Spin to win

While pounding the pedals in a low gear has a place in cycling, riders from beginners to expert have much to gain by being able to spin with high revolutions-per-minute cadences.

Elite cyclists will routinely use a cadence over 100 rpms (the number of times per minute your legs complete one full revolution) for a number of reasons.

First, high rpm cycling is leaps and bounds more efficient than using your legs to torque out the same speed with a lower gear.

Secondly, the high cadence will allow them the ability to change speeds (usually when someone in the pack jumps out front - a breakaway attempt - and you need to respond if you want to join him). It's very hard to gain speed if you are riding in a low-rpm, low speed state. Cyclists with huge thighs might be able to accelerate pretty quickly, but keeping up with someone that is already at cruising speed is a tall order.

With a higher cadence comes the engagement of fast-twitch muscles. Studies have suggested that cyclists using lower cadences will burn more carbohydrates, while the high-cadence counterpart will rely more on the burning of stored fat to produce the needed energy.

Increasing your cadence can be accomplished on your road bike (or cruiser) but it may be beneficial to trying increasing your rpms on a trainer. Once you get used to 'spinning,' your body will start to adapt and your fast-twitch muscles can carry some of the load that was previously being burdened by their slow-twitch counterparts.

The slow-twitch muscles that take a beating when you're using too slow a cadence are most often your quads. You're applying so much force to propel you and the bike forward, they build up lactic acid in the muscles, which needs to be released soon after (specifically through high-rpm cadence) or you'll end up with some very sore muscles at the end of the ride. This sore leg feeling creates the negative feedback that keeps many beginners or novices from getting back on a bike anytime soon. And who among us wouldn't mind a little fat burning while we're riding?

At any rate, the high-rpm route keeps cyclists fresher, using less resources (calories), which will keep them fresher for a longer ride duration.

When it comes to hills, cyclists quickly learn that the way to get over that hump the quickest, is to most often accelerate (if possible) at the bottom, and then find a nice, high-rpm rhythm that they can carry to the summit. It usually takes everybody a while to come to this conclusion (me included) but eventually you notice that if you're going up the same hill every week, that quicker way to the top (with less fatigue) involves at the very least a good amount of high-rpm climbing.

I usually notice two things when I'm on training rides and I come across a beginner or novice rider. First, their seat height is inches too low, probably because it's easier to mount/dismount that way. But if they'd just raise it up a couple inches, they wouldn't have to work so hard in the saddle to reach the same speeds.

Secondly, their cadence is glacially slow. Regardless of if they are on a multi-speed or single speed bike, it seems like they are riding with a single speed, because the cadence will be in the 40-50 rpm range, if that.

I'll sometimes spin up to them, maintaining a cadence in the 80-90 range, and if they appear confused and a little bewildered, I'll give them a heads up and see if I can convince them to shift a few gears easier.

I'd say roughly half the time I do this, the light bulb will go on and a newbie just found a better way to enjoy their ride. The rest of the time, I'll get the old 'This is the way I've always done it, and it works for me' argument.

Not surprisingly, I will sometimes circle around without them knowing, just to see if they give a higher cadence a try once they are alone again.

In all actuality, there is no perfect cadence for a cyclist. It's one of those unique things. When I'm racing, I have to catch myself from noticing what cadence other riders are using, since that obviously works for them, but chances are it wouldn't for me. Normally, the group will all be riding with similar rpm cadences but occasionally someone will be cranking out a lower gear with 20-25 fewer rpms and it's bound to make you do a double-take.

But focus must be regained, and as I've said previously, if you're searching for that perfect cadence, you'll be searching a while.

Better yet, just spin as easy as possible and enjoy the ride!

Jerry Hitchcock can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2017, via email at jhitchcock@cdapress.com, or follow him on Twitter at HitchTheWriter.