though when I said in the past - I was taking when I did the Perth GBR 106 in sub 3 - I would have still been grinding away at 50-70.

Juffs - that was more to do with my fitness than cadence :)

I'm everyone, I feel used
I'm everyone, I need you
I'm everyone hang your label on me
I'm everyone paint it black and white and easy

Call on me, spin spin sugar

?!

What he said, but more.

?!

I'm Tooms' bike, I feel underused
I'm Tooms' bike, I need lube
I'm everyone hang your Gary Fisher label on me
I'm everyone paint it black and white and reflective

Call on me, spin spin pedals

?!

:-)
Too many photocopier / printer fumes tRicky m'boy...