Spin fast or Spin hard

[butki55]

I have reading various posts and articles regarding peddaling.

Could some one tell me in lamen terms what is the best, if there is when it comes to peddalling, low gear fast and continuous or high gear out of the saddle pushing hard.

Does one have an advantage over the other IE: for endurance/stamina fitness etc.

When I go out I stay in the highest gear I can for every hill, making my legs work for a living. Do I need to alternate.

Thanks in advance.

butki55

 

[Will1985]

Each to their own - everybody has their own optimum cadence. You either spin small gears or grind big gears.

Another school of thought is that you maintain a steady power output all the time, which means that sometimes you can pedal "normally", but then you will spin faster up a hill in a lower gear.

 

[roadiewill]

Spin a smaller gear, much better for developing the muscles and will prevent injury.

 

[Mike Rudkin]

50 yrs ago we called it 'twiddling' now it's 'cadence' or 'spinning' The thing is to find the pedal rate you are happiest with and use the gears to maintain that rate. Personally 60-70 rpm is comfortable,but it's a personal thing.Mike

 

[cadseen]

it will also depend on what type of riding or racing you are doing.

 

[RedBike]

Pedaling with a too-low cadence causes your legs to use fast twitch fibers more, causing premature lactic acid accumulation. (In lamens terms your legs will start to feel heavy.)

Pedalling at a High-cadence works your cardiovascular system more. - You get out of breath.

It's all about getting the balance right.

If you were to change down a gears on the hills and spin quicker you should find that you're more out of breath. Initially this will probably make you slower. However, once your cardiovascular system adapts you should find you're quicker towards the end of your rides.

 

[spandex]

Just spin spin and spin or "twiddling"

 

[gavintc]

I spent tonight on the turbo doing a pyramid session in which I had a constant resistance,but used the gears to make it harder. I was intrigued to note that I could run a higher speed when I was running a higher cadence for the same heart rate. At lower cadences, my heart rate was climbing. I worked out that for me, I seemed most efficient at 90 rpm.

 

[HLaB]

I used to like staying in a high gear but I don't reckon that'd be good for my knees but I don't like spinning for the sake of it either so I usually find a happy medium.

 

[Randochap]

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=27285

 

[Dave5N]

50 yrs ago we called it 'twiddling' now it's 'cadence' or 'spinning' The thing is to find the pedal rate you are happiest with and use the gears to maintain that rate. Personally 60-70 rpm is comfortable,but it's a personal thing.Mike

Mike's right, but personally I think you get more work out (but get more knackered) spinning the bggest gear you can at 100RPm, 90 minimum.

ie, spin, but push the gears.

 

[jimboalee]

It is dependent upon your personal physiology.

This is an old nutmeg on the cycling chatboards.

Go out there and experiment with the techniques. It may take a couple of hundred miles before you get into a natural cadence for your muscular type, either mostly fast twitch, mostly slow twitch, or and combination of the two.

Don't let anyone TELL you what is best, they are not YOU.


A pointer - 1/ Power required to maintain a speed is independent of gear ratio, it is dependent on streamlining.

Another pointer - 2/ Power required to climb a hill is independent of gear ratio, it is dependent on mass.

So, Get streamlined and get light. The pedaling cadence will come naturally.

 

[butki55]

Many thanks for all the replys I think I will try a different approach next time I go out and "use the gears I have and see what difference it makes to ME".

I bought em might as well use em.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

Many thanks for all the replys I think I will try a different approach next time I go out and "use the gears I have and see what difference it makes to ME".

I bought em might as well use em.

Reckon that's about the best thing. I had an "aha!!" moment when I suddenly realised I was getting home from work quicker on days when I was "taking it easy", which for me meant going for a lower gear and not pushing so hard. Which seemed odd: surely you can go faster in a higher gear??

Then I googled "pedal rpm", discovered "cadence", googled that and the penny dropped.

I seem happiest at around 90-100rpm. I think before I'd have been pushing a higher gear at lower rpm and so wore my legs out - the lactic acid thing. The trick seems to be to try different stuff and find out where you're happiest.

 

[Cope]

I adhere to the spinning school of thought, and benefited greatly from a season or two on fixed. My question concerns going down hills. On fixed you have no choice - but on a bike with a freewheel I find it hard to spin down hills - I find it hard to tell if I'm doing anything at all - or if I'm just spinning my legs around fast, but not as fast as the wheel is going, if that makes sense?

On fixed it's easy, because there's an immediate organic connection between bike and legs.

What do you guys do?