Bytagand the publication “What pedaling cadence for the recovery?”
The beginning of December marks for many the time of the real resumption of cycling training. And this is even more true this year with the (gradual) end of confinement. It has long been said that the return to the routeIt was supposed to be done on a small gear, while spinning. What is the reality? Should you force yourself to ride on the small chainring for several weeks? Not so sure…
By Guillaume Peephole – Photos: Sporful, Pixabay.com, Pxhere.com
Being able to ride with a good pedaling cadence, or more precisely having a good cadence reserve, is generally an advantage.tagand when you are in shape. We know that the key to performance in cycling is the power you are able to develop. Power is the product of the force exerted on the pedals by the speed at which you turn them. You can therefore provide power either by exerting a lot of force with little cadence, or with little force and a lot of cadence. The right balance depends on several factors, including your cardiovascular capacities and your technique. However, you may be physically limited when it comes to gaining strength, while it seems easier to progress technically by improving the quality of pedaling gestures.
To ride fast, you need to know how to apply force and cadence. The two are inseparable., as shown by the pedaling cadences of track pursuit riders, who develop enormous levels of power over a few minutes, rotating their legs above 110 revolutions per minute. In competition, all short and violent efforts are more effective by suddenly accelerating the cadence, which allows one to be more reactive and above all to preserve the muscles for the following efforts.
Various studies show that the highest power levels are achieved with a high pedaling frequency, but this does not mean that a high cadence is the most efficient at all intensity levels. A permanently high cadence would even be counterproductive in terms of fatigue and performance. If we only consider energy expenditure, it is even at relatively low pedaling cadences that a cyclist would be the most economical. This is also why instinctively, the longer the effort and the more it must be managed over time, the more you adopt a reasonable pedaling cadence, around 80 rpm on the flat, and around 60 rpm uphill.
It should be added that the pedaling cadence also depends on the fitness level. Thus, a poorly trained body has difficulty maintaining a high cadence, both in terms of movement qualities and cardiovascular capacities. In other words, if you spin when you are not in shape, you get out of breath and you do not move forward.
This is why getting back into regular training is not the best time to grind and work on your pedaling cadence. You first need to go back to basics, reinstall your body on your machine, make it your own, rework a clean and economical pedal stroke, regain strength and improve your proprioception. Only then will it be time to grind, not as a goal in itself, but with the idea of eventually being able to express high levels of power when necessary. So, you do not improve your pedaling cadence by riding all the time at 90 rpm, which has long been considered the "optimal" cadence on the flat, but rather by performing specific exercises at a higher cadence, interspersed with calmer moments where you ride in a "comfort zone", rather around 75 to 80 rpm.
Practical details
During the first outings, the goal is to redo the basics and rework a clean and economical pedal stroke. So ride at a comfortable pedaling frequency (between 70 and 80 rpm on the flat), on the big chainring as much as possible, and wind the pedals carefully. Remember to apply enough pressure when pushing, but especially to pull with your opposite foot, so that it does not behave like a dead weight during the circular movement around the crankset. Stay seated as often as possible and try to fix your pelvis on the saddle as much as possible.
This work has everything beforetagand to be completed with exercises aimed at strengthening the abdominals and core strength in general. Also think about your upper body, and your shoulders in particular, which need to be strong to transfer the maximum force to the pedals. An improvement in athletic qualities that will have the effect of preventing you from waddling too much and establishing your stability on the bike, even later during more intense efforts.
In the ribs, maintain the posture, continue to roll and you can even decrease the pedaling frequency further to work on submaximal strength, but monitoring the heart rate monitor to stay in the endurance zone.
After about ten outings, you can start to lighten the gear on the flat, but while maintaining the same pace. This means that you will, in sequences, increase your cadence a little. On the descents, let your cadence go, while remaining stable on your machine. Then you can attack the specific exercises, which will consist, first on the flat to avoid the cardio getting out of control, of performing sequences of 5 or 10′ above 100 rpm, interspersed with calmer periods at 80 rpm. Exercises that will come at the same time as an increase in the duration and difficulty of the outings, and the introduction of sessions dedicated to threshold work or PMA for example.
You will quickly realize that your ability to ride at speed is intact after this preparatory work., and it can even be better, since you didn't start training with an imprecise gesture.
And the fixed pinion?
Long considered the miracle solution for learning to turn your legs, practicing fixed gear in winter has gone out of fashion., except perhaps for some pros (who cut very little and are well trained all year round) and for those who practice the track of course.
The fixed pinion on route naturally forces you to turn your legs depending on the speed taken by the bike and the gear chosen. However, the fixed gear facilitates the raising of the leg opposite the push, by a simple effect of inertia. You turn the legs by obligation, but do not necessarily work on the economy of the pedal stroke with a freewheel. In terms of muscular coordination, this work is therefore not what is sought here, especially if you are a purely amateur cyclist or a beginner, who goes through regular phases of training and detraining.
The ideal complement for working on velocity
You all know today the advantagestagis the home trainer, whether for winter practice when outdoor conditions are poor or it gets dark early, or to be able to carry out quality sessions in a minimum of time.
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Modern home trainers with a fixed position are accessible to everyone. But there is something missing compared to real use on route, which concerns the work of the pelvis. It is indeed with the pelvis that you balance the bike outdoors, and that you more or less steer your machine. The pedal stroke is therefore not perfectly worked on the home trainer, unless you use rollers. In this specific case, you quickly realize if your pedal stroke is jerky or not, and regular practice allows a notable improvement on this point.
If you are lucky enough to own a roller trainer, it is an ideal tool to improve your speed., with short, high-frequency pedaling exercises, the benefits of which are quickly transferable to the route.
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Bytagand the publication “What pedaling cadence for the recovery?”
