simonofsocal

From what I've read. Spinning is just keeping your rpms up around 90+ for a prolonged time. Some people seem to have trouble doing this. Is it weird to just fall naturally into this? I started out just riding at what felt comfortable, 75 - 80 rpm. I've been going for about a month now, and I'm up to 95 -100 rpm. Extended periods at 105 - 110 are reasonable, and sprints at 120+ can be done for a few minutes at least.

I walk a lot for my job,and have strong legs(at least I thought I did before I started riding). I turned 30 this year, and decided to turn my life around. I was a mess last winter, saw that big three-oh coming up, and finally said I'd had enough. I think I must have been close to 400 pounds(no scale then, too afraid of what I might see on it), I'm down to 330 now and have lost 6 inches from my waist(and almost everywhere else).

I picked up a stationary recumbent last month to pick up my activity level another notch. Before now I'd been relying on dieting, and the natural boost that spring and summer give me. Now, I can't wait to get a real bike, but the work situation isn't looking too good right now, and I'm trying to save every penny I can, just in case.

So, yeah, guess I got off track there. Has anyone else just fallen into the faster speeds? Does my riding a stationary have anything to do with it? That fact that it's a recumbent?

I can keep up the cadence on medium resistance(4/8 on the dial)for about 20 minutes before I get wiped and my knee starts to twinge. However, I feel like I can ride forever at light resistance(2/8 on the dial), my longest ride has been an hour @ ~95 rpm(bumped that to 105 - 110 for the last five minutes, and to 120 for an extra two). I had to stop more due to time constraints than any appreciable tiredness(that sprint had me breathing hard, but I could have recovered). My knee was a little stiff the next day, but I had done a couple of higher resistance runs (nice term for cycling, that) earlier that day. I've taken up stretching and it hasn't been bugging me since.

Creakyknees

Sounds about right. Keep it up, keep burning the pounds, and when Spring rolls around, sell the exercycle and get a bike, you'll be ready.

Re: the knee, it may just be adaptation to the workload, but, set your seat so that at maximum extension, your knee is slightly bent (not "locked") and your ankle position is neutral.

Knees are sensitive to seats being too close to pedals. If you extend too far from the pedals, on a recumbent, that'll tweak your lower back. Somewhere in the middle is your comfort and efficiency zone.

simonofsocal

Yeah, I drilled an extra hole to move the seat back a bit more about the same time I started stretching(I'm 6'3" and needed a little more room). I think moving the seat had as much to do with my knee feeling better as the stretching did. Now my only problem is the damned seat, stupid thing is shaped like home plate and is about as soft as a rock.

I just finished a 30 minute ride at ~101 rpm on light resistance. The first twenty weren't too bad, but I really felt those last ten. So worth it though. Well, its off to the shower and then bed for me.

Nimitz87

don't think its uncommon....

I was reading about cadence and overestimating it without a computer got my computer and found out I was spinning around 95-110 for 98% of the ride. when I do sprint its usually seated and I can turn the wick up to 140 rpm.

I usually don't dip below 90 ish.

I just started riding 2 months ago.

Chad

simonofsocal

The exercise bike does have a speedometer, it's set to mph, but that setting is based on the rpm. So its simple to figure the rpm, I just need to multiply the mph by 4.5 to get my rpm. I've tested this at speeds ranging from 10mph(45rpm) to 30mph(135rpm), and it always lines up.

The display has three modes. I don't count the calorie mode because there's no way to adjust it for body size, or ride intensity. So, striking that one out, there's Time, Speed And Distance. I use Speed to keep myself on target, and Distance to map out my average cadence for the ride(again, just a bit of math). The only thing I really want is a heart rate monitor. That and a real bike, maybe after my next paycheck.

Oh and Creaky, I don't know if you've been to the california desert much in the summer, but that's the time you really want to stay inside. Our seasons are a bit reversed here. The 50 degree winters aren't a problem, it's the 100+ degree summers you gotta watch out for. Right now it's in the 90's with high humidity, this is a nice day for the end of summer.

Carbonfiberboy 

Check out the used bike shops. $200 should get you a bike good enough for a century.

127.0.0.1

you cannot spin effectively on a recumbent, not the high rpm stuff.

you need to be vertical with a narrow saddle and then you can muster the real high
130-160 rpm which is what real cadence is. although all day racing cadence is still
a normal 90-110. you -train- at the higher cadences so that 110 feels like a sleepwalk

'spinning' can be a lot of things. low rpm intervals, high rpm low load rests, long duration high rpm high load time-trial or hillclimb simulation...but in the low seated recumbent position

muscle movement and blood flow are restricted and you just can't haz 'true' high cadence

110 and 120 isn't that high a cadence. well,maybe 120 is getting highly aerobic it depends on the load. I can
do 130 all damn day if I want to. no load. with load, then we are talking serious punishment

simonofsocal

Thanks for the tip carbon, but money is really tight right now. My job has recently become unbearable and I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to stay there. So, I'm saving every penny right now. Which really sucks because I saw an older model of the exact bike I want on ebay for $170.

Home, you gotta realize I'm a really big guy & once I push past a hundred my blood really starts pumping. That thirty minute ride at 101 was one of my best yet.

I had a horrible experience Saturday, serious mental fatigue on a one hour ride. I could barely keep it above 90, my knees were all over the place, and my mood darkened by the minute. I'd spent the whole day on the couch writing (trying to get ready for NaNoWriMo), and had know idea that using my brain that much could affect my body that badly. I still feel a bit drained, but I'm not sure if that's from Saturday, or the drama at work. I learned my lesson though. Ride, then write.

Well, I've gotta hit the hay. Thanks for all the help guys(and girls, if there are such things on the internet).