Spin or Grind

[Zeps]

ever wonder why junior gears are small than your normal gears.. its so that they learn to sit and spin.

your normal daily cycling should be spinning with once a week doing a power (aka grinding) session. this works both set of muscles.

so that during a race. you dont end up running out of gears grinding away when the pace picks up and you dont end up spinning away cause you cant push the bigger gears.

its a balance but spinning is way way way more easier on the body than grinding.

 

I was under the impression it had to do with the development of the body at that age

[TNT1]

I was under the impression it had to do with the development of the body at that age

 

It is, it also teaches a fundamental of the sport and muscle memory.

[The expat cyclist]

Spinning or grinding?

SRAM or Shimano anyone?

 

I was told by Benita de Witt (Google it) that I should spin more because grinding isn't good for me. Tightens up my muscles etc.

 

You know what - she was wrong and right. These days I don't really grind and I don't really spin. I find what works best for me and my body type!

[Zeps]

It is, it also teaches a fundamental of the sport and muscle memory.

 

makes sense!

[Gumpole]

Spinning uses more energy, not much more but more never the same...

this extra energy is used in the friction of the cranks and moving your legs.

 

To demonstrate sit your bike on a stationary trainer, set it to the easiest gear possible (or remove the chain).

Now spin at 60 RPM for a couple of minutes(doing no external work)

Try again at 100 RPM,

Now try at 140 RPM

 

The extra extertion that you feel at 140RPM rather than 60RPM is the extra energy that has been wasted.

 

So get a balance between spinning (uses more energy) and grinding which hurts muscles) that suits you.

 

Then use this for flats and hills alike.

[SwissVan]

Spinning or grinding?

SRAM or Shimano anyone?

 

I was told by Benita de Witt (Google it) that I should spin more because grinding isn't good for me. Tightens up my muscles etc.

 

You know what - she was wrong and right. These days I don't really grind and I don't really spin. I find what works best for me and my body type!

 

To much "Grinding" will be bad for you. Low cadence (Grinding) training has it's benifets as well, its like doing gym for your legs but is 100% cycle specific.

 

Combining some low cadence with "normal" and high cadence (spinning) is the better option and can also done on flat and hilly terrain.

 

Dr Ferrari (53x12.com) told me to do it.

[Gumpole]

 

However a heaver, grinding, fast twitch muscle person can easily learn to run high cadence. Your body is mechanical. It will take you 3 weeks to go from 80 to 100 cadence. You'll see from you heart rate that it jumps initially as you're not use to running higher cadence. But in 3 weeks time you'll do the cadence but at your earlier grinding heart rate.

 

At the end of the day it depends on the individual and not the argument.

 

There is a misconception that big powerful guys have more fast twitch muscles while small, skinny types are more slow twitch. This is completely wrong, eg really small guys are some of the fastest sprinters (Cavendish, McEwen) and big guys are good TTers - Cancellera, Zabriskie, Armstrong.

 

(ok this isn't related to the cadence issue, sorry )

[andydude]

There is a misconception that big powerful guys have more fast twitch muscles while small, skinny types are more slow twitch. This is completely wrong, eg really small guys are some of the fastest sprinters (Cavendish, McEwen) and big guys are good TTers - Cancellera, Zabriskie, Armstrong.

 

(ok this isn't related to the cadence issue, sorry )

 

I don't think it's a misconception. You might have misunderstood. Big doesn't refer to the whole body, but more the legs. Cavendish & McEwen have large legs... more fast twitch, while guys like Contador and the Schlecks have skinny legs... more slow twitch. And each has its advantages and disadvantages. You can train each other, but it is mostly genetics.

[CharlV]

I don't think it's a misconception. You might have misunderstood. Big doesn't refer to the whole body, but more the legs. Cavendish & McEwen have large legs... more fast twitch, while guys like Contador and the Schlecks have skinny legs... more slow twitch. And each has its advantages and disadvantages. You can train each other, but it is mostly genetics.

 

 

My question earlier this week regarding ratio's on cassettes is due to my legs not being able to experience the "spin" on my curent 11/ 24 cassette , I have installed a 11/28 and will be doing the same 1.5km 7% uphill as I normally do , will give feedback tommorow. Did the same uphill on Monday with my MTB and got up the hill faster and not nearly as winded as with the road bike . Lets see how todays "spining" goes

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

The winding might also have something to do with your position on the road bike. More relaxed = more air able to come in than when you are crunched over...

[Wannabe]

I overused/abused my knees by grinding big gears on my Mtb by training on the road over December. Was training with slower/not so fit guys and I thought by staying in the big blade no matter what, I'll do power work whilst riding at their pace. (thus training more/benefit more) Guess what, I had to go and see a Physio to try and get my knees back into shape. I'm now again trying to get into spinning between 90-100rpm avg on my roadbike. My knees are happier for that.

BTW, I see myself more as a "power rider/grinder" as a "spinner". Almost always in a heavier gear than the guys around me. My avg cadence at races is between 75-80rpm.

[Grebel]

My question earlier this week regarding ratio's on cassettes is due to my legs not being able to experience the "spin" on my curent 11/ 24 cassette , I have installed a 11/28 and will be doing the same 1.5km 7% uphill as I normally do , will give feedback tommorow. Did the same uphill on Monday with my MTB and got up the hill faster and not nearly as winded as with the road bike . Lets see how todays "spining" goes

 

I am runing a 53/39 with a 12/25 (?) rear cassette and I also ride a MTB. When I got onto my roadbike for the first time I almost snapped a gear cable looking for more gears!! After a few weeks of training, I am getting used to it. Probably why I preffer spinning due to the MTB experience. I "spin" at a cadence of about 75-80 rpm. With a bit more practice I reckon I could get up to 90 rpm. As said before your lungs can recover but when your legs are spent, you are in k@k!!

[Eldron]

A wise Belgian man once told me - you can spin forever but everytime you use power you dip into a limited supply. Only power when forced to. His accent was better than mine...

 

That said - Herr Jan won a tour and finished about 2,000 in second place by being a diesel monster.

 

Methinks the right answer is a combination of listening to your body but keeping your RPM above ~80rpm most of the time.

['Dale]

A wise Belgian man once told me - you can spin forever but everytime you use power you dip into a limited supply. Only power when forced to. His accent was better than mine...

 

That said - Herr Jan won a tour and finished about 2,000 in second place by being a diesel monster.

 

Methinks the right answer is a combination of listening to your body but keeping your RPM above ~80rpm most of the time.

Good point.

A lower limit of some kind.

 

[The gym bikes at Virgin Active always encourage not to go lower than 70 revs per minute]

[CharlV]

My question earlier this week regarding ratio's on cassettes is due to my legs not being able to experience the "spin" on my curent 11/ 24 cassette , I have installed a 11/28 and will be doing the same 1.5km 7% uphill as I normally do , will give feedback tommorow. Did the same uphill on Monday with my MTB and got up the hill faster and not nearly as winded as with the road bike . Lets see how todays "spining" goes

 

 

Gents

Some observations from yesterdays Hill repeats :

There is a clear improvement in my time up that hill with the 11/28 : did 4 repeats 1.5km 7% at avg of 20% improvement on time.

Legs not burning that badly only had to stand up on the first bend where the gradient goes 9%!!

Heartbeat maxed out at 194 BPM which is way lower then 210BPM of last week on the 11/24 ratio. (194BPM=108% of Maxheartrate).

 

Then I made an effort to sit up straight, to emulate the MTB set up ,I Sh*T you not it felt more comfortable !!!

(how do you change the bike setup on a roadbike to have more of an upright body position i.e. MTB)

Edited January 21, 2011 by CharlV

[scotty]

(how do you change the bike setup on a roadbike to have more of an upright body position i.e. MTB)

 

Get a Hybrid.