The cadence or speed at which we pedal has a large impact on the type of workout we will receive. Maybe larger than we think. Often times, the only thing that separates one workout from another is leg speed. This 4 part series will explore different ways cadence affects the type of workout and our body”™s response.
Part 1: Extremes and Limitations
Part 2: Cardiovascular or Muscular Emphasis
Part 3: Power Output or Strength Development
Part 4: Sprinting for Maximum Power
PART 1: Extremes and Limitations
There are two things to understand as we begin to explore the full range of leg speeds in cycling, (1) what is capable on a real bike, and (2) what is appropriate on an indoor bike. Although the later may appear more to the point for the indoor cycling instructor, I”™ve seen instructors lose respect from outdoor riders because of uninformed, end-all comments. Some of these comments sound like, “there is no value in pedaling faster than 110 RPM” or, “it is unsafe to pedal slower than 60 RPM — EVER!” or, “leg speed doesn”™t matter, just ride as hard as you can!” Anyone who has hung around me long enough knows my thought on these comments is, “it depends”.
Why is the impact of cadence when riding indoors different than when riding outdoors? It boils down to the lack of side-to-side and forward and backward movement (limitations) of the indoor bike. This limitation of movement has both mechanical and safety implications.
Natural Movement of the Bike
When we stand on a bike outdoors, it moves side-to-side (or should) as we apply pressure to the pedals. The bike may swing as little as 3-4 inches to greater than 10 inches. What we often don”™t realizes is that the bike is also surging forward and backwards as well. The overall movement of both the side-to-side and surges results in a "Figure 8." Keep in mind that this movement is also present when riding seated. We just don”™t notice it as much because the bike moves less. So simply, a bike ridden outdoors moves much more than you may think. This “natural” movement provides leverage for power production and aligns joints to apply maximum force. The lack of natural movement of an indoor bike can limit mechanical efficiency and power.
This lack of bike movement also presents safety concerns for indoor cycling. Because the indoor bike does not move naturally, the body often needs to compensate by moving instead. Regardless of how much one moves their body to compensate for the lack of bike movement, an unnatural amount of stress will be placed on the muscles and joints. This is the reason why certain movements and extreme cadences should be avoided. Quick or explosive movements from a seated to standing position should be avoided. These include sprints that start in the saddle and then force a rider to quickly stand with heavy resistance, and jumps (Spinning®) which encourage riders to move rapidly from a seated to standing position. These movements will place unhealthy stress on the lower (lumbar) spine, because the body must compensate (not the bike) for the force.
Similarly, leg speeds faster than 110 RPM are discouraged on an indoor bike. The lack of any movement on an indoor bike will place unnecessary stress on joints at higher speeds. The addition of a fixed, weighted flywheel only adds to the risk. Conversely, pedaling slower than 55 RPM (with heavy resistance) on an indoor bike can also put a rider at risk since the bike is not able to move under the workload placing unnatural stress on joints. Understand that it is not uncommon for riders training outdoors to perform cadence drills above 120 RPM or muscular strength efforts under 50 RPM. Are these beneficial — well, it depends. More importantly, regardless of whether you are riding indoors or outside, appropriate resistance (gearing) and proper form should be maintained at all times.
NOTE: The limitations described above can also apply to “real” bikes ridden using an indoor (stationary) trainer.
Originally posted 2011-05-05 05:00:06.
- The Effects of Cadence (Part 1) Extremes and Limitations - September 27, 2024
- Make Recovery Work - July 23, 2024
- The Effects of Cadence (Part 3) Power Output or Strength Development - July 17, 2024
Tom,
Yesterday during my 12noon class I had a member in class who
lowered his seat so he could not sit on it while riding.
It was really interesting to watch him ride; he hung/gripped tightly onto the bars with his palms facing up and his cadence ranged from wild (greater than 110) to about 80rpms. It looked like his weight was towards the back end of the bike frame. After class I went and introduced myself to him and made a general comment about how I noticed that his seat was lowered so that he could not sit down in the saddle during the class (he is very tall; about 6ft). He grinned and said ‘that’s how I usually ride; it makes my *$$
tight’. Okay. A young lady riding next to him told me that he is famous for this type of riding; at another local gym “they take the seats completely off during class”.
I have never seen this type of riding before and was intrigued. I had heard about people who took the seats off during class, proudly saying it was a very tough way to ride.
I am familiar with other styles of riding (Les Mills) but this was just painful to watch. I noticed he had to take breaks by leaving the room and then I he would return (not sure why).
What do you think? I am a little worried that he will return to my class and do the same thing next week. What would you say if you were in my shoes? When his cadence was over 110, I said “add resistance so the legs don’t go wild”.
He might have added some to slow down a bit…
Thanks, Tom.
Wow…. I have this image of a tall guy dressed in (dance) spandex including leg warmers (with a tight butt) pedaling – standing up – to the theme song from Footloose. I’m almost at a loss (hard to believe). Well here are two approaches you could take:
(1) Keep a workout focused on pedal stroke technique and proper form tucked in your back pocket. If he shows up again, pull it out and teach it. He’ll either conform, leave or…
(2) Ask your group fitness director the following question: “Would the club be liable for a law suit if someone got injured in my cycling class?” They might respond “Why do you ask? Has someone gotten hurt?” Then you can tell them about this guy who is riding in a very dangerous position. Tell them you are concerned this person will hurt themselves PLUS (optional) since they have such a tight butt, others may be inclined to imitate looking for a similar result.
Other than that….I’ve got nut-in.
Tom,
Thank you for the suggestions. I already use suggestion #1 regularly. Suggestion #2 is what I will do next week before
class; I’ll speak to the General Manager of the club regarding any legal problems we could face if he continues to ride like that in the club. The problem is, this type of riding is common at another local gym in the area. Here is another visual to add to your first: since he never sat down on the seat, he would ‘hover’ just above it and behind it (making it appear as if he was sitting down) while gripping and pulling the handlebars with palms facing up towards him because the handlebars were helping to support/stabilize his body weight in that position.
I guess when he was standing it was safer for him than pretending to sit in the saddle…it was quite a sight.
I guess there are more folks who have adopted this way of indoor cycling. WOW is right…
I see behavior like this in people who come from a club in downtown Minneapolis called “The firm”. This is a “Look at me” thing. My solution was to tell a very special couple in class one day; “when you are at the Firm you can do anything you want, even if it has you looking like a dork. Here we ride and look like cyclists.”
Amen!
wow, so glad i read this AND the comments below. i kept thinking OMG!!!!! what would i do because i couldn’t just ride idly by and not say something. what a danger to himself and ultimately others that think this was appropriate. i would think most people would look at this guy and his form and recognize the “idiot” factor. i think also going to management and letting them deal with this guy, maybe talk with him, takes it out of the instructor’s hands.
I like your suggestion John and very applicable in other situations as well.
thanks. looking forward to the subsequent informative articles in this feature. thank you tom.
John,
Thank you for the suggestion — yes, I am a little bit worried that other folks will replicate this type of ‘riding’ (it’s definitely ‘look at me’). It caused quite a stir in the packed room (it is dimmed with a black light) so I didn’t notice his unusual style of riding until ten minutes into the class.
The wild, 130+rpm caught my attention but I didn’t realize he wasn’t sitting in his saddle!! I later got off the bike to take another look and that was when I realized he was not sitting at all!
I suppose it did cause a stir with the folks around him.
Help; I need more suggestions to discourage this if he comes back next week (he’s an enthusiastic type and seems to be an amicable guy). I would hate to see him hurt himself. Thanks so much.
In my humble opinion, Tom, your best post yet. I look forward to parts 2, 3 and 4.
Bikes with power meters on them have made it easier to slow some legs in my classes… I simply have the class reference the wattage number, have them add resistance, maintain cadence and let them know that number should be larger. If not… try again.
Indeed there is a smaller segment of the indoor rider population that believe somehow that max resistance and very slow legs is good for them. So your discussion on slow cadence hits home. My mission will be to educate them. I think the power meter can help with these riders as well… everyone likes to see bigger numbers.
Good stuff keep it coming!
This is a fantastic topic, Tom. Can’t wait for the rest and love the image of the guy in spandex.
Whenever I see someone doing something downright dangerous, I tell them directly, no matter how much they don’t want to hear it. If that doesn’t work, I inform the the club manager.
Since I emphasize form and pedal stroke in every single class, most of them eventually just give up and do it the right way.
Firstly, some think the rider is trying to get attention. He might be but we certainly don’t have enough info to guess that and only poker players can mind read anyway.
2nd ly. My example. I got radio active (iodine 13) implants for prostate cancer 2.5 yrs ago and have stood ever since (by the way I’ve never taken a break during a class…were all different), if you need a break take one…jezzz.
Few people know that stand because of cancer, none of their business, but I explain to the instructor I have an injury and will follow her lead but follow standing up (they appreciate that). I am not going to pound the cancer tumors or the radioactive seeds with the bike seat.
I have to come to enjoy standing. Here in Vancouver average stand time is less than 1/2 the time while at golds in California where I winter often times it is 80%. I do the short speed drills VO2Max’s as fast as I can (140 RPM). I am sucking O2 after just trying to recover for the next sprint. People do notice I put out a lot of effort in my workout (huge sweat) but I try to sit in a corner at the back to draw less attention.
All that said the speed drills have greatly improved my quickness on the tennis court (my sport) and my endurance benefits huge. California and Vancouver instructors all do movement on the bike which includes standing and moving what they call into profile where your bum is over the seat and your head is close to the bars. The only injury I have had is briefly sore knee until I realized early on that your feet have to be completely flat, all the time.
Have fun training and let others have fun also. We don’t want to do each others workout only learn from each other. The Beatles song “Let It Be” might be a good song to include in a spin cool-down. Like a motorcylce race though the mountains, one rider says to me :this is no fun man, I said ÿour right but a day later we were signing up for the next race.
The harder it is the better it is after. By the way I am coming up 61 yrs old and I play and run as I did at 20.
Good Luck, TopSpinWilly, Vancouver BC
Hi Mr Wilson,
I’ve seen the same thing and it drives me nuts! I’ve tried the tactic of telling a little story before class that starts with, “I took a cycling class while traveling for work and you wouldn’t believe what I saw! (I actually saw it in my own class so I just make up the work trip part of it) I saw this woman (I would use the opposite sex of the person I’m trying to educate) and she rode most of the class with her seat in lowest position. (Then I demonstrate.) Now imagine if you got tired or something happened where you had to sit right away. Could you imagine the impact to your knees when sitting it that low position?” I then reinterate proper seat height, etc. I think the story aspect sometimes gets their attention in a different way than dropping the coaching and educational hints throughout class. As an earlier post said perhaps there is a reason the person is riding in this risky position (I would think they could leave the seat at a safe height and still ride out of the saddle…) but at least the entire class has heard you explain the risk and return of this practice. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t change the behavior. There will always be the outliers that are beyond our control!
To CanadaMexico’s point, I would always recommend approaching any rider with questions rather than telling them what you “think” they should do. One of my opening questions is to ask them if they are experiencing discomfort.
I showed up to teach a few sessions of an indoor cycling fundraiser and as I was watching the class before me, I noticed a rider with her saddle so high that her knees locked on every stroke. I asked the group fitness director (also the main indoor cycling instructor at the facility) if she noticed that rider. The rider was in the first row in front of the instructor. It bothered me that the instructor would not have helped her. The director/instructor told me that she had been a member for years and would not change her position on the bike regardless of what anyone said. During the break I approached the rider and introduced myself. I asked her if she had ever experienced pain or discomfort in her knees. She asked why. I then told her that her knees “appeared” to be over-extending at the bottom of each pedal stroke. She then confessed that both the back of her knees and knee cap had been bothering her for months. I asked if I could adjust her position and she agreed. I set her up properly on the bike and looked over at the director. She stuck her tongue out at me 🙂
How you approach people is so important. Asking questions is the best way to begin as any health (and medical) professional knows.
For the record, I LOVE riding out of the saddle and usually ride standing more than most – especially out on the road.
CanadaMexico, you are an absolute inspiration!!!!
canadamexico…..your input is great on this topic but I think you’re falling into the logical fallacy that folk use when they want to do what they want to do as opposed to what they’re requested/instructed/supposed to do.
Tom’s post was an instructional review of the *why* behind the specific cadence parameters that’re used on these weighted-flywheel Spin bikes……and the consequences of disregarding them. These consequences are always the same. Always. Without regard to past medical history. A combo of physics and physiology…..and nothing changes that. Really. No…REALLY!!1!
I can well understand why you might not want to sit down……anything involving the undercarriage would make me feel like that…..but you’re using faulty reasoning to justify warp speed, out-of-the saddle cadences that you want to use.
Addressing your specific problem……one of my abso-tootly fave instructors a few years back had surgery for prostate cancer. Three days in hospital. Just over 3 weeks out of the gym. Taught off the bike for another 3 or so weeks…..and was then back to teaching biomechanically sound classes that involved significant time in the saddle.
I guess there’s nothing wrong with doing what you want and justifying the reasons behind but, here on this forum, the information that’s being provided is designed to make sure that folk who’re charged with delivering a solid, sound, worthwhile class can’t really afford to listen to what’re really nothing more than excuses from individuals who want to do the Libertarian thing.
Vivienne
Hi CanadaMexico: Thank you for the enlightenment. God bless you and your wonderful attitude towards life! 🙂
Tom: Thank you for the suggestion to ask if there is any discomfort. I did talk to management and they are very aware of this situation. Where I work each member signs a waiver before he/she enters the classes. Since he was in class last Wednesday again, I will ask him this week if he has ever experienced discomfort. Not sure what this will do, but it’s worth a try. Someone made a comment to me last Wednesday after observing him – that perhaps he’s got Tourette syndrome…hmmmm. Good point about the lady who used the bike with the seat too high! (you would think she would have owwies in the netherlands first before the back of her knees started complaining!!) ? Go figure.
Sheila: Thank you for the emotional support. It’s true; we do the best we can but there are things that are just out of our control. He seems to be such a nice guy…he’s positive – likes to smile a lot – and doesn’t seem arrogant at all.
Tom,
Since we’re on the topic of ‘doing what we want anyway’ there are instructors who are still using the 1). hovers at high resistance (with hands behind the back), and 2). the UP, WAY BACK, (bottom over the seat) and UP riding for three minutes. What is (are) the benefit(s) of doing this type of exercise on the indoor bikes? I’m trying to say something positive to this when I see this. I know it stretches the glutes and hamstrings while moving WAY BACK over the seat after one STANDS up first…it looks like a rhythmic dance (the RPMs are more for climbing, I think). Have you seen this type of ‘dancing’ before on a bike? What do you think?
Tom,
I forgot to mention that #2) is used during a 1,2,3count (One – UP, Two – OUT and WAY BACK OVER SEAT, Three – UP). The rider doesn’t use the seat during this three-count move (it’s a somewhat fast rhythm).
The hovers (#1) is used in a very slow 40RPM(?) while standing up/leaning forwards with hands behind back (this scares me).
I love this information — and I wish I had an easy way to offer this to my students (beyond just speaking to it in class). I’d really like to have a nice 1 page flyer that I could give the riders and post in my gym on cadence efficiency/safety. Tom I know you are handy with the graphics, anyway you could put together something like this for your members. I’d love that! Basically taking your wisdom but putting it out there for the rider population rather than instructor focused. I hope you’ll consider this 🙂
Thanks. Colleen