Mr. Silver is a cyclist!

[Mr. Bloom]

I don't know if this is relevant:

My inseam is 29", my thigh circumference is 23", my calf circumference is 16"

I don't know what the stats are, but my guess is that my legs are fairly strong and evenly muscular (yes, I have tear drops above my knees)...they're simply short.

While the rest of my body is flabby, I'm hoping that leg strength matters in protecting my knees.

BUT, I hear enough push back on this to know that I can't ignore the issue.

[mimitabby]

My son is a masher too. But he's young yet and can get away with murder.
he is amazing going up a hill on a fixed gear bike.

I think you can train yourself to spin more, but to an extent, you're always going to tend towards mashing if you are one... so with this knowledge, you
can improve and i'm sure it will be just great.
Congrats on the new bike. I hope i get one soon. as soon as i figure out what it is that I want.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Is it just me who has noted the terrible irony of finding out that our own Mr.Silver is actually a MASHER?!
Or is the term so old nobody remembers it anymore? (feeling older by the minute...)

[Wahine]

Since this thread has already been thoroughly highjacked...

Mashing will tend a person toward muscle imbalances, unless you have a very clean pedal stroke. Most mashers do not. That's why it's called mashing and not just slow cadence, it looks like they are mashing down on the pedals.

Yes, men have stronger connective tissue and can take higher stress loads because of it but eventually, even the strongest joint will break down under enough repeated stress. The other advantage that men have is the alignment of their femurs (thigh bone) relative to the pelvis, this allows them to get away with muscle imbalances longer before they experience pain around the patella (knee cap). The alignment changes the way the force from the quads is delivered through the patella.

But the most telling factor, IMO, is the relationship between cadence and intra-articular pressures (pressure inside the joint). As candence goes up, intra-articular pressure goes down, drastically. So, higher cadence, less pressure on the cartilage, less microtrauma that leads to nasty things like osteoarthritis in our old age. Having said that, if you're spinning above 70 RPM, the joint forces are pretty low anyway. Below 70 is not good for long term joint health.

Hope that helps.

PS - Congratulations on the weight loss and the riding.

[Mr. Bloom]

Is it just me who has noted the terrible irony of finding out that our own Mr.Silver is actually a MASHER?!
Or is the term so old nobody remembers it anymore? (feeling older by the minute...)

Lisa, Tell me more I won't be offended

I've looked at some old posts on the topic and maybe it will be easier once I get real cycling shoes. I've been using strap cages on SilverSon's bike, and I now see where that may contribute...

Ironically, Fred at the bike shop says that people tend toward mashing as they age..which intrigued me.

[Mr. Bloom]

I looked it up on dictionary.com

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