I know it is wrong but...

In article said:

Not exactly. If you're using metric units, power is measured in watts and pedal force in newtons.
Torque is measured in newton-meters, and differs from pedal force in taking the crank length into
account.

Ah, I get it. Thank you.

Now I've gotta resist the temptation to do some math tinkering. I think I'll go for a ride
instead ;-)

cheers, Tom

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(Jon Isaacs) said:

Quoted message said:

Most experienced cyclists find that the reduction of knee stress combined with increased speed and
endurance is well worth it. There is still quite a range of cadences used by even high level
racers, although all of them are using higher cadences than many novices who have not yet
developed much aerobic capacity.

Quoted message said:

Most experienced cyclists probably don't have a high percentage of fast twitch muscle nor do they
have large bones and joints.

Exactly. I have rather thick bones and fat^H^H^Hmuscular legs so doing high RPMs is a lot more
wasteful (simple physics, your legs are continuously under accelearation during pedalling, even at
constant rpm). By contrast, most pros have much leaner and less heavier legs with fast twitch
muscles and aerobic capacity to keep it going.

In article said:

I find it much less tiring to use high force/low revs when pedalling -- for example, I prefer to
use the largest chainring, even when going uphill.

I suspect that this has something to do with me having really good deadlift and squat lifts for my
bodyweight and not very good aerobic resistance.

Sorry for being caught up in the recent debate about oxygen uptake vs cadence, but in answer
your question:

You don't say what your cadence is, but going down to around 60 rpm seems to be okay. Much lower and
you're hammering.

Let's look at it from another view. If you had weak legs, pedaling at high revs will be less
fatiguing (because the reduced pedal force requires fewer muscle fibers to contract in unison,
reducing muscle overload and lactate buildup). Low force on the pedals and primarily aerobic
activity, however, will not build much leg strength.

Because of your leg strength, you can probably get away with a lower cadence, but if you want to
improve aerobically, you might want to consider spinning for at least some of your rides. The key
point is that you must sustain a 70-85% HR for a long enough duration, regardless of the pedal force
you favor, for cardiovascular improvement and building an endurance base.

It's even possible that your preferred cadence will quicken as you become more fit. Just think, if
you can sustain a high pedaling force _and_ high revs, you'd be wicked fast on hills!

Quoted message said:

I know this is supposed to be te wrong pedalling technique, but I wonder if it is worth the effort
of changing my style to high revs.

My first (adulthood) bike was a Hon folder with three speeds. With only three gears I was always
hammering up hills and spinning out in the flats. By hammering, I meant standing and really
torqueing the handlebars in order to force the pedals around. High pedal forces did a number on the
bike: I bent the cranks twice (had to replace them) and twisted the frame enough to loosen the
folding hinges. I ended up with massive thighs, though.

Big chainring is probably okay, as long as you don't shift the front under load. But don't hammer in
the small cog. Better to be big in front and medium in back than middle in front and little in back,
as far as gear teeth are concerned.

Keep in mind that the same extreme forces also act on your joints, particularly your knees, so it's
a little easier on your body as well as your bike to pedal faster in lower gear. Also, after a long
ride and you're slightly dehydrated/hyponatremic, a sudden high force can trigger a cramp.

Good luck.

Van

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