Originally Posted by TheRCF
I'm wondering about spinning technique. I know the advantages, but don't know if I'm really doing it right and perhaps that is holding me back from better speed.
I did 1000 miles where I just focused on upping my rpm - generally riding 13 miles at 95 rpm or higher and then after a few hours off the bike, repeated the process going home. I would have lower rpm going up hills though.
Anyway, I was told to focus just on fast rpm, not speed, so that meant that I was riding with minimal resistence.
My basic question is this: When spinning, should I feel myself pulling back and then up on the pedal stroke? I've asked two people who used to race and they said they didn't, but I wondered if maybe they were just so automatic about it that they just don't notice. But for me, I would feel it because my muscles aren't used to it.
When I do spinning this way, I definitely go faster, but I also am not used to it and don't do it for long.
As a comparison, on flat ground, I usually don't get over 20 mph regardless of rpm unless I push really hard and have to back off within a minute. But there is a section of road just before I get home which is not only near the end of my riding, but is also uphill. I can focus on pulling back and up going up that hill and hit 22 mph very briefly. It also lasts less than a minute, but then it is uphill near the end of the ride.
Anyway, should I try to feel that resistence pulling back and up as I spin or avoid that resistence?
I think by now you know what's REALLY holding you back from developing more speed. We've talked about that recently, haven't we?
When pedalling uphill, the idea is NOT to pull and push the pedals- this usually decreases power in your pedal stroke, since the result is less circular pedalling. What you should do is move to a lower gear that allows you to keep a lowered heart rate, then as you're climbing, emphasize the horizontal movement of your pedal stroke- across the top of your pedal stroke and across the bottom. Typically, you'll have more success of pushing across the bottom of your pedal stroke. You get more muscles activated as your foot moves across the bottom of the pedal stroke, and if you are able to employ this method, you'll have a better chance of keeping your cadence higher and keeping your momentum as you ride uphill.
Remember, it's not pulling back and up... it's pushing across the top and bottom of your pedal stroke.
Koffee