Does it qualify as mashing if...

[Crankin]

I've done plenty of mashing in my granniest of granny gears. Some of the places I ride are similar to the area around Lisa's home. I *try* to spin up in the beginning of a long or hard climb, but I could never be spinning at 100 rpm! My usual cadence is around 80-85 and I am sure I get down to 50 or 60 on some of the 15-20% climbs around here. I just did one of those on Sunday and on the hardest part, I was mashing and praying I would make it. Like Lisa, my average goes way down on those kind of rides and I don't care. When I saw your average, Mr. Silver, on a century with 8500 feet of climbing, I was astounded. I can make it up those climbs, but I am simply turning the pedals over and not thinking about anything except getting up the hill. Trying to go fast on steep grades just isn't going to happen for me. I can and have improved my climbing speed on shorter or less steep climbs, but at a certain point, I can't do more. I just don't have the strength.
At one point, I almost got a compact double. Shortly after that, I got my new bike and ended up changing out the 11-25 to an 11-27. I am really glad I have a triple...

[Mr. Bloom]

My usual cadence is around 80-85 and I am sure I get down to 50 or 60 on some of the 15-20% climbs around here.

My average cadence on the flats was 68 last year.

While my cadence counter isn't working right now, I still find that if I spin too much, my knees really, really hurt. By guess is that my average cadence on the flats is still at best in the low 80's

[Melalvai]

She had a couple lower gears than you most likely.

Or even just a smaller granny gear. I was struggling up a hill and another guy chatting away at me because he'd just gotten his 12-tooth granny hill (for hauling a loaded trailer which he did not have at that time). I don't have a 12-tooth yet, but I did replace my chainrings recently and specifically requested mountain-bike-type so that my smallest chainring would be smaller than it had been. I don't care about the biggest one, I can always count on gravity to get me down a hill. I sure love that small one.

[bluebug32]

Not too many flats around here. Lots of beautiful rolling hills everywhere, and some good hard climbs. Maybe that's 'one' of the reasons my average speed is so low....

That's my excuse too! I hit a 20%+ grade the other day and briefly considered moving closer to my family in Indiana and Illinois.

I ride with a guy who insists that the only way to get stronger is to push up these monster hills in his big ring. He looks like he's about to topple over and is usually slumped over his bars by the top. I love spinning right past him...

[SouthernBelle]

I hate it when it looks like I'll have a good average speed and the hills mess it up.

Mr. S, do you need a new battery in your cadence thingie?

[kelownagirl]

My average cadence on the flats was 68 last year.

While my cadence counter isn't working right now, I still find that if I spin too much, my knees really, really hurt. By guess is that my average cadence on the flats is still at best in the low 80's

My knees hurt if my cadence is too low! My avg cadence is about between 85-90, and that's with hills, without hills it's around 95. Just call me Lance. (well, only as far as cadence goes, lol)

[smilingcat]

Back to the original question. is it mashing if you are in your lowest gear? No.
and does cadence have anything do with mashing again? No.

Only time I would consider "mashing" is if you are only pushing down the pedals, forgetting to push forward at the top, sweeping your foot backward at the bottom and pulling up on the back side, then ITS mashing.

Your cadence could drop to 30 but if you are putting energy into the pedal most of the way around then its not mashing.

On a steep hill, I will stand up and allow my body weight to push the pedal down; but, I do use my other leg to pull up on the pedal. I skip the pushing and sweeping when I stand up so my muscles can take a short 10-20 second break. sometimes bit longer. And sometimes I do add the pushing part. My lowest gear combo is ony 39/26?? on the road bike (tt is 39/21 or 23) so when the hill gets to be 12% or more I have to stand.

Standing does use up more of your energy but sometimes its necessary to recover your regular pedalling muscles. or if the hills are too steep for your gearing.

not to fear, you are pedalling just fine.
Smilingcat

[RoadRaven]

Well said, Mistress Cat

It can absolutely "feel" like mashing when you are trying to get up the hill, but in your lowest gears, its not.

I mash in races - particulalrly in time trials, I am trying to teach myself to spin cause it should be better on my body, but I mash cause at the moment thats faster - big chain ring, big gears, powering along at a relatively slow cadence.

I also mash in races with hills, where I try to get over a hill climb without dropping into low gears so I can increase speed rapidly as I crest and start to descend. Its a grind, but it works.

Headwinds always make me feel like I am mashing - sometimes I am, sometimes I am just trying to go forward in my lowest gear

[Mr. Bloom]

Your cadence could drop to 30 but if you are putting energy into the pedal most of the way around then its not mashing.

Hmmm...I never ever understood it that way...so, I guess that makes me feel better.

Ironically, my knees hurt at a higher cadence, so I've felt "strange" for feeling like I needed a slower cadence...but also consider that my legs are pretty strong which I think favors slower cadence IMHO

[RoadRaven]

Ironically, my knees hurt at a higher cadence,

My partner was told by many his cadence was too slow - so he tried real hard to "spin" more - but he just ends up making his knees hurt. So has a slower cadence than many of those he races against, but thats ok - he won a national title and a gold medal last year and aims to defend it this year with the cadence he uses.

Many will say to use a high cadence, and logically it is the right thing to do - particularly if you want to increase speed... but ultimately, you need to find the cadence and style that fits you best.

[Mr. Bloom]

but thats ok - he won a national title and a gold medal last year and aims to defend it this year with the cadence he uses

FREE at LAST - I'm FREE at LAST. Free from the fear of slow cadence!

Seriously: I've struggled with the concern that in my comfort with slower cadence that i'm inflicting long term damage. I suppose that it is still possible for any one of a number or reasons, but not something I should be overly concerned of.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

FREE at LAST - I'm FREE at LAST. Free from the fear of slow cadence!

Seriously: I've struggled with the concern that in my comfort with slower cadence that i'm inflicting long term damage. I suppose that it is still possible for any one of a number or reasons, but not something I should be overly concerned of.

Slower cadence does not necessarily mean mashing. Two different things.

[Mr. SR500]

I'm a classic masher, but as I ride more, and get faster, my cadence picks up. I'll still average 70 - 74 rpm for a ride, regardless of length, but I try harder to spin up hills, and in a fast paceline I might spin as high as 105 - 110. I shoot for 90 rpm, but occasionally spin faster, partly because I run a compact.

[OakLeaf]

Well, average counts any time you're coasting, too - downhills, when you're just hanging out talking with someone, softpedaling in a paceline. I just got a computer that logs average cadence last week, so I don't have a lot of data, but I do know that on the flats I'm almost always between 95 and 105 unless there's a stiff headwind and I'm either solo or taking long pulls. But the last four rides I've done in hill country my average has been 81-89.

[SouthernBelle]

I thought about this thread this morning after I finished off my nemesis hill. It's the one with a 20+% grade.

Before I finished I was mashing, stomping, whatever I could do to get to the top.