Originally Posted by
GirlAnachronism
All very good advice, but why must they be done on your road bike? Last year I injured my elbow and was unable to reach the bars on my bike, so I spent some time on the horrible stationary bike at the gym. As soon as I got back onto my road bike the first thing I noticed was that my average cadence shot way up and I felt much more comfortable spinning much faster (and this after a few years on fixed gears!).
Also, I don't believe that fixed gears do much for your pedal stroke.
You do what you gotta do. The drills really don't have to be done on a road bike, I just think that's more effective and safer. More effective because spin bikes and stationaries normally don't have a freewheel, so you don't learn the correct firing sequence. Safer because you're less apt to get RSI on your own, properly fitted bike. And I "misspoke myself" when I said the drills are easier on rollers or a trainer. I should have said "more convenient and more effective." The drills are physically easier on the road because your momentum on the road is much greater than the momentum of just your rims on rollers. Could that account for your gym/road experience? I agree about fixies. Keeping a tight chain is what improves your pedalling.