Spinning out.

[Brahan]

Hey guys I wonder if you can help.

I've been road riding for about a year now and no matter how long/hard I ride I never get sore legs. They get tired but never sore. This changed the other day when I got the turbo out and decided to see what my max cadence is. I hit it as hard as I could about 10 or 12 times each time only lasted about 6 seconds at max speed, but couldn't get over 198rpm. It wasn't the next day but the day after that my legs were in agony, it felt like they were burning and now 5 days later I can still feel it.

Should I bother doing this again? Will I get quicker if I keep training like this? or is there any point because surely if you can spin at max then you should just change gear?

Is it better to train to cadence or actual speed?

 

[montage]

I would say it is better to train to speed.
What is the point of training to a cadence - say 90rpm - if the guy going 80rpm is going faster than you?

 

[Will1985]

What is your average cadence on the road? No point trying to pedal above ~130rpm unless you want to do roller racing. It would be better to train your pedalling style to turn perfect circles than go hell for leather.

 

[HeartAttack]

What is your average cadence on the road? No point trying to pedal above ~130rpm unless you want to do roller racing. It would be better to train your pedalling style to turn perfect circles than go hell for leather.

But being in a pack when the pace changes and having a high max cadence allows you to jump the speed without gear changes, I'd agree though that working at your pedalling style is a good idea, but also throw in some high cadence work to get your legs used to spinning out without the following pain.

 

[Bill Gates]

Pedalling fast (+100 rpm) is a skill which you can learn. It won't do you any harm to learn this skill, on the contrary it will make you a better rider. The optimum cadence for riding fast as in a TT is relative to an individual's make up of fast/slow twitch muscle fibres.

Fast pedalling should work your CV system rather than your leg muscles and slow pedalling vice versa. Your aching muscles are due to you putting in a big effort. IMO 198 rpm is too fast. A bigger gear @ 120/130 rpm would be much better

 

[Brahan]

What is your average cadence on the road? No point trying to pedal above ~130rpm unless you want to do roller racing. It would be better to train your pedalling style to turn perfect circles than go hell for leather.

My average cadence is about 85. Last year it was much much lower though. Sometimes I average 90 but I have to constantly remind myself to keep it there - it seems my legs naturally want to grind it out.

 

[jimboalee]

Pedalling fast (+100 rpm) is a skill which you can learn. It won't do you any harm to learn this skill, on the contrary it will make you a better rider. The optimum cadence for riding fast as in a TT is relative to an individual's make up of fast/slow twitch muscle fibres.

Fast pedalling should work your CV system rather than your leg muscles and slow pedalling vice versa. Your aching muscles are due to you putting in a big effort. IMO 198 rpm is too fast. A bigger gear @ 120/130 rpm would be much better

+1.

198 rpm on a 53 x 12 is 67.5 mph. For this on a roadrace bike requires about 5 1/4 horsepower, equivalent of a 70cc motorbike.
Unrealistic.
You might generate 1.5 horsepower at full tilt, which at 182 rpm is 44 mph in 84", or 53 x 17.
Alternatively, put it on 53 x 12 and beetle along at 128 rpm.

I think you might find the final example realistic for a sprint finish.

 

[Brahan]

+1.

198 rpm on a 53 x 12 is 67.5 mph. For this on a roadrace bike requires about 5 1/4 horsepower, equivalent of a 70cc motorbike.
Unrealistic.
You might generate 1.5 horsepower at full tilt, which at 182 rpm is 44 mph in 84", or 53 x 17.
Alternatively, put it on 53 x 12 and beetle along at 128 rpm.

I think you might find the final example realistic for a sprint finish.

67.5mph would be nice wouldn't it? Obviously sitting on a turbo in a low gear and spinning at 198 is easy enough but I was looking to see if the outcome is trasnferred positively onto the road. I'm not suggesting that I can hold that speed for a sustained period but if it's worth chucking 10-15 mins each week without detrament to anyother training then its kind of interesting to see if I can break the 200 mark. It's just that the 3 days of sore legs acted as somewhat of a warning....

By technique do you mean pedalling with one foot unclipped?