Spin or grind?

[Venod]

Spinning for me.

 

[Frood42]

In London it is mainly flat, so I don't really grind or spin, I find a comfortable rhythm and bomb along as fast as I can.

If I do hit a hill (in London ), I either drop down a gear or two and spin up or if I am feeling sprightly I will get out of the saddle and push it, which normally ends up with me chugging up the hill as I tire myself out too quickly with my over enthusiastic attempt to get up as quickly as possible... I probably get up just as quick spinning it...

 

[Biker Joe]

I do what comes naturally.
I haven't got a clue what my cadence is.

 

[Dusty Bin]

In cadence terms, when do you grind and at which point does it become spinning ?

^^ this. It's an un-answerable question, by the way. One person's spinning will be another person's grinding. And vice-versa.

 

[Markymark]

Grinding on a bike - won't she fall off??

 

[helston90]

"They" say grinding puts more strain on your joints/ body and on the bike, therefore i'm trying to spin where possible but I still tend to be faster on a stand up grind up a short sharp hill.

 

[HLaB]

If I do hit a hill (in London ),

OT I might be cycling down to Barnet at the weekend; its profile looks hillier compared to here at least

 

[Frood42]

OT I might be cycling down to Barnet at the weekend; its profile looks hillier compared to here at least

Never cycled around Barnet
My summer commute was around the Epping area, where there are some hills, but nothing major.

My winter commute route takes me along the CS2 and CS3, which are all flat

http://goo.gl/maps/NAM16 - A13, big and open to the wind
http://goo.gl/maps/TS5fw - Stratford, with more tarmac
http://goo.gl/maps/AwWgj - and a short hill, maybe...
It's all very scenic here

I prefered the summer commute route, but it's a bit lonely out on those roads, and dark, so no help if you get knocked off and they drive off
http://goo.gl/maps/SQ8EL
http://goo.gl/maps/ELNru
http://goo.gl/maps/qbXWp
http://goo.gl/maps/EoaVV
http://goo.gl/maps/wDMR9
http://goo.gl/maps/o5nyz

the Epping bumps or hills are much more fun...

 

[VamP]

Ideal rpm is 80 to 100. I average about 90 on geared rides. I tend to spin more commuting as I ride fixed but my rpm is anything from 60 to 150.

Funny, my range on my geared bikes is something like that too.

 

[Lincov]

I'm trying to increase my cadence (by feel, I don't measure it), as I read that it was a more efficient way to cycle, and I can tell the difference. So I'm an aspiring spinner.

 

[Jefferson Meriwether]

I'm somewhat closer to being a grinder than a spinner.

 

[Cyclopathic]

Spin with my left leg, grind with my right. I'm an all rounder.

 

[Cyclopathic]

On a slightly more serious note is there a reasonably reliable technique for working out cadence without a computer. I find it impossible to count pedal rotations and seconds at the same time.

 

[Cyclopathic]

I'm trying to increase my cadence (by feel, I don't measure it), as I read that it was a more efficient way to cycle, and I can tell the difference. So I'm an aspiring spinner.

Me too. I reckon my natural rate is about 60 but would like to get it a bit higher.

 

[oldfatfool]

Spin downhill and grind uphill, that way I build up both slow and fast twitch muscles