Spinning Too Fast?
No, not that kind of spin. I mean the bike kind.
I’ve the feeling that I’ve been lulled into riding at too high a cadence, so that I’m spinning away, but going nowhere very fast. On my road bike, Gina (Giant SCR LTD), I tend to average just under 100 rpm, with conscious gear shifts to try to keep the revs between 100 & 110 rpm.
This morning, I rode into Walker on Trixie the Fixie. As a fixed wheel bike, she seems to have only two speeds - ’stop’ and ‘go’. Yet despite the lack of gears, and two short but steep hills on the way here, I averaged over 18mph. I don’t know what the cadence was, nor the top speeds, since I’m riding Trixie naked (no, not like Charlie The Bike Monger (link of somewhat adult content) - I mean without a cycle computer).
And last week on Gina, I was overtaken by someone riding a really beaten up ‘mountain’ bike. The rider was sitting bolt upright, and zipping along at 19mph (I know this, because I couldn’t just let him get away with passing me like that!).
So I’m wondering if I’m running at too high a cadence, which leaves my legs on the edge of tired. So if I shift up a gear, it seems really hard work, even though I know that on Trixie, I’d just work on through it.
Either that, or I’m just a big girl’s blouse when it comes to cycling, with leg muscles like over-cooked spaghetti . . .
. . . which is too horrible to think about. So I’m going to change my gear shift limits to 95-105 rpm & see if that makes any difference.
Workout:
- Type: Cycle
- Date: 07/19/2007
- Total Time: 00:28:00.00
- Distance: 8.5 miles
- Average Speed: 18.21 mph
Probably not really pertinent to your post, but your “stop” & “go” sentence reminded me of my little sister’s very proud moment when she got her first 2-wheeler. That same summer I’d gotten my 1st 10 speed, which was super hip & cool on the strand in LA for a 7 yr old. Anyway, my sister would proudly peddle along, wobbling between her training wheels, announcing to anyone she passed that she had a new bike & it was a 2-speed — stop & go! Thanks for the trip down memory lane. It started my morning off just right!
I don’t know about the high cadence. I feel like I have more power when I am riding in a bigger gear. I’ve also been working on higher cadence to work my hamstrings and glutes more. When I want to go fast and pass someone it works for me to put it in a bigger gear. I think it’s good to work both power (in big gears and cardiovascular system (lower gear, higher cadence).
The naked cyclist is hillarious. I can’t believe he is wearing a heart rate monitor though. It seems to go against getting back to nature!
I’ve heard that professional cyclists typically ride between 80-100 rpm. For me 80 rpm feels way too slow. Like you I typically ride in the 100 rpm range.
I think what’s important is to find a cadence that works for you, but make sure it’s not too much outside the 80-100 range. Anything outside that range you’re lugging (think driving in 4th gear up a steep road) or revving too high (driving down the highway in 3rd gear)
Your average of just under 100 rpm sounds perfectly fine. That said I’ve also felt that one gear is too easy, while the next gear is too hard, that’s what’s so great about a 10 speed cassette. That’s also what’s great about riding a fixie, it forces you to experience different cadences.
Don’t sweat it, Karl. It’s what works for you. FWIW, I spin along at about 96. I continually shift to keep the effort constant and keep the cadence up. But much above 108 and I feel like a fan.
However, you will build leg strength by gearing up, which means your cadence will likely drop. Some good early season grinds are around 80 rpm, which gets the legs burning.
Thanks for your input guys!
Long ride tomorrow, and I’m going to try pegging that cadence down just a little, and maybe applying just a little extra continuous grunt to my stroke.
Karl, I suggest you get some hard data… why don’t you do a couple fitness tests on a known course where you use the two different techniques and see which one allows you to get the speed you really want.
It may be that bigger gears just feel harder when in fact, your body can take it just fine. And so when you’re on Gina, you wimp out and take it easy… when you’re on Trixie, you ride closer to your actual fitness level.
You should take Gina out, on a known course, and give it all you got in a big gear, and in a smaller gear. If you can go faster in a small gear, then by all means, use it… but if you can go faster in a big gear, then maybe you should work on staying in a bigger gear and a higher cadence on Gina.
Brad - Excellent suggestion. As soon as I can find my snorkel, I’m gonna do this (it’s been / is still raining rather hard here!)
Is that the cabbage patch assassin? I’m in portugal golfing. And stumbled on your name via Queen’s ‘Fat bottomed girls. How the devil are you?
Bazza