I think too much is emphasized on cadence while the pedal stroke is what's more important. The pedal stroke, when understood, changes as the conditions of the ride changes. The change is in the emphasis on the push or the pull. For instance on long steady climbs at low gradients, its better to save the quads by working the hamstrings and quads meaning the pull up. Then on a quick accelerations while on the saddle, the pull up really helps.
When the rider discovers this sort of pedal efficiency, this sort of muscle group usage, then the cadence will follow.
Now, if we're in a spin class, we don't necessarily have the elements, the wind factor, the different elevations. So its much simpler to focus on cadence (spinning) which is ok, but for road riders, I think there is a need for a certain "adaptation" of what's learned in spin class.
Last edited by Garfield Cat; 07-15-08 at 09:53 AM.