Ok guys - just to add to the cadence debate, most people recognise that spinning in a high gear is the way to go, rather than mashing your knees to bits on big gears, but while you're all out there practising spinning, it's worth remembering those big gears are still there.

High cadence is great but it can take a while to get use to, so if you're ever flagging it's sometimes worth changing into a 'harder' gear for a little while so you can keep the speed the same but use a slower cadence to give your legs a rest.

I find this is really usefull, especially towards the end of a ride when my legs are tired, it's sometimes easier to slow the legs down for a little while, then carry on at your usual cadence.

Eg I'm ususally at about 85-95rpm, but sometimes switch to 65-75 for short 5 mins or so.

Just my experience...