You got citations for that one, Cerv?
It is his word versus ours. We like our word. We like where we stand and we like our credibility."--Lance Armstrong.
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I have always said leg speed is as important as watts.
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just found this....
"Spinning at higher cadences reduces the watts-per-pedal-stroke, a measure of the force required to produce a given wattage. This makes the workload more tolerable for the muscles. Most experts believe that this is because fewer fast-twitch muscle fibers must be recruited to create the high torque levels required at low cadence. Pedaling with a too-low cadence increases reliance on fast twitch fibers, causing premature lactic acid accumulation, which makes your legs burn"from:
http://www.trifuel.com/training/bike/cycling-cadence-and-pedaling-economygoogle "cycling cadence fast twitch muscle"
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My nickname a long time ago was big ring abuser. I have always and still push a big gear at a low cadence. Doesn't seem to hamper me.
"There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time."
Malcolm X -
Most experts believe that this is because fewer fast-twitch muscle fibers must be recruited to create the high torque levels required at low cadence. Pedaling with a too-low cadence increases reliance on fast twitch fibers, causing premature lactic acid accumulation, which makes your legs burn"
--------------The first sentence and the second one seem to contradict each other.
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Hab - binnenblad!
(that's what they used to yell at me all the time back in NL)
The wise man said follow me...and he walked behind. -
Tried counting the revolutions in the interval between 4 seconds on the video and 16 seconds (the end). Pretty much have to count as fast as I can and not sure I'm keeping up. I reached the count of 50. That would put the cadence at a minimum of 250.
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hey Keith,
yeah, they do seem to contradict. didn't catch that in my cut and paste.
this one's better:
"The optimal cycling cadence also has a lot to do with the two types of muscle fibers: slow-twitch fibers and fast-twitch fibers. Mashers use more fast-twitch fibers, which offer a lot of power but fatigue quickly. Spinners, on the other hand, use more slow-twitch fibers, which don't fatigue as quickly"
from: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/triathlons/training/cycling-cadence1.htm -
I'm no LA hater, but if there is one thing about LA's contribution to this sport that would go away it's the idea that faster cadence is always better. If I recall, LA picked up the fast cadence idea from Big Mig, and the idea is not to increase speed, but to decrease force required on the pedals to maintain the same power output. Less force leads to less wear on the knees, etc., which can be important in a long stage race. As I recall, LA (or Mig?) said something like "I don't pedal high cadence to get up THIS hill, I pedal high cadence to get up the NEXT hill."
The physics of the matter is that Power = Torque x Angular Velocity
Angular velocity in this case is "cadence." Increase cadence and you can decrease torque and maintain the same power output.But this equation does not consider human physiology. Pedaling at a high cadence wastes energy that does not contribute to forward motion. Put your bike on a trainer and remove the chain. Pedal a slow cadence and then try a very high cadence. Which tired you out faster? Exactly. Moving your legs at a high speed requires energy, and that energy is NOT contributing to power at the rear wheel.
Ideally, (as cerv mentioned earlier) you should find the cadence that best matches your ability to apply maximum torque. Even mechanical motors feel this effect, they have power curves associating power output with RPM. The maximum power output is rarely at the highest possible RPM.
P.S. In the case of sprinters or track cyclists (shown in the video), they must train to produce torque AND high cadence at the same time. Producing maximum torque at very high cadence is quite a difficult thing to do and cannot be maintained for long.
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe." - Albert Einstein -
As a kid racing in the Netherlands I had to use single speed low gearing (42x17) as a 'nieuweling (16 y.o.) - my results dramatically improved every time I aged up and could ride bigger gears, as I am more a masher than a spinner. I did not train more and my improved results were not matched by improvements in any other sports I participated in, leading me to believe that I am just more efficient at lower cadences.
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I think it’s kind of pointless exercise, unless you can keep it up. Way back during the off season we use to train on spinning bikes and would start spinning at about 110 rpm for at least ten minutes to get warmed up, keep our fitness level and practice keeping Max HR over 180. I can’t see the advantages of being able to spin @200 RPM for a minute or two, even if you are a track rider.
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What's that got to do with the price of tea in China Bob?
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Nah, that is about stride length, not leg speed. his cadence was not that high....
;-)
Boy has some wheels though. I love watching that clip.
Just say "NO!!" to WCP!
"Want to get faster? Work harder, eat better, cut the crap. Instead of talking the talk, work the work"
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