Question about pedalling.

To be truthful, I have more than one question, so here goes:

I am pretty inexperienced and have been told by husband that I should set my gears so that I am pedalling at least 90 revolutions/minute, preferably higher. I think he may have gleaned that info from some cycling magazines. I tend to feel more comfortable when I'm applying a bit of pressure to the pedal. Pedalling air is frustrating and more tiring for me.

What revs should I be doing? Also, if I pedal harder, what muscle development should I expect to see? Is there a difference to muscle development when doing higher revs? (i.e. pedalling air)

I think my calves have filled out a little - even though I have only done about 700 kms in 10 months. I guess the terrain ridden has a great impact too. My riding has been on fairly flat roads.

If I were you I would just keep riding, and keep in my mind that it is "generally" better to be in a gear where you are not pushing hard against each stroke, but rather riding more smoothly -and that would just naturally be a lower gear with faster pedaling.
Faster lighter pedaling ("spinning") is a better aerobic workout.
Myself, I wouldn't be officially timing any of it though- takes all the fun out biking for me! ;) After a bunch of riding you start to get a feel of when you want to push it and when you want to spin.

If you don't already, you might consider getting a bike computer with a cadence moniter. No need to be a slave to it, but I found that it greatly improved my shifting -- when you see your cadence drop (or rise) significantly it's a good cue to shift, even if you feel like you **could** just muscle through it. You'll be able to go farther and not get as tired, and it will put less stress on your knees. As far as ranges go, I think you have to determine for yourself what is comfortable and I imagine there is individual variation. For me, my cadence is almost always around 90 on the flats, I try not to drop too much below 70 on hills unless they are real killers, and at anything much over 100 I feel like I'm "pedaling air" as you say, and not getting enough power from each stroke.

As far as muscle development goes -- my legs were already fairly lean and muscular from running (and years of ballet and cross-country ski racing when I was younger), but by the end of the summer last year (my first season cycling), I could see parts of my quads I never knew existed. I think it's a little like running; in the same way that sprinting builds power and running long distances builds muscular endurance, mashing will tend to develop short-twitch muscles while spinning probably does a better job training long-twitch muscles. If you want both try spinning up hills :eek: .

Good luckl :)

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Originally Posted by Laterider21958

To be truthful, I have more than one question, so here goes:

I am pretty inexperienced and have been told by husband that I should set my gears so that I am pedalling at least 90 revolutions/minute, preferably higher. I think he may have gleaned that info from some cycling magazines. I tend to feel more comfortable when I'm applying a bit of pressure to the pedal. Pedalling air is frustrating and more tiring for me.

What revs should I be doing? Also, if I pedal harder, what muscle development should I expect to see? Is there a difference to muscle development when doing higher revs? (i.e. pedalling air)

I think my calves have filled out a little - even though I have only done about 700 kms in 10 months. I guess the terrain ridden has a great impact too. My riding has been on fairly flat roads.

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Your husband is correct that 90 rpm is the standard "ideal" cadence, but it really does come down to individual preference. Uusally that's somewhere between 70 to 100 rpm. I tend to hover around the 90 rpm-mark myself, although there are times that I purposefully pedal faster or slower than that.

One purpose behind spinning versus "mashing," i.e., pushing through a big gear, is that it allows you to balance leg strength and aerobic capacity. Mashing will wear out your legs too fast, especially on a ride of any length. You also run the risk of hurting your knees. I would suggest that if you feel like you're straining to turn over the pedals, you need to gear up to an easier gear.

Another thing to remember if speed is an issue for you, is that you can often go faster spinning at a higher rate in an easier gear than you can spinning at a lower rate in a harder gear. Riding at a good cadence, then, helps a cyclist become faster and more efficient.

Pushing bigger gears will build up your leg and butt muscles a bit more, but after months of tough spinning classes, I will tell you that it won't be as dramatic as you might hope. If you want to develop leg muscles, you're better off IMO doing some weight training and using the bike for your cardio.

I agree with Lisa that you shouldn't get too worked up about your cadence, but that said, a smooth, consistent spin and pedal stroke is one of the hallmarks of a good cyclist. I would also note that spinning at 90 rpm with the "right" gear shouldn't feel like "pedalling through air." It does take some pressure on the pedals to do that. It's hard to describe what I mean by the "right" gear but, for me, it's essentially a gear where I can comfortably get up to 90, but not too comfortably.

Finally, I would note that while some people find it really easy from the start to consistently pedal at 90 rpm, others have to work up to it.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Another thing to remember if speed is an issue for you, is that you can often go faster spinning at a higher rate in an easier gear than you can spinning at a lower rate in a harder gear. Riding at a good cadence, then, helps a cyclist become faster and more efficient.

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I don't have a cadence monitor (but I do have a computer) and this forum has openly discussed and cautioned me against my tendency to "mashing".

What I'm finding is that when I adjust my gears to maximum "efficiency" (meaning best speed with the same effort), it seems to be good for me.

When I shift too high or too low, either my speed falls off or I'm having to work too hard.

Is this a valid rule of thumb? Does anyone else look at it this way?

My personal preference cadance is usually 80-85 on flats. I do not think this is considered mashing. There is a slight resistance but I am pretty much spinning. If I have a wind against me I will bring it up a notch and then my cadance might be 85-90.

~ JoAnn

Mr. Silver,

That is exactly what I do. I have a candence monitor but rarely use it - I go by feel & shift up/down accordingly. I know what 90 rpms feels like and I do keep that general cadence, but I don't worry about the number, I worry about the feel & effort.

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Originally Posted by Laterider21958

To be truthful, I have more than one question, so here goes:

I am pretty inexperienced and have been told by husband that I should set my gears so that I am pedalling at least 90 revolutions/minute, preferably higher. I think he may have gleaned that info from some cycling magazines. I tend to feel more comfortable when I'm applying a bit of pressure to the pedal. Pedalling air is frustrating and more tiring for me.

What revs should I be doing? Also, if I pedal harder, what muscle development should I expect to see? Is there a difference to muscle development when doing higher revs? (i.e. pedalling air)

I think my calves have filled out a little - even though I have only done about 700 kms in 10 months. I guess the terrain ridden has a great impact too. My riding has been on fairly flat roads.

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if 90 feels too fast for you then: 1) just ride more at that cadence until it becomes comfortable. Or 2) shift to a harder gear so you get resistance. i know that sounds too simple but it's really not that complicated.

just because your legs are moving fast does not mean you don't apply power to the pedals. if you aren't pushing then you basically are just pedalling air.

in order to get real muscle development enough to notice, you would have to do muscle tension intervals (i.e. 1x10 min @ 50-60 rpms, usually around a Zone 3-type effort). but pedalling at 80 rpms won't really do anything in terms of "making your legs look bigger" and all that jazz.

the difference in cadence between riding at 80 rpms vs. 95 rpms boils down to personal perference. that, though, is comprised of what's comfortable to you, how much training you have under your belt, muscle fiber composition, and bike fit.

Mr. Silver, it sounds like you have it right to me. I do have a cadence monitor and found it helpful when I first started riding. I refer to it less now, having developed a good feel for my preferred gearing and spin. However, since I can display two functions at one time, e.g., speed and cadence, I tend to have it "on." I like to keep an eye on it when I'm climbing because I still don't have a great feel for the ideal gearing for that.

Interestingly, my preferred gear range has expanded since the end of last year. I still find myself using the same gears as last year and spinning at (or slighty above) my usual rate, but I'm also using some bigger gears and comfortably spinning them around 85 rpm. My average speeds are up and I think it's just a matter of time before I'm spinning those bigger gears at 90-95rpm. All those spin classes are paying off.

you might just need to be a gear or two harder. that's all.

it's a common misconception that fast cadence = light pressure/no effort/no power onto the pedals. this is absolutely false.

200 watts @ 80 rpms wastes a lot more energy than 200 watts @ 95 rpms. everybody above already explained why. high cadence is more efficient.

My experience is that when I started riding a year ago I was pedaling at around 60 rpms - typical for a brand new rider. I now pedal around 80-85 rpms comfortably. You get used to it. Pedaling in a lower gear and higher cadence is definitely less tiring, especially when doing longer distances - but you'll get there. If you don't have a cadence monitor, you can just count how many times your foot goes past 6 O'Clock for 30 seconds and multiple by 2. that's your rpm. Experience what feels right for you for now- later when you've ridden more, try an easier gear with a little faster pace - but most of all, have fun. I try not to turn my riding into a stressful event full of "shoulds". It all comes in time if you stick with it. At least that's how it is so far with me. :rolleyes:

I have a cadence monitor, but i rarely use it. I am a natural spinner, so that isn't hard for me. But, I do find it hard to average 90 on the flats. I might be doing 90-100 at times, but my usual average cadence is about 75-85. Of course, every ride I do ends with a monster hill, so the average cadence is down. I tend to use the easiest gear I can, where i am still feeling resistance. Last fall I started using the big ring a lot more on flats. While it allows me to get my speed up while I draft my husband, it immediately hurts my knees. I could probably ride and NEVER use the big ring because of this, but I make myself.
I find that if I leave my computer on cadence while I am riding, I obsess on it and then it's not fun. Same with my HR monitor. I use them both for indoor training, but once I get outside, I want to enjoy myself. I seem to be able to guess quite accurately when my av. cadence is up or down from the usual.

I wouldn't worry too much about cadence now. Spin at a rate that feels natural to you.

Concentrate more on you pedalling technique. Try to even out your power through one full rotation. You shouldn't be bouncing up and down in your seat just to maintain a high cadence. Or mash the gears.

ONe quick way to know if you are mashing or not is have some one look at your upper body. If your upper body "pumps" up/down with each down stroke then you're probably mashing. If your body pumps down toward your left when your left pedal is on the down stroke (same on the right side) then you're probably mashing. Your upper body will be fairly "quiet" if you have a clean pedalling action. power into the cranks at the top-down-bottom-up stroke. Once you learn to do this without thinking about it, your endourance, and speed will improve significantly.

just ride a lot and enjoy your ride.
Shawn

Hi again,

Thanks for all the valuable info.

I have a very basic time/speed/trip/counter type computer on my bike. I think that I am riding in a reasonably efficient manner. I have found that the more I ride, the more I am getting a feel for the gear that suits me in different situations. Have tried to count revolutions and I think I am riding around the 90/minute (perhaps slightly less) mark most of the time. On assessing body positon and movement, I don't think I am mashing, as my riding is smooth and I am not aware of any jerking body movement. I think I am more likely to jerk when I have less resistance. When I began riding I was not able to comfortably use the gears I currently use now. I guess that is an indicator of muscle develpment somewhere!

Lots of good discussion here about cadence and rythym

If you can keep your knees tucked in as you pedal, you will find this helps with the smoothness of your stroke too.
:)

90 has always been fast for me. I'd suggest to hubby that 80 is in the "normal range" :-) I'm sure some people are happy with 100.