Originally Posted by
StanSeven
Glad you mentioned that. Mashing causes knee pain is another one of cycling myths. Knee pain is caused by improper fit or a bio-mechanical problem of the rider.
How long are you mashing? I can certainly climb a 1000' hill in high gear at a cadence below 40 RPM without suffering ill effects. But what you can do for a short time and what you can do for a long time are very different.
Mashing will magnify technique errors or biomechanical issues. Most people benefit from a higher cadence.