Originally Posted by
pbass
Even spinning you need some resistance. I have also had to lean more towards spinning when recovering from an injury/illness - for example instead of standing up at the top of a climb like I prefer, I'd just granny gear all the way - but you can't be in such a low gear that you're just flailing your legs with no benefit.
This. I personally find it difficult to spin a high cadence on a true recovery ride simply because the effort is already low enough that the resistance I need for a good controllable spin just isn't there. At some level, some resistance is necessary.