graywolf

I thought I might say something about seat/bottem-bracket relationships. No, not that kind of relationship!

Folks are so into racing type bicycles today that many have never ridden a roadster type bicycle much if at all, so they do not realize your body works in an entirely different way on the two different types. As you lean forward and move you feet back the load moves down the legs and depends upon spinning to supply power. As you sit more upright and your feet move forward you use your back to supply power at a slower cadence. If you want to get technical spinning gives higher horsepower while pushing gives higher torque.

In Donna's case she moved the seat and handlebars back so almost automatically slowed her cadence. What she may not have discovered is that she can now use a higher gear and get most of her speed back. The spinners are always telling you that using too high a gear or standing can damage your knees. What the do not realize is that their bike layout is causing that. They have to use the muscles in the front of the thigh and caves, so put tremendous pressure on the knee when they use too high a gear. The pusher with the seat farther back uses the muscles in the back and back of the thigh putting much less pressure on the knee, and pedaling standing up is almost like climbing a stair you are using your weight to move the bike.

There is one advantage to spinning in that seat forward position, it is mostly aerobic so you can do it for a long time. The pusher position is more like lifting weights and uses block muscle that tires quickly.