Pedal Power
By Bob Townsend, CSCS
Riding a bike efficiently involves skill. In this brief article on the topic of pedaling and cadence, Life Time and USA Cycling Certified Coach Bob Townsend, goes into the basics of how to turn the pedals more efficiently.
-- Coach Troy Jacobson
Ever notice how the great cyclists make peddling look so effortless. How do they make it look so easy? Natural ability -- absolutely. Lots and lots of miles -- of course. How you pedal affects your efficiency. The smoother you can pedal the more relaxed you can keep your upper body. The more relaxed your upper body the less energy you'll waste. One way to improve your efficiency is to improve your pedaling mechanics. This means learning to pedal smoothly, all the way from top of the pedal stroke, all the way through the bottom. Better know as pedaling in circles. Another way is to pedal at your optimal cadence. Physiological
The make up of your leg muscles, the ratio of fast twitch muscles vs. slow twitch muscles combined with your fitness will determine your ideal cadence. Low cadence requires us to push harder on the pedals (mashing). To generate this force your leg muscles must recruit faster twitch muscles than slow twitch. Fast Twitch
- Burns glycogen for fuel -- real short supply
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Fatigue quickly
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Takes a long time to recover
Slow Twitch
- Primarily burn fat for fuel -- almost an unlimited supply
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Very resistant to fatigue
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Recover quickly when allowed to rest
Cadence
The number of times you turn your pedals in a minute is your cadence. Cycling is a power sport. Your power is the product of the force you apply to the pedals times your cadence. You want to pedal as fast as you can with the greatest amount of force you can maintain. For many riders, going faster means shifting to a bigger gear and mashing on the pedals. This doesn't necessarily result in greater speed because bigger gears are harder to turn over. Grinding away in the wrong gear significantly increases the risk of injury, decreases efficiency, and makes riding less fun. More riders can increase their speed thus ride more comfortably by increasing their cadence. Lance Armstrong demonstrated this with his many Tour de France wins. His cadence was much faster than those of most his pro competitors. Elite cyclists typically have a cadence of between 80 -120 while recreational cyclist pedal at about 60 -- 80 revolutions per minute. Cadence has both a motor-learning and physiological element to it. If you pedal too fast your brain cannot coordinate your muscles so you will lose efficiency. It will be harder to pedal at 90 rpm's in the beginning because you simply are not use to it. It will feel harder at first because you won't be as efficient at the higher cadence. You haven't made the neuromuscular jump. The good news is it will only take a few sessions to make the 'jump'. For every set of conditions there is an ideal cadence and gear ratio that will allow you to go you're fastest with the least amount of effort. In general, it has been proven in studies that a higher cadence improves efficiency, reduces stress on the knees, and builds aerobic fitness better than a low cadence. However, a rider's comfort often determines the most efficient cadence. Our optimal cadence is likely a combination of the make up of our muscles and our aerobic system. Those that pedal at a lower cadence will have to put out more force than those that spin a lower gear. Faster cadence requires a well developed aerobic system to support the aerobic demand of higher cadence. Lower cadence requires more leg strength to develop the force needed to turn a higher gear. OK, you've been sold on the value of high cadence vs. low cadence. But what is the optimal cadence? If you're relatively new to cycling (triathlons), you probably riding at a cadence that is below your optimum. During a normal ride aim for smooth pedal stroke between 85 -- 100 rpm's. You always want to be "quiet on the bike". A still upper body, not jerking your upper body around or swinging side to side to generate power. A still upper body means your energy, focus, and concentration is on your legs, where they need to be. Try to choose gears that allow you to pedal as fast as you can and still feel some pressure on your pedals. Some training programs prescribe low cadence to train your body to push harder on the pedals. Although there is a place for low cadence, consider the training principle of specificity. If you want to bike faster at 90 rpm's -- then you need to ride your bike faster at 90 rpm's.
Bob Townsend is a veteran triathlete a two time Ironman finisher with 13 years of triathlon experience, nearly 30 years of running experience and 40 years of cycling experience. He is a certified triathlon coach by USA Triathlon and a certified cycling coach by USA Cycling. He also holds certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and a Personal Training certification from American College of Sports Medicine. He has been coaching both runners and triathletes for nearly 7 years. He currently is an Endurance Coach and Personal Trainer for Life Time Fitness. To learn more about Bob and his coaching, Click on his Bio HERE.
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