Is it better to pedal downhill or use that time to save your energy?
06-01-10, 04:43 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 346
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Is it better to pedal downhill or use that time to save your energy?
Is it better to pedal downhill or use that time to save your enegy? I do 20-30 mph going downhill by not pedaling so I see no point in pedaling downhill.
06-01-10, 04:50 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Mountain View, CA
Posts: 1,257
Bikes: 2012 Scott CR1 Comp
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I do it at intervals on a long descent just to keep my legs moving so they get a chance to flush all the lactic acid out. Not enough to actually apply more speed, just free spinning, really. If I do a long descent and don't pedal, my legs stiffen up by the time I get to the bottom.
06-01-10, 05:54 PM
#4
Banned
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 28,387
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac SL2, Specialized Tarmac SL, Giant TCR Composite, Specialized StumpJumper Expert HT
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
What deep_sky said, but it also depends on your goals. If your goal is to do the whole ride quickly, you want to still pedal but not at full effort. Maybe like 80-90% of your effort on the flats. You said you are doing 20-30 coasting but maybe you could be doing 30-45 pedaling. Also you can pedal up to speed and then get in a tuck.
If your goal is to just get a good workout in, then you would probably be best pedaling at a constant effort throughout the ride, unless you are doing intervals. When doing hill repeats for example, I will go hard up the climb, then soft-pedal down to keep my legs moving but also let them rest.
If your goal is to just have an easy ride, enjoy yourself and take in the scenery, then coasting downhill is possibly the best approach.
If your goal is to just get a good workout in, then you would probably be best pedaling at a constant effort throughout the ride, unless you are doing intervals. When doing hill repeats for example, I will go hard up the climb, then soft-pedal down to keep my legs moving but also let them rest.
If your goal is to just have an easy ride, enjoy yourself and take in the scenery, then coasting downhill is possibly the best approach.
06-01-10, 07:26 PM
#5
Membership Not Required
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the road-USA
Posts: 16,855
Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times
in
14 Posts
Depends...if there is another hill coming I am going to pedal like hell to build up as much speed as I can to get some momentum up the next one, if it is going to flatten out I will coast.
Aaron
Aaron
__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
06-01-10, 08:06 PM
#6
rebmeM roineS
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Metro Indy, IN
Posts: 16,216
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 653 Post(s)
Liked 347 Times
in
226 Posts
You'll never hit 35 if you don't pedal. Depends on what you are looking for in life.
__________________
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
06-01-10, 08:44 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 2,067
Bikes: 84 Pinarello Trevisio, 86 Guerciotti SLX, 96 Specialized Stumpjumper, 2010 Surly Cross Check, 88 Centurion Prestige, 73 Raleigh Sports, GT Force, Bridgestone MB4
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 278 Post(s)
Liked 71 Times
in
56 Posts
I pedal all the time but if it is a long, fast downhill I will tuck in sometimes.
06-02-10, 02:50 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 2,654
Bikes: 2008 Trek Madone 5.5, 2009 Cervelo R3SL tdf edition, Cervelo R5 with Di2
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I have a compact crank, and 11-28 cassette. I pedal until I can't keep up. Typically that's about 31-32 mph.
06-02-10, 07:34 AM
#10
Infamous Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 24,360
Bikes: Surly Big Dummy, Fuji World, 80ish Bianchi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
Pedal down if you are trying to keep pace with a group or just want to go fast or if it's a long descent and you want to keep your blood flowing. Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with just enjoying the pleasure of coasting. 
__________________
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
06-02-10, 08:07 AM
#12
You gonna eat that?
I usually pop it into high gear and just nominally push the pedals around. I think it marginally adds a little speed but I like to keep the legs moving. Unless I don't, and then I just coast and say "WEEEEEEE!" inside my head.
__________________
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi 
"However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
06-02-10, 08:51 AM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,552
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
for me it depends on the hills and at what stage I am at; meaning: if I need a rest I rest, if I'm stoked I'll try to MAX my speed. if the road is safe for a faster speed I might go for it. if there are many side streets I'll proceed with caution and possibly feather my brakes.
on rolling terrain I often use the hills to keep up my average speed and upshift and continue to pedal. those are the times I use the big ring up front. then going up the next rise I drop the front der down again. so ideally I used just the front der for rolling hills.
on rolling terrain I often use the hills to keep up my average speed and upshift and continue to pedal. those are the times I use the big ring up front. then going up the next rise I drop the front der down again. so ideally I used just the front der for rolling hills.
Last edited by rumrunn6; 06-02-10 at 10:41 AM.
06-02-10, 09:00 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Erie, PA
Posts: 1,771
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro 20, Trek 7000, old Huffy MTB, and a few others
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 21 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
How do you get to that number? I max out at about 35 on my bike, and I feel like I'm doing way more than 90 RPM, but if there's an actual calculation / chart I could use to figure out what I'm really doing that would be interesting. Although most of the time I don't care about cadence, but I'm curious sometimes.
06-02-10, 09:58 AM
#16
Infamous Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 24,360
Bikes: Surly Big Dummy, Fuji World, 80ish Bianchi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
How do you get to that number? I max out at about 35 on my bike, and I feel like I'm doing way more than 90 RPM, but if there's an actual calculation / chart I could use to figure out what I'm really doing that would be interesting. Although most of the time I don't care about cadence, but I'm curious sometimes.
__________________
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
06-02-10, 09:58 AM
#17
Senior Member
if you need somebody to tell you when to pedal and when not to pedal then just sell me your bike for $5.
06-02-10, 10:45 AM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,552
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
no no its a valid question for where he is. I remember asking my boss if he ever coasted or if he always pedaled. I just wondered what he did because I was working out what I was doing. he chuckled and said: "I mostly pedal but sometimes I coast ..."
06-02-10, 11:22 AM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Erie, PA
Posts: 1,771
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro 20, Trek 7000, old Huffy MTB, and a few others
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 21 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
06-02-10, 11:33 AM
#20
Banned
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 28,387
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac SL2, Specialized Tarmac SL, Giant TCR Composite, Specialized StumpJumper Expert HT
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
(although the gauge in the video only goes up to about 140)
06-02-10, 11:54 AM
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Erie, PA
Posts: 1,771
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro 20, Trek 7000, old Huffy MTB, and a few others
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 21 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
06-02-10, 12:19 PM
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Gaseous Cloud around Uranus
Posts: 3,741
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
7 Posts
I made a deal with my bike,I'll pedal it's butt up the hills,if it will carry me down in one piece.
