Big mashy of small gear spinny

DonDaddyD

Due to ankle complaints I spent last week spinning in a light gear (high 60 early 70s gear inch) and spining my way to 20mph.

Prior to this I was always trying to up my inches to the mid 80s and achieve the same speed.

I think the bigger gear is responsible for my own increased (relative to my previous amout of) power.

What effect should spinning the small gear high revolutions have on me?

_Brun_

It will make your feet dizzy.

Clever Pun

fitness.. increased heartrate etc

plus if you can spin for ages you can then up the gears now and then to achieve some good speed

rolf_f

Less long term knee damage probably!

scottgeniusltd2005

i have often wondered about this. mashing less revolutions but more compression of the knee joint? spinning less knee compressing but more revolutions.

like smashing a rock, a few big hits or lots of little chips, same results?

itboffin

On the weekends social ride I noticed attica pushing out 80-90 rpm whilst I was 110+ both doing the same speed and of course over the same terrain, it's true that he was riding a triple "girl" and I on a compact so our gear selection would be different.

BJ is the one to ask about riding using your GI, I seem to remember him having a small print out on his top tube.

il_principe

Depends on your style are you LA or JU! I use both, but go spinny for climbing otherwise my lower back gets very sore. I'm sure that pushing a 50x16 on my SS has helped my power but on long rides I find that unsustainable, IME Spinny = stamina, but everyone's different.

DonDaddyD

I think I'm going to spin for a large part of this year see where that gets me.

I don't naturally 'spin' at high rpm's so I think I'm going to add this to my development.

cjcp

I tend go with what feels like a natural pedal stroke. Too fast, and my hips start to bob and rock. Too big a gear, and I look as if I'm pedalling squares. On the flat, this usually means a 53 gear; on the hills, I'm seated and in the 39. Often depends on how the legs feel on a particular day, too.

Bassjunkieuk

itboffin wrote:

BJ is the one to ask about riding using your GI, I seem to remember him having a small print out on his top tube.

I've taken that off now as I've settled into one preferred gear (about 74GI) and just change as the terrain or a scalping opportunity dictates!

I think my preferred style is to ride slightly mashy i.e I like to feel some resistance to my pedaling in general, but I'm also trying out spinny for climbing

Headhuunter

cjcp wrote:

I tend go with what feels like a natural pedal stroke. Too fast, and my hips start to bob and rock. Too big a gear, and I look as if I'm pedalling squares. On the flat, this usually means a 53 gear; on the hills, I'm seated and in the 39. Often depends on how the legs feel on a particular day, too.

Yeah, I agree, I just stick it in whatever gear feels comfortable. Never had a cadence meter so not sure how many RPM I usually do

rolf_f

Headhuunter wrote:

Yeah, I agree, I just stick it in whatever gear feels comfortable. Never had a cadence meter so not sure how many RPM I usually do

You don't need a cadence meter for that

gaz545

i like to spiny, my average RPM is normally over 100. and my max sometimes around 160rpm. fairly easy to keep speed up.
Although i like to go from around 40rpm to 140rpm in one gear. it always feel good out accelerating someone when in a bigger gear. they take the lead but you quickly take it back.

markp2

I think it is down to personal build. Eack of my legs must weigh 25kg each so the inertia involved in my feet changing direction 280 times a minute is considerable. If you are a skinny lightweight, greater pedalling speed is easier to do.
My normal cadence is in the 70-90rpm range, only below or above this when going up or down steepish hills.

always_tyred

You will wear out your shorts more quickly.

itboffin

DonDaddyD wrote:

I think I'm going to spin for a large part of this year see where that gets me.

I don't naturally 'spin' at high rpm's so I think I'm going to add this to my development.

I was thinking about this on the way in this morning and have decided to grind in - spin out actually makes no difference to the journey time, I find its a nice balance.

That will all go out the window come the summer and I start taking the really hilly commute. :?

Bassjunkieuk

itboffin wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I think I'm going to spin for a large part of this year see where that gets me.

I don't naturally 'spin' at high rpm's so I think I'm going to add this to my development.

I was thinking about this on the way in this morning and have decided to grind in - spin out actually makes no difference to the journey time, I find its a nice balance.

That will all go out the window come the summer and I start taking the really hilly commute. :?

You planning on going Waterloo > Kings Cross via Tower Hill then

itboffin

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

itboffin wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I think I'm going to spin for a large part of this year see where that gets me.

I don't naturally 'spin' at high rpm's so I think I'm going to add this to my development.

I was thinking about this on the way in this morning and have decided to grind in - spin out actually makes no difference to the journey time, I find its a nice balance.

That will all go out the window come the summer and I start taking the really hilly commute. :?

You planning on going Waterloo > Kings Cross via Tower Hill then

KOM eat your heart out

tailwindhome

It may seem weird but I think you are in the right gear when you are no longer aware that you are pedalling. Think TDF domestique on a long flat stage.

Badly put maybe, but think about it.

nwallace

WheezyMcChubby wrote:

It may seem weird but I think you are in the right gear when you are no longer aware that you are pedalling.

Downhill

Bugly

beetween 90 and 94 rpm is most comfortable for me I feel a little bouncy on the saddle when I get to 120 or so. Less then that feels uncomfortable with any pressure on the pedals. I guess I change down when cadence drops below 90 and up when above 100.

DonDaddyD

So last night I set upon my task of spinny instead of mashy.

I rode down Kings way, that was fine. Over Wimbledon bridge, the reduced speed was getting to me but all was good.

Turn right towards Lambeth North tube and then over the crossing onto Kennington Road. Jesus Christ, did every cyclist have wheatabix for lunch?

Hybrids were touching 25mph. Road bikes a tad faster. There was a group ahead of me, feet a blur and cars surprisingly giving way while they flew up the road, through Clapham and Balham.

Me? I'm in the big ring and somewhere in the middle to lower regions of my rear cassette, my pride had won out and my spinny intentions had turned into a full on stomp-fest.

My fastest commute home. And my cycle computer? It's telling me I topped out at 30.3mph.

Sewinman

I wonder how sustainable mashing is? All well and good on a commute but surely bound to lead to problems on long rides. Not tried it - so cant say really.

DonDaddyD

Essentially when I say mashing I mean spinning a bigger gear (primarily in the big ring) at slower revs.

One of the things I've found is that a similar gear inch in the smaller ring (but lower rear cog) is arguably easier to sustain than being in the big ring and in a high/mid range rear cog.

Discuss/dispute.

Slow1972

DonDaddyD wrote:

One of the things I've found is that a similar gear inch in the smaller ring (but lower rear cog) is arguably easier to sustain than being in the big ring and in a high/mid range rear cog.

Discuss/dispute.

If the gear inch is the same and your cadence is the same it shouldnt make any difference to how you feel whether you are achieving that gear length with the big ring or the small one, your legs are doing the same amount of work to achieve the same speed in either combo. Any perceived difference should only be because of an actual difference in gear size.

tailwindhome

DonDaddyD wrote:

One of the things I've found is that a similar gear inch in the smaller ring (but lower rear cog) is arguably easier to sustain than being in the big ring and in a high/mid range rear cog.

Discuss/dispute.

I don't dispute that this is your experience

I find the opposite to be true

BIg Ring - Mid Cog rolls better than Small Ring Small Cog


Someone somewhere is working themselves into a fit of rage that you would even consider being in the Small Ring - Small Cog combo

Won't someone think of the chain!!!!!

DonDaddyD

How's that work?

Small ring and small cogs are closer to a straight line than big ring small cogs.

tailwindhome

DonDaddyD wrote:

How's that work?

Small ring and small cogs are closer to a straight line than big ring small cogs.

I think you'll find they're not

Eau Rouge

I tend to ride with an RPM in the 80's, which I gather is fairly "mashy". Downhill I've been over 100rpm, but I can't imagine doing that on the flat or all ride long. It feels very wierd to me.

Whatever rpm you do, I would have thought the best gear to be in would be one that gives you a few options either side of your current gear to handle those gentle little gradient/surface/wind direction changes easily. If your at the top or bottom of the cassette you have to change front and back just to change 1 gear ratio, which is a bit of a faf.

DonDaddyD

WheezyMcChubby wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

How's that work?

Small ring and small cogs are closer to a straight line than big ring small cogs.

I think you'll find they're not

Dude.

The smaller cogs at the front/bottom of the cassette (the last three) will offer a straighter line when you are in the smaller front rings (the middle) on my crankset.

I have 8 speeds.

tailwindhome

DonDaddyD wrote:

WheezyMcChubby wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

How's that work?

Small ring and small cogs are closer to a straight line than big ring small cogs.

I think you'll find they're not

Dude.

The smaller cogs at the front/bottom of the cassette (the last three) will offer a straighter line when you are in the smaller front rings (the middle) on my crankset.

I have 8 speeds.

Didn't consider the granny factor

However I still think you're wrong. (ish)

The smallest cog must be more in line with the biggest chain ring than the middle chain ring.

Not sure about each bigger cog. Though there will be a point were the line is straighter to the middle ring.