spinning

[crc]

Can someone please explain what it means when someone says "spinning"? I know it has to do with cadence, but I don't fully understand what it means.

[OakLeaf]

No specific cadence, just a high one. I guess I'd consider 100 rpm+ to be spinning normally, but it could be as low as 80 on a steep climb.

[rebeccaC]

Cadence is rpm, 'spinning' is using a higher cadence/rpm while in an easier gear compared to 'mashing' which is using a lower cadence in a harder gear. Spinning provides for less resistance to your leg muscles while mashing means using more muscle force. A persons spinning cadence can depend on their fitness and comfort levels. Spinning can make your climbing more efficient and it can be a good cardiovascular workout when you want that for training.

Personally I can vary my cadence for changes in gradient, road conditions, wind, fatigue etc rather than trying to maintain any particular cadence. On a climb if I feel my legs getting a little tired or i feel the need to conserve some energy on a long climb I’ll spin more for a while to reduce the strain on my leg muscles and energy. If my legs feel strong I’ll push a harder gear. I go by what my body is telling me and the rhythm that I feel comfortable with in the moment.


downhills on a fixie is good spinning training < mischievous smile

[OakLeaf]

downhills on a fixie is good spinning training

Safer, not to mention more accessible to people who don't already own fixies, are downhill intervals on a freewheel bike - put it in a low gear and spin fast enough just to keep tension on the chain, and the freehub from freewheeling, as you roll downhill and gradually accelerate. So you're basically doing the same thing you'd be doing on a fixed gear bike, but without the disastrous consequences if you run out of steam.

Cadence intervals on rollers are a great way to smooth out your pedal stroke at high RPM, and to get a good cardio workout on rollers. Winter's coming in a lot of the northern hemisphere .... Back in the day I did one minute repeats with one minute recoveries in a ladder format - increasing cadence by 10 RPM each repeat until I got to a cadence I couldn't hold without bouncing, then back down to normal cadence in 10 RPM increments.


But you only asked what spinning is, not how to get good at it.

Complicating matters is that Spinning™ is a trademarked system of indoor bikes and instructor training.

[crc]

I understand that increasing your cadence helps with your endurance, but won't shifting down to practice spinning make you slower? In the long run I guess it will help you get faster with stronger muscles.

[lph]

I think the idea is to build technique before adding power. Once you can hold a higher cadence without bouncing around you can start adding the strength to get faster. Besides, being able to spin, or in general have a wider array of cadence to use is probably useful in itself.

[OakLeaf]

Try it and let us know how your groin and adductor muscles feel the next day.

[rebeccaC]

I think the idea is to build technique before adding power. Once you can hold a higher cadence without bouncing around you can start adding the strength to get faster. Besides, being able to spin, or in general have a wider array of cadence to use is probably useful in itself.

As you develop a fluid pedal stroke with both push and pulling and especially build strength endurance you’ll be able to spin in bigger gears and increase power output. Wasn't it Merckx who when asked if it was better technique to mash a big gear or spin a small gear, said 'Its better to spin a big gear.'

[crc]

Wasn't it Merckx who when asked if it was better technique to mash a big gear or spin a small gear, said 'Its better to spin a big gear.'

Thanks for the advice, I will start trying to increase my cadence as soon as possible.

[OakLeaf]

That's not necessarily the way you want to approach it. Everyone has a most efficient natural cadence, and it's not the same for everyone. It's probably true that most new cyclists pedal well below their most efficient cadence, but without knowing your current default cadence it's hard to tell. Then there are the high cadence drills that we were talking about, which are intended to improve pedaling technique, but are done for short intervals at a cadence much higher than you'd sustain for any period of time. I guarantee you NOBODY, from commuter to pro, goes around pedaling at 160 or 170 rpm all the time!!

Start with the drills first. Learning to ride at a very high cadence for short intervals will help you feel more comfortable, and be more efficient, when/if you push the cadence on your tempo, recovery or recreational efforts.

What's your usual everyday cadence now? Is there something you're training for in particular? Different cadences can be most efficient for different events, too.

[ny biker]

Thanks for the advice, I will start trying to increase my cadence as soon as possible.

I'm wondering what you're trying to accomplish. What's wrong with your cadence now?