How Do You Pedal And Why
08-11-18 | 10:56 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,643
Likes: 68
From: Portland OR
Bikes: 61 Bianchi Specialissima 71 Peugeot G50 7? P'geot PX10 74 Raleigh GranSport 75 P'geot UO8 78? Raleigh Team Pro 82 P'geot PSV 86 P'geot PX 91 Bridgestone MB0 92 B'stone XO1 97 Rans VRex 92 Cannondale R1000 94 B'stone MB5 97 Vitus 997
How Do You Pedal And Why
I was thinking about this topic during the ride portion of the Atelier Gugie event today.
The topic is: how do you pedal? And why?
I mean, we spend hours turning the pedals around, and we have so many ways to do it. We can mash, spin, stand, sit, push, pull, bob, weave. During all those hours, surely we have developed some strategies and plans for exactly how we get those pedals around, right?
My pedalling plan all seems to revolve (ha) around riding inefficiently to build reserves for when I need to ride efficiently. This makes no sense, written that way. Here's what I mean. On most rides, like commuting or short weekend rides, I tend to push a larger gear at lower cadence, the kind of gears that will burn out your legs long before easier gears will. The logic is that since on long or hard rides I typically run out of legs before I run out of lungs, I want to train up my legs by making them work harder than necessary. Then when I'm on a longer, more challenging ride, I'll spin an easier gear, and feel like I still have something "in reserve". On hills I will also "pull up/back" while not "pushing down" for as many revolutions as I can, the idea is to build up those pulling muscles. Then when I'm really tired, I can tap the pulling reserve. I try to keep my upper body motionless despite riding a big gear, again the idea is that when I'm gassed then I can do the bobbing upper body thing (I call it "groveling") as a last resort. Finally, I try to stay in the big ring all the time. Again, so that on a hard ride when I'm struggling, I can tap the reserve of the little ring.
What this actually amounts to us that on everyday JRA (just riding around) you'll see me straining to push and pull a 53xtoosmall at 60 rpm while gripping the bars tight to keep my upper body from rocking, all while telling myself all this unnecesary effort is a brilliant regimen of weight training on the bike.
Okay, that sounds stupider the more I explain it. Shouldn't you pedal short easy rides exactly like you'd pedal long hard rides?
What's your pedaling strategy?
The topic is: how do you pedal? And why?
I mean, we spend hours turning the pedals around, and we have so many ways to do it. We can mash, spin, stand, sit, push, pull, bob, weave. During all those hours, surely we have developed some strategies and plans for exactly how we get those pedals around, right?
My pedalling plan all seems to revolve (ha) around riding inefficiently to build reserves for when I need to ride efficiently. This makes no sense, written that way. Here's what I mean. On most rides, like commuting or short weekend rides, I tend to push a larger gear at lower cadence, the kind of gears that will burn out your legs long before easier gears will. The logic is that since on long or hard rides I typically run out of legs before I run out of lungs, I want to train up my legs by making them work harder than necessary. Then when I'm on a longer, more challenging ride, I'll spin an easier gear, and feel like I still have something "in reserve". On hills I will also "pull up/back" while not "pushing down" for as many revolutions as I can, the idea is to build up those pulling muscles. Then when I'm really tired, I can tap the pulling reserve. I try to keep my upper body motionless despite riding a big gear, again the idea is that when I'm gassed then I can do the bobbing upper body thing (I call it "groveling") as a last resort. Finally, I try to stay in the big ring all the time. Again, so that on a hard ride when I'm struggling, I can tap the reserve of the little ring.
What this actually amounts to us that on everyday JRA (just riding around) you'll see me straining to push and pull a 53xtoosmall at 60 rpm while gripping the bars tight to keep my upper body from rocking, all while telling myself all this unnecesary effort is a brilliant regimen of weight training on the bike.
Okay, that sounds stupider the more I explain it. Shouldn't you pedal short easy rides exactly like you'd pedal long hard rides?
What's your pedaling strategy?
08-11-18 | 11:27 PM
#2
Always strapped or clipped in. On the few occasions when I am not using cleats- that is when I almost pull a foot out. From decades of habit I just apply force around the majority of the pedal stroke.
Spin, from the days when a 47x15 was the top gear at hand. the typical flatland gear is 42x17. Always smile coming up to a guy grinding out a 53x your choice, kind of like , "what do you use on a real descent?"
The subordinate habit is to reach down and loosen one strap any time a stop sign or traffic signal is coming up, even when wearing lipless shoes, it takes 15-20 minutes to subdue that one.almost
It took a while to convince my son that clips and straps are better than blank pedals. Cleats are protested save for rural riding.
Spin, from the days when a 47x15 was the top gear at hand. the typical flatland gear is 42x17. Always smile coming up to a guy grinding out a 53x your choice, kind of like , "what do you use on a real descent?"
The subordinate habit is to reach down and loosen one strap any time a stop sign or traffic signal is coming up, even when wearing lipless shoes, it takes 15-20 minutes to subdue that one.almost
It took a while to convince my son that clips and straps are better than blank pedals. Cleats are protested save for rural riding.
08-12-18 | 12:17 AM
#3
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 483
From: Newbury Park, CA
All of my rides are with clipless pedals, I spin smooth circles, and my cadence varies according the slope I'm riding on. If my cadence were graphed it would look like a bell curve: low on extremely steep pitches, I find that pushing a little slower with some 'firmness' (but not strain) to each pedal stroke gives the best results for climbing most things, spin very quickly on near-flat surfaces, push big gears downhill, and finally do almost no pedaling at all on big descents when I go into a tight aero tuck. When I pedal, my goal is to try and keep a constant connection to the rear wheel, as if I were riding a fixed gear, making as little use of the freewheel as possible.
08-12-18 | 01:09 AM
#4
do-over candidate
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,779
Likes: 631
From: PNW
Bikes: One of everything and three of everything French
I like to keep my cadence somewhat constant. When I feel like putting in a bigger effort I just go faster. I also try to keep the mechanics constant. I think about smooth application of power through the pedal cycle and also not letting the angle my feet make with the ground to vary too wildly. I'm sure this directly affects pushing/pulling but I find it difficult to monitor or control those things specifically.
__________________
I.C.
I.C.
08-12-18 | 02:07 AM
#5
Junior Member
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
My pedalling plan all seems to revolve (ha) around riding inefficiently to build reserves for when I need to ride efficiently. This makes no sense, written that way. Here's what I mean. On most rides, like commuting or short weekend rides, I tend to push a larger gear at lower cadence, the kind of gears that will burn out your legs long before easier gears will. The logic is that since on long or hard rides I typically run out of legs before I run out of lungs, I want to train up my legs by making them work harder than necessary. Then when I'm on a longer, more challenging ride, I'll spin an easier gear, and feel like I still have something "in reserve". On hills I will also "pull up/back" while not "pushing down" for as many revolutions as I can, the idea is to build up those pulling muscles. Then when I'm really tired, I can tap the pulling reserve. I try to keep my upper body motionless despite riding a big gear, again the idea is that when I'm gassed then I can do the bobbing upper body thing (I call it "groveling") as a last resort. Finally, I try to stay in the big ring all the time. Again, so that on a hard ride when I'm struggling, I can tap the reserve of the little ring.
What this actually amounts to us that on everyday JRA (just riding around) you'll see me straining to push and pull a 53xtoosmall at 60 rpm while gripping the bars tight to keep my upper body from rocking, all while telling myself all this unnecesary effort is a brilliant regimen of weight training on the bike.
Okay, that sounds stupider the more I explain it. Shouldn't you pedal short easy rides exactly like you'd pedal long hard rides?
What's your pedaling strategy?
What this actually amounts to us that on everyday JRA (just riding around) you'll see me straining to push and pull a 53xtoosmall at 60 rpm while gripping the bars tight to keep my upper body from rocking, all while telling myself all this unnecesary effort is a brilliant regimen of weight training on the bike.
Okay, that sounds stupider the more I explain it. Shouldn't you pedal short easy rides exactly like you'd pedal long hard rides?
What's your pedaling strategy?
I seem to follow your school of thought on this. That is pushing a bigger gear will make you a stronger rider in general, and perhaps give you a "reserve" when racing or going on longer rides, and spinning a higher cadence. I really have no idea about the truth or science to this, but it kind of makes sense to me.
On the flip side, many would say that you should train in the same way you would compete (high cadence at all times), so I don't know really.
Last edited by thirdgen; 08-14-18 at 11:31 AM.
08-12-18 | 03:10 AM
#6
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 27,576
Likes: 5,487
From: Eugene, Oregon, USA
My pedalling plan all seems to revolve (ha) around riding inefficiently to build reserves for when I need to ride efficiently. This makes no sense, written that way. Here's what I mean. On most rides, like commuting or short weekend rides, I tend to push a larger gear at lower cadence, the kind of gears that will burn out your legs long before easier gears will. The logic is that since on long or hard rides I typically run out of legs before I run out of lungs, I want to train up my legs by making them work harder than necessary. Then when I'm on a longer, more challenging ride, I'll spin an easier gear, and feel like I still have something "in reserve". On hills I will also "pull up/back" while not "pushing down" for as many revolutions as I can, the idea is to build up those pulling muscles. Then when I'm really tired, I can tap the pulling reserve. I try to keep my upper body motionless despite riding a big gear, again the idea is that when I'm gassed then I can do the bobbing upper body thing (I call it "groveling") as a last resort. Finally, I try to stay in the big ring all the time. Again, so that on a hard ride when I'm struggling, I can tap the reserve of the little ring.
Personally, I like the bigger rings.
if you are doing solo rides, then vary pace and climbing to suit your needs.
Group rides may be more constrained, but I would have gladly loaned you my trailer today if you had asked.
08-12-18 | 04:45 AM
#7
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 4,278
Likes: 652
From: Heart Of Texas
Bikes: '85, '86 , '87 , '88 , '89 Centurion Dave Scott Ironman.
I feel like everyone inherently has a number they're more comfortable with, e.g.60 ,70 ,80, 90 rpm. BUT, you can train yourself to practically any number. Starting my cycling journey in the '80s from a triathlon background, I tend to have a slower cadence than most bikies. And didn't get the memo for "compact" rings. I'm ok with having a slower cadence, in fact the only time I notice is when I ride with others.
I think the advantages of spinning out weigh mashing for sure: You're able to accelerate quicker, sprint better, sit while climbing easier, recover from a hard ride quicker. But I think the best examples are tour racers, the day in and out of hard riding requires quicker recovery something I'm not that concerned with as a daily rider.
So, to answer the OP, I pedal slowly coincidentally I ride slowly.
I think the advantages of spinning out weigh mashing for sure: You're able to accelerate quicker, sprint better, sit while climbing easier, recover from a hard ride quicker. But I think the best examples are tour racers, the day in and out of hard riding requires quicker recovery something I'm not that concerned with as a daily rider.
So, to answer the OP, I pedal slowly coincidentally I ride slowly.
08-12-18 | 05:24 AM
#8
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,075
Likes: 2,173
From: NW Ohio
Bikes: 1984 Miyata 310, 1986 Schwinn Sierra, 1987 Ross Mt. Hood, 1988 Schwinn LeTour, 1988 Trek 400T, 1981 Fuji S12-1977 Univega Grand Rally, S LTD, 1973 Sears Free Spirit 531, 197? FW Evans
I try to pedal around 80-90 rpm, moving my feet in a circle, vice just up and down. I tend to point my toes down. It is pretty flat around here, so for the occasional hill or overpass, I try to power over without shifting. If it is toward the end of a long ride, I don't always make it and have to downshift. I can carry the same speed for a long distance on the flat, but, when I am tired, I slow to a crawl at the first little rise.
Keeping it in the big ring seems more suited to modern compact doubles, where there is a large difference between the rings. On vintage bikes, there is usually less that ten teeth difference and they are meant to be used together to find the perfect ratio for the moment. There is a lot of overlap and, if the cogs are chosen correctly, not much duplication. Some may think it looks better to always be in the big ring, but I would rather be in a gear that makes my legs happy.
Keeping it in the big ring seems more suited to modern compact doubles, where there is a large difference between the rings. On vintage bikes, there is usually less that ten teeth difference and they are meant to be used together to find the perfect ratio for the moment. There is a lot of overlap and, if the cogs are chosen correctly, not much duplication. Some may think it looks better to always be in the big ring, but I would rather be in a gear that makes my legs happy.
08-12-18 | 05:26 AM
#9
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,406
Likes: 1,594
From: Near Pottstown, PA: 30 miles NW of Philadelphia
Bikes: 2 Trek Mtn, Cannondale R600 road, 6 vintage road bikes
As I resumed cycling a few years ago, I just turned the cranks and smelled the roses. As time went by I started to develope strategies to deal with issues. First was lower back pain. I found that lower gears and higher cadence helped there as well as standing on the pedals as I coast to every stop or road crossing. Straightening my back for a wee bit did help and lengthened the rides.
Next was knee pain (mostly left knee from weak VMOs). Again higher cadence helps here (roller work in the winter trains for this). I envision the pedal stroke as three sectors of a clock: 12:00 to 4:00, 4-8, 8-12. I alternate my focus on each (yup, even with straps and cages) from time to time to focus on some muscles and stressors while resting the others. I've learned to focus on the back half of the stroke, 8-12, on long inclines, which is easier on my knees. Even on long flat sections, though I usually just mash along thinking of other things or thinking of nuttin, if a knee is 'talking to me' I'll focus on 4-8 or 8-12 for several minutes at a time to give the knees a, sort of, rest.
I'm also now standing on steep climbs much more than before, again using all the Quad muscles,tendons, ligaments especially the VMOs. Again, better on my knees. That has me thinking about all the wild side to side rocking of the bike I see from real cyclists on hard climbs. Great theater but looks inefficient so I focus on smooth pedaling when standing, minimal rocking which may be minimal knee stress. Donno, really. I'm also still doing what I've done since I was a kid - 'gunning up the hills' to get them over with, then resting once over the top. I've no idea what the 'Pros' would teach.
Next was knee pain (mostly left knee from weak VMOs). Again higher cadence helps here (roller work in the winter trains for this). I envision the pedal stroke as three sectors of a clock: 12:00 to 4:00, 4-8, 8-12. I alternate my focus on each (yup, even with straps and cages) from time to time to focus on some muscles and stressors while resting the others. I've learned to focus on the back half of the stroke, 8-12, on long inclines, which is easier on my knees. Even on long flat sections, though I usually just mash along thinking of other things or thinking of nuttin, if a knee is 'talking to me' I'll focus on 4-8 or 8-12 for several minutes at a time to give the knees a, sort of, rest.
I'm also now standing on steep climbs much more than before, again using all the Quad muscles,tendons, ligaments especially the VMOs. Again, better on my knees. That has me thinking about all the wild side to side rocking of the bike I see from real cyclists on hard climbs. Great theater but looks inefficient so I focus on smooth pedaling when standing, minimal rocking which may be minimal knee stress. Donno, really. I'm also still doing what I've done since I was a kid - 'gunning up the hills' to get them over with, then resting once over the top. I've no idea what the 'Pros' would teach.
08-12-18 | 05:28 AM
#10
Ellensburg, WA
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,791
Likes: 706
From: Lewiston, ID
Bikes: See my signature
I ride clipless and always try to keep the cadence between 90-110. After three knee surgeries mashing a big gear causes more problems than it's worth. I also tend to ride hard for any ride 30 miles or less because I tend to be on a time constraint. My personal theory has been while on limited time to keep the heart rate elevated as much as possible to build fitness. On longer rides I'll dial it back a little so don't exhaust myself too quickly - but the cadence is still up even on those rides.
I try to make it as circular a pedal stroke as possible but find that on hills or into headwinds is really when I'm focused on pulling back on the pedal to keep a consistent stroke.
I try to make it as circular a pedal stroke as possible but find that on hills or into headwinds is really when I'm focused on pulling back on the pedal to keep a consistent stroke.
__________________
1984 Gitane Tour de France; 1982 Nishiki Marina 12; 1984 Peugeot PSV; 1993 Trek 950 mtb; 1991 GT Karakoram, 1983 Vitus 979; Colnago Super, 1989 Spectrum Titanium,
1984 Gitane Tour de France; 1982 Nishiki Marina 12; 1984 Peugeot PSV; 1993 Trek 950 mtb; 1991 GT Karakoram, 1983 Vitus 979; Colnago Super, 1989 Spectrum Titanium,
08-12-18 | 07:13 AM
#12
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 8,907
Likes: 2,989
From: Elwood Indiana
Bikes: they change so much I'm tired of updating this
I always tell new riders let the bike work for you not the other way around. I’m a cadence rider, around 80 rpms steady and smooth. It’s flat here so I only shift gears for wind.
__________________
Semper fi
Semper fi
08-12-18 | 08:38 AM
#14
Senior Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,916
Likes: 1,479
From: A different place and time.
I'm a spinner, 95-100 cadence. I tend to keep a steady power output, hence I shift a lot. BITD , I rode with this older guy (a medalist at the Pan AM games) who used to do some coaching. He'd always yell at me for "smoothening" out the road by shifting so much. I don't have much top end, but I can spin 18-19 mph forever.
08-12-18 | 08:47 AM
#15
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 5,366
Likes: 631
From: Soviet of Oregon or Pensacola FL
Bikes: Still have a few left!
jyl, my approach is just like yours and there is something to it. It goes back to my pre-teen years when I had a Raleigh Sports 3 speed. The shift cable broke leaving only 3rd gear, so I rode that way about a year.
When I finally put on a new cable, found I was a much stronger rider. This was also the time I had a growth spurt and left childhood asthma problems behind so that helped too, but grinding uphill in high gear and running were my main exercises and suddenly I had muscles!
The growth in strength was quite impressive for someone who was always the smallest/weakest. It was life changing to ride off or run ahead of all my friends. Don
When I finally put on a new cable, found I was a much stronger rider. This was also the time I had a growth spurt and left childhood asthma problems behind so that helped too, but grinding uphill in high gear and running were my main exercises and suddenly I had muscles!
The growth in strength was quite impressive for someone who was always the smallest/weakest. It was life changing to ride off or run ahead of all my friends. Don
08-12-18 | 10:39 AM
#16
Senior Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 5,064
Likes: 4,956
From: Point Reyes Station, California
Bikes: Indeed!
Always strapped or clipped in. On the few occasions when I am not using cleats- that is when I almost pull a foot out. From decades of habit I just apply force around the majority of the pedal stroke.
Spin, from the days when a 47x15 was the top gear at hand. the typical flatland gear is 42x17. Always smile coming up to a guy grinding out a 53x your choice, kind of like , "what do you use on a real descent?"
The subordinate habit is to reach down and loosen one strap any time a stop sign or traffic signal is coming up, even when wearing lipless shoes, it takes 15-20 minutes to subdue that one.almost
It took a while to convince my son that clips and straps are better than blank pedals. Cleats are protested save for rural riding.
Spin, from the days when a 47x15 was the top gear at hand. the typical flatland gear is 42x17. Always smile coming up to a guy grinding out a 53x your choice, kind of like , "what do you use on a real descent?"
The subordinate habit is to reach down and loosen one strap any time a stop sign or traffic signal is coming up, even when wearing lipless shoes, it takes 15-20 minutes to subdue that one.almost
It took a while to convince my son that clips and straps are better than blank pedals. Cleats are protested save for rural riding.
On rides longer than about 60 miles I will regularly shift up a gear or two and ride out of the saddle for a minute or two on each climb to stave off butt fatigue.
Brent
08-12-18 | 11:16 AM
#17
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 546
Likes: 45
Bikes: colnago titanio oval master, pinarello treviso es, centurion prestige, tomac ti 26er, lemond buenos aires, mbk 753, vitus 992 and zx1, rocky mountain hammer disc,bd century titanium, specialized venge expert
I used to mash quite a bit, bunny hop and generally just go for speed...now I go for smooth spinning...couple blow outs, couple of accidents, and arthritis will change your perspective. Its still fun, just different.
08-12-18 | 11:22 AM
#18
Master Parts Rearranger
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 4,851
Likes: 2,834
From: Portlandia's Kuiper Belt, OR
Bikes: 1987 Woodrup Competition - 2025 Trek Checkpoint SL 6 Gen 3 - 1987 Lotus Legend - 2024 Trek Emonda ALR Rim Brake - 1980 Trek 510 - 1988 Cannondale SR500 - 1985 Trek 670 - 1982 Trek 730
I've never been a spinner, but I've worked to increase and modulate cadence well (70 RPM-ish range I think....). Typically it's been my knees that have 'talked to me' about this thing or that, and as a 6'5" guy, I listen as I'd like to keep functioning knees around for as long as possible. This has more recently taken the form of knee warmers on days in the mid-60s or cooler as that trapped heat helps keep that high strain area over/around the patella 'lubricated'. I focus a lot more on smooth power application. Smoothly loading in power over the top of the stroke, good power as I get past 2:00 and then smooth tapering as I go past 6:00 and pull the pedal up slightly.
I appreciate the finer-stepped nature of 9- and 10-speed systems, which, in an area full of constantly varying grades along with plenty of punchy inclines, allows me to "flatten out the road" well. I still love to get out of the saddle for marching slowly up steep inclines (when I'm out of gears and don't want to mash in the saddle) and sprinting as it is a lot of fun to feel the bike dancing below as we work in coordination to climb or sprint effectively.
I appreciate the finer-stepped nature of 9- and 10-speed systems, which, in an area full of constantly varying grades along with plenty of punchy inclines, allows me to "flatten out the road" well. I still love to get out of the saddle for marching slowly up steep inclines (when I'm out of gears and don't want to mash in the saddle) and sprinting as it is a lot of fun to feel the bike dancing below as we work in coordination to climb or sprint effectively.
08-12-18 | 01:34 PM
#19
multimodal commuter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,810
Likes: 597
From: NJ, NYC, LI
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
For the last fifteen years about half of all my riding has been commuting, and much of that on folding bikes, so no foot retention. The other half of my riding, and more in the last couple years, is on bikes with SPD pedals. I still have clips and straps on a couple bikes but rarely tighten the straps so that's pretty much like platform pedals anyway.
Either way, with SPD's or without them, if I think about it I aim for about 100 rpm, which I check by humming "the hustle" or Mozart's Turkish March as I pedal, while practicing a smooth pedal stroke and all that. Honestly I don't think about pedaling very much. Most of the time I pay no attention to my cadence or stroke, but even so I doubt my cadence falls much below 90 rpm.
Towards the end of a long ride on the fixie, getting up any kind of a long steep hill becomes a real challenge, and of course my 100rpm cadence is long forgotten by that point. That's when I start pulling up on the pedals. Pulling up involves muscles that until that point I probably haven't used, so those muscles may be pretty fresh even late on a ride.
I don't recommend it to anyone, but that's pretty much what I do.
Either way, with SPD's or without them, if I think about it I aim for about 100 rpm, which I check by humming "the hustle" or Mozart's Turkish March as I pedal, while practicing a smooth pedal stroke and all that. Honestly I don't think about pedaling very much. Most of the time I pay no attention to my cadence or stroke, but even so I doubt my cadence falls much below 90 rpm.
Towards the end of a long ride on the fixie, getting up any kind of a long steep hill becomes a real challenge, and of course my 100rpm cadence is long forgotten by that point. That's when I start pulling up on the pedals. Pulling up involves muscles that until that point I probably haven't used, so those muscles may be pretty fresh even late on a ride.
I don't recommend it to anyone, but that's pretty much what I do.
Last edited by rhm; 08-12-18 at 01:38 PM.
08-12-18 | 01:48 PM
#20
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 546
Likes: 45
Bikes: colnago titanio oval master, pinarello treviso es, centurion prestige, tomac ti 26er, lemond buenos aires, mbk 753, vitus 992 and zx1, rocky mountain hammer disc,bd century titanium, specialized venge expert
08-12-18 | 02:10 PM
#21
True, steel frames feel nice to sprint on, and local track racers often use (or at least start their racing career on) steel frames, but it's been many years since advanced track sprinters used steel frames. They sprint faster on carbon and aluminum frames.
08-12-18 | 02:37 PM
#22
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 546
Likes: 45
Bikes: colnago titanio oval master, pinarello treviso es, centurion prestige, tomac ti 26er, lemond buenos aires, mbk 753, vitus 992 and zx1, rocky mountain hammer disc,bd century titanium, specialized venge expert
i also ride an aluminum sworks aerotec e5 and a carbon venge expert. They surge well, the sworks will beat the snot out of you for anything more than an hour hammerfest, and the venge is just plain fast. Different, but fun.
08-12-18 | 02:37 PM
#23
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 15,315
Likes: 903
From: Tixkokob, Yucatán, México
Bikes: 79 Trek 930, 80 Trek 414, 84 Schwinn Letour Luxe (coupled), 92 Schwinn Paramount PDG 5
08-12-18 | 02:45 PM
#24
Crawlin' up, flyin' down
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,772
Likes: 4,436
From: Democratic Peoples' Republic of Berkeley
Bikes: 1967 Paramount; 1982-ish Ron Cooper; 1978 Eisentraut "A"; two mid-1960s Cinelli Speciale Corsas; and others in various stages of non-rideability.
What is this "pedaling strategy" of which you speak? We do not have such things on my planet.
I really don't think about my pedaling stroke any more except when I am at the end of my rope and just trying to survive. Most of the time, it is a steady cadence (probably somewhere in the vicinity of 90 rpm, but I couldn't swear to that) and I shift to maintain that. I've been complimented a time or two on having a smooth pedaling stroke. To the extent that is true - I don't watch myself so I don't know - it is because of the (extremely) low level racing I did many years ago. Learning to fit into a group and not yo-yo behind a wheel taught me that being herky-jerky is not the way to go. I guess I learned the lesson and internalized it to the point that it is second nature and I simply don't think about it.
Climbing, of course, is the exception; when I run out of gears that I can spin, it's grind grind grind and occasionally stand up and mash to try to spread the work around. I rarely if ever think about my pedaling strategy then, either. I react to the road and what my body is telling me. And if my body says "pull over and give a break, you moron," I generally obey.
I really don't think about my pedaling stroke any more except when I am at the end of my rope and just trying to survive. Most of the time, it is a steady cadence (probably somewhere in the vicinity of 90 rpm, but I couldn't swear to that) and I shift to maintain that. I've been complimented a time or two on having a smooth pedaling stroke. To the extent that is true - I don't watch myself so I don't know - it is because of the (extremely) low level racing I did many years ago. Learning to fit into a group and not yo-yo behind a wheel taught me that being herky-jerky is not the way to go. I guess I learned the lesson and internalized it to the point that it is second nature and I simply don't think about it.
Climbing, of course, is the exception; when I run out of gears that I can spin, it's grind grind grind and occasionally stand up and mash to try to spread the work around. I rarely if ever think about my pedaling strategy then, either. I react to the road and what my body is telling me. And if my body says "pull over and give a break, you moron," I generally obey.
__________________
"I'm in shape -- round is a shape." Andy Rooney
"I'm in shape -- round is a shape." Andy Rooney
08-12-18 | 02:53 PM
#25
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 15,315
Likes: 903
From: Tixkokob, Yucatán, México
Bikes: 79 Trek 930, 80 Trek 414, 84 Schwinn Letour Luxe (coupled), 92 Schwinn Paramount PDG 5
I'm a diesel. Always have been. I ride pancake flat 99% of the time. And alone that same 99%. Lately I've been pedaling 52/16 into a headwind, or jra, and 52/12 for the downwind stuff. And sometimes just to feel my legs burn. Slow cadence; very rarely get up to 80, again except for short stretches downwind. My knees like it, as does my back--my two weak links. In the summertime, it's too hot to be out for more than a couple hours at a time. We'll see how things change come wintertime, and longer rides. I ride toes clips and sometimes mtb pedals with the little spikes on them, so I can pull back, but not up. I've been lately trying to concentrate on the top and bottom horizontal part of the stroke.
Edit: I've never paid any attention to this stuff in the past, but my 66 years have recently demanded I do.
Edit: I've never paid any attention to this stuff in the past, but my 66 years have recently demanded I do.
Last edited by seedsbelize; 08-12-18 at 02:56 PM.