Why Is So Much Importance Placed On Pedal Mechanics And
Cadence?
You’ve probably seen cyclists in the tours and races that
you have done, displaying what appears like a seemingly
effortless pedal stroke, turning an incredible cadence -
power being transferred to the pedals without any wasted
motion or energy. This smooth and efficient transfer of
energy from your body to your bike results in quicker times
on the bike.
The first step to consider in your quest for efficiency is
cadence. Practicing and implementing a higher cadence
during your cycling will give you a double advantage:
First, the higher your cadence, the less force you must
apply at the pedals to generate the same amount of power.
And second, by applying less force to the pedals you incur
less stress applied to the musculature of your legs,
leaving you more reserves for riding longer and faster -
something even more important to multi-sport athletes who
must run after getting off of the bike . What's more, you
can, of course, apply the same force with a higher cadence
to achieve an even higher speed as well - necessary for
time trialists and road racers.
The higher speed at which your feet move through a pedal
cycle results in a smaller time interval during which you
have to apply this force. Basically you have less time to
apply the force during each crank revolution since you are
getting through the cycle faster. Once you become efficient
in the application of force and have adopted a quicker
pedaling cadence you will be well on your way to harnessing
more power, higher efficiency, and less leg fatigue on the
bike. You will be able to sustain a higher average speed
during the bike and feel less muscle fatigue when you get
into your longer rides.
To kind of give you an idea of how important the cadence
part of this equation is, let me explain it with respect to
power. Power is work divided by time. Work is force times
distance. In cycling, force and distance are determined by
gear size. Time is dependent on pedaling cadence. So as you
shift to a higher gear while cadence or time remains
constant, power rises. In the same way, if cadence
increases (time for each pedal stroke decreases) as the
gear size stays the same, power also increases. Thus, power
is increased by 1) improving your ability to turn higher
gears, or 2) becoming more efficient at pedaling with a
high cadence.
Both
mean that you will ride much faster.
Some riders, especially those who are strong and mash big
gears, will benefit from improving their ability to spin
the pedals. Those who are already good spinners will become
more powerful by developing the ability to turn higher
gears.
But, to become better at turning bigger gears you not only
need to be proficient in turning higher cadences, you also
must improve your force development on the pedals. Your
force can be improved by lifting weights (for example doing
squats, walking lunges, step-ups), and/or by doing big
gears/low rpm intervals on the flats, into the wind, up low
angle hills, or as is the case with our indoor cycling
sessions - on your bike which is positioned on a stationary
trainer. So the second step in your quest to become a
faster cyclist is to develop an efficient application of
force. This involves applying force to the pedals during
the entire 360 degrees that make up the pedal stroke.
At the indoor Excel In Cycling sessions we'll work to
improve your cadence and pedal technique by doing very
specific drills that force you to concentrate on and refine
pedaling mechanics and cadence. Isolated leg training is
especially good for refining pedal mechanics. Most riders
will probably discover that there is a "sticking" point at
the top of their stroke that they must learn to smoothly
overcome if they are to be efficient higher cadence riders.
They may also discover that there is an "unloading" period
in the upstroke of the pedal cycle that involves using ones
hip flexors. This unloading technique is usually neglected
by most riders and thereby results in less leg muscles
being called upon to help the in the pedal cycle. Less
muscle group involvement means slower cycling times!
Other drills that I employ at Excel In Cycling indoor
sessions are spinup ladders and pyramids. Spinups involve
you riding briskly in an easy gear. You’ll gradually
increase your cadence each minute until you are spinning so
fast that you start to bounce on the saddle. (The reason
for the bounce is that you are making inefficient
transitions to upward force from downward force at the
bottom of the stroke. Since the crank arm can't get any
longer as you push down on the pedal at the 6 o'clock
position, your butt comes up off the saddle producing the
bounce.) The idea of this drill is to force you to become
more efficient at the transition point and to pedal at
higher cadences without bouncing. A handlebar computer with
a cadence mode is essential when doing this drill at our
indoor sessions.