User's Manual

Is It Good To Pedal Faster Than 110 RPM?

Those who have a high power to resistance ratio may occasionally attain these leg speeds. This means

they have the ability to overcome resistance through strength and speed. The rare, highly skilled Spinning

enthusiast (often cyclists) who have mastered a smooth pedal stroke and who understand the dynamics of

cadence can pedal faster than 110 rpm for 1-3 minutes. A high performance sprint, used judiciously in ride

proﬁles may require cadences over 110 rpm for 10-20 seconds.

Bouncing In The Saddle:

When riding at cadences of 100-120 rpm with too little resistance, the rider will bounce in the saddle. What

causes the bouncing has to do with the pedal stroke. There are four phases to the pedal stroke. Many riders,

however, usually have only one phase—straight down. That means that they haven’t perfected sweeping the

foot back at the bottom of the pedal stroke and pushing the toe forward at the top. As a result, they push down

furiously on the pedals and rely on the ﬂywheel to carry their foot the rest of the way. When their foot reaches

the bottom of the crank arm, the leg can go no further, and the hip is raised up off the saddle, creating that

familiar bouncing. The short-term solution is to add more resistance, but one must also work on pedal stroke

technique and cadence drills.

Cadence Range For Hills: 60-80 rpm

Since 1998, Lance Armstrong has amazed the cycling world with his ability to pedal at 90 RPM up some

of Europe’s toughest climbs. But keep in mind that Lance can ride at 400 watts for several hours and stay

aerobic (watts is a measure of power; 400 watts is a lot of power), whereas many skilled cyclists may be

lucky to achieve 400 watts for a few minutes. In order to pedal at 90 RPM up a steep hill, one must either be

superhuman or must choose a gear that is so low (granny gear), that the bike barely moves. The granny gear

is the small cog found on the front chain ring of mountain bikes and some road bikes—it allows the rider to

climb hills at a much higher cadence and lower resistance, but his/her power and speed are reduced.