Spin fast or Spin hard

[Lazy-Commuter]

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?

There's quite a steep hill I go down on the way home. It's very close to home. I tend to pedal a little on that without really doing anything: I'm normally at a lower rpm than I would be on the flat and there's no resistance on the pedals. That's just to get my breath back whilst keeping my legs warm.

Lower down where it flattens off, I tend to try to maintain my normal cadence - or maybe a bit higher - but here I can actually feel some resistance on the pedals so feel like I'm doing something.

 

[Tynan]

I used to grind along and was sure that was what suited me

Once I tried higher cadence it felt very odd for a few days and then great, better acceleration and control too if sir is in traffic

 

[Arch]

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?

If God's given you a freewheel, use it! Give your legs a rest going down hill, that's what a freewheel is for!

 

[Ludwig]

Most riders these days lack the power and strenth in their legs due to our modern sedentry lifestyles. Go and do some hard labouring on a building site with lots of barrowing, shovelling or go out in the fields piciking cabbages for a few months and your riding will improve big time.

 

[Randochap]

Most riders these days lack the power and strenth in their legs due to our modern sedentry lifestyles. Go and do some hard labouring on a building site with lots of barrowing, shovelling or go out in the fields piciking cabbages for a few months and your riding will improve big time.

Yeah, I saw the pro peloton out in the fields, just yesterday, and hear Lance is spring training on a new apartment site back in Texas!

 

[marinyork]

Go and train on some mild but continuous gradients. It's the only thing that's improved my cycling. I just don't have the power in the legs having very small legs. Seems to work for me. Cycling on the flat was a waste of time for me.

 

[jimboalee]

Or shovelling snow....


Mine's a BIG gear. 70 - 80 rpm.

At accelerating out of junctions, I'm up off the seat pulling the pedals up round the back and dumping my whole weight on the front pedal.

Its all torque...

 

[stranger]

I'm a lazy cyclist. I go for whatever is easiest at the time. And I get off and walk up hills too. (Unless I am using the Powerbyke--which is cheating because it has a battery. :?

 

[fossyant]

Erm.....very personal this, age, fitness, experience...

It's very fitness related, if you haven't the experience or the fitness/grunt, then opt for lower gears....