Different pedalling technique reaped big benefits for me.

JimmyK

Is there a specific name for the pedalling technique I am about to describe ?

I normally go out on rides that are between 40 and 55 miles . When I watched my wired cateye strada , it told me that my average cadence was between 90-95 . I had covered 2100 miles since xmas, so I took my trek1000 to LBS and had the 8 speed shimano 13-26 cassette replaced with a 12-25 type and a brand new chain.

With the cadence I had been riding at, I usually found by the last 5 miles of a given ride, my legs could be quite fatigued and my average speed overall was normally 18.2 to 18.5 mph.

Last week I did 3 x 50 milers, but in these cases I used higher gears ( smaller cogs ) on the rear cassette and pedalled at a much less leg intensive 80 on the cadence count. At the end of 50 miles my legs showed significantly less fatigue and my average speed over the course of the 3 journeys was 19.4 mph. I was , of course , very happy with the results I had achieved and will continue to deploy this riding style . Even climbing hills , pushing a slightly harder gear and a smooth cadence gets me up much quicker and more efficiently than spinning away like a demon in a low gear , is there a particular name or designation for this riding style , its definitely not a spinning style , ive tried that and and it flat out does not work for me at all.

Jimmy

phreak

I was always led to believe that higher cadence is easier on the legs, harder on the lungs, with a lower cadence the other way round. Maybe that's wrong. Probably good to mix things up though.

nasahapley

I don't think a cadence of 80 is that low, so I don't know if there'll be a specific name for it. I know what you mean though, I find that a lower cadence works well for me too; I don't actually know what cadence I typically go at but it's lower than most other cyclists I see out and about. I've always been very sceptical about the 'low cadence = easier on the lungs" thing, surely how hard your lungs work is down to the amount of power you're putting out and nothing else?

Giant Phil

Phreak is absolutely correct. There isn't really a name for peddling slower, you might call yourself a grinder, or the next Jan Ulrich; whichever you please.

Peddling has alot to do with the rider. I understand that those with a high Lactate threshold tend to lack on the Ventiliary threshold, and therefore favour a lower cadence, which will be much easier on the lungs. For someone who is incredibly efficient at breathing, but who lacks on the power in the legs, a higher cadence will be favourable.

Phil

Alex_Simmons/RST

JimmyK wrote:

is there a particular name or designation for this riding style , its definitely not a spinning style , ive tried that and and it flat out does not work for me at all.

It's called riding at a higher power output.

redddraggon

I'm a high cadence rider on the flat (95-105ish)

But climb at around 60-80, any more than that and lungs/heart can't keep me going

sandbag

The lower 80RPM is more a optimum cadence for your fitness level. The optimum cadence for efficiency is usually between 80-100RPM. Go higher and you waste alot energy, which is gross efficiency. Pedaling with a too-low cadence increases reliance on fast twitch fibers, causing premature lactic acid accumulation, which makes your legs burn. Pedaling at too high a cadence overloads the cardiovascular system's ability to deliver oxygen to the muscles.

The basic rules are, if your legs hurt more than your lungs, increase cadence. If your lungs hurt more than your legs, use a lower cadence.

If you decide that higher cadence pedaling might be more effective for you, now is the time to accustom your body to the different demands. Until you have learned the skills to pedal at very high cadence for long periods of time, you will be less efficient. Begin to develop leg speed now and it will be smooth and natural by next year's race season.

Each athlete must experiment to find the cadence that works best for him. As you experiment, keep the following factors in mind.

Plan to train at different cadences: Riding at a certain wattage at 100 rpm and the same wattage at 75 rpm produce different benefits. Specific, targeted training at higher and lower than your race cadence will pay big dividends. Even a high-cadence cyclists needs to do some low-cadence training to develop torque.

Train like you race: While this may sound contradictory to the last statement, it isn't. Specifically targeting a particular system with over-cadence or over-torque workouts is an excellent approach, but much of your riding should still be performed at close to race cadence. An athlete training efficiently performs 70 to 90 percent if his training significantly below the wattages they will be required to produce in competition. Many get lazy on their long, slow rides and pedal at a lower cadence. The reduced cadence may, in fact, be more efficient at the greatly reduced wattage. Remember, though, that the purpose of these workouts is not to be efficient during the workout, but to make you more efficient at race intensity. Disciplining yourself to maintain race cadence even when riding slowly is critical.

Give high-cadence time: If you decide that higher race cadence might work for you, understand that it may take months for your legs to develop the skills to create wattage efficiently at higher cadence. Cardiovascular conditioning also takes time to develop, so start well before the season and be patient.

Try weight training: If you find you lack the super cardiovascular power to ride efficiently at high cadence, weight training can help you develop tolerance to lower cadence, higher watts-per-pedal-stroke riding. In fact, weight training has been shown to increase cycling efficiency for almost every rider at every cadence.

Most likely beneficiaries of high cadence: Those most likely to benefit from increasing cadence are those whose cardiovascular capacity exceeds their muscle power: women, small or thin riders, former runners, and masters riders. These athletes should work to develop a higher cadence style, but should still incorporate specific high-force workouts to increase their ability to create torque

Analyze whether force and burning legs or ventilatory distress is most likely to limit you at critical points in races. If your legs limit performance, higher cadence may improve your results once you have adapted. Decide for yourself what style is likely to work, plan a program that will prepare you before your important races, and get started.

Alex_Simmons/RST

sandbag wrote:

The lower 80RPM is more a optimum cadence for your fitness level.

There is no such thing as an optimum cadence.

sandbag wrote:

Pedaling with a too-low cadence increases reliance on fast twitch fibers, causing premature lactic acid accumulation, which makes your legs burn.

More myths of cycling being perpetuated.

Fibre type recruitment is a function of power (or intended effort), not cadence. If fast twitch fibres really were being substantially recruited at low cadences, we would fatigue far more quickly than we do, since FT fibres fatigue very quickly. But plenty of riders can pedal at low cadences for hours on end.

"Lactic acid" or more properly blood lactate, which while it does accumulate at high intensities, does not cause the burning sensation we feel. Correlation is not the same as causation. Suggest reading up on the "lactic acid myth".

stevewj

I did a couple of 10mile tts recently where I deliberately stayed in 53/15 all the way round ( to test out if it was the right gear to put on a fixed tt bike) and found that up a one mile steady climb on a regular course that I do, I was averaging 22mph all the way up. Normally I drop down a cog at a time as the going gets tough and the speed drops to between 17 and 19, so for me it's definately faster keeping up lower cadence higher gear.

sandbag

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

sandbag wrote:

The lower 80RPM is more a optimum cadence for your fitness level.

There is no such thing as an optimum cadence.

Note that, i didn't say there is a optimum(natural) cadence for everybody only for each individual, which in the majority of cases is 80RPM+. If you pedal at a higher cadence and you become tired like the OP suggested, then his aerobic fitness needs improving. By training properly at a higher cadence the body will adjust and the muscles will not tire as quickly. The lower cadence suits his accumulative lifestyle of cycling especially if he an older rider. The new chain and cassette could of been a little factor.

If you pick too high a cadence for your fitness and do many miles week in week out without enough recovery, then you can be just wearing yourself out, especially if you not eat good. Also, it doesn't supply enough oxygen to the muscles. It takes more than lots of miles. I cycled at 86RPM for many years, it was my natural cadence! It was only when i embraced 95-105RPM with regular training on an indoor trainer for months with bigger diet, strength training and recovery, did my body thank me for it, it felt unnatural for long time, but i perserved. It's how far you prepared to go.

It is naturally proven, pedaling at a higher cadence, requires less use of the muscles and is easier on the knees, this requires proper training, beginners and enthusiasts tend to use 60-80RPM. Maybe you was pushing too bigger gear at 95RPM. Anybody would end up with sore muscles and aching joints if they did. Practice on small front ring. You should be less tired, if you do it correctly. It also depends on your lactate threshold at that cadence.

In your case the lower cadence is efficient for your fitness level.

sandbag

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

sandbag wrote:

Pedaling with a too-low cadence increases reliance on fast twitch fibers, causing premature lactic acid accumulation, which makes your legs burn.

More myths of cycling being perpetuated.

Fibre type recruitment is a function of power (or intended effort), not cadence. If fast twitch fibres really were being substantially recruited at low cadences, we would fatigue far more quickly than we do, since FT fibres fatigue very quickly. But plenty of riders can pedal at low cadences for hours on end.

I meant to say low cadence in a high gear. The harder pedaling uses the fast twitch fibers, which get used up quickly, the same effect as ascending a hill.

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

"Lactic acid" or more properly blood lactate, which while it does accumulate at high intensities, does not cause the burning sensation we feel. Correlation is not the same as causation. Suggest reading up on the "lactic acid myth"..

Thank you, i stand corrected. If lactate released by ATP is really a fuel. It is still very much a grey area, and nobody knows whats truly going on, but a common theme is when something is truly wrong in the body, there is fatigue, pain. The fact remains whatever the chemical cause, doing regular high intensity, improves the threshold to perform better for longer.

During moderate-intensity exercise, most of the carbohydrate that is broken down for energy is processed aerobically and produces no lactate. But at high intensities, a second pathway the lactate pathway ramps up, giving the muscle two parallel pathways to release energy aerobically at very high rates to keep up with the muscles energy demands. In this second pathway, glycogen or glucose is broken down to lactate without oxygen, and then lactate is broken down to carbon dioxide and water with oxygen.

High levels of intracellular lactate that arise during intense exercise stimulate some of the beneficial fitness adaptations that occur in response to such training. Specifically, high lactate concentrations trigger the production of free radicals that upregulate a variety of genes. Some of these genes govern mitochondrial biogenesis. So it appears that intracellular lactate accumulation during intense exercise stimulates the muscle cell to produce more mitochondria, thus enhancing its ability to burn lactate (and other fuels) in future workouts.

Alex_Simmons/RST

sandbag wrote:

I meant to say low cadence in a high gear. The harder pedaling uses the fast twitch fibers, which get used up quickly, the same effect as ascending a hill.

Not really.

The activation of FT fibres is more a matter of how close you are to your maximal pedal force-pedal speed curve, no matter if you're on the flat or climbing.

When climbing up a hill in a larger than normal gear, unless going very hard, like sprinting or an effort you could maintain for only a short time, then the pedal forces/speeds are still relatively low and FT fibre recruitment is still pretty modest.

That's one reason why "big gear training" is a myth. If it works, it's because of the power you are riding at, not the gear/cadence. IOW, just ride up the hill at the same power/speed in a normal gear.

Here's a handy little item on the topic, worth a read:
http://home.earthlink.net/~acoggan/setraining/

sandbag wrote:

The fact remains whatever the chemical cause, doing regular high intensity, improves the threshold to perform better for longer.

Aye, it does (if done in the right doses).

freehub

I seem to pedal in a harder gear, makes me go faster with less effort for me, when I pedal at a high cadence I just feel I'm slowing down whilst at the same time getting tired out. So to sum it up pushing more force I find easier.