Are you a masher or a spinner (pros/cons)

XtotheZ

gadetra wrote: »

Why? What advantage is it?

Builds power in the legs. Think of it like a triangle with speed on the top and cadence and power on either side. Cadence is on a limited range ~~100rpm lets say, in our case to ride fast its all about the gears your able to ride on. So in that sense riding 30-50rpm up climbs in the biggest gears is the only way to do.

Thats in training keep in mind.

eeeee

XtotheZ wrote: »

Builds power in the legs. Think of it like a triangle with speed on the top and cadence and power on either side. Cadence is on a limited range ~~100rpm lets say, in our case to ride fast its all about the gears your able to ride on. So in that sense riding 30-50rpm up climbs in the biggest gears is the only way to do.

Thats in training keep in mind.

Ok that's interesting. I train the same as yourself, by accident rather than design really But I get what you mean. I think! My power is ok, could be better, but I could do with more endurance, and spinning helps to build this up I think? I may need more balance in my training. Track has really helped with this.

(also I don't know how many more years my knees will take!)

XtotheZ

gadetra wrote: »

Ok that's interesting. I train the same as yourself, by accident rather than design really But I get what you mean. I think! My power is ok, could be better, but I could do with more endurance, and spinning helps to build this up I think? I may need more balance in my training. Track has really helped with this.

(also I don't know how many more years my knees will take!)

When the coach first said to do it, last winter, i hated it and thought it was pointless but kept at it nevertheless. but you really see the benefit when your at full form and done it semi religiously since late decemebr this season.

The way I always think of it, is when Philipe Gilbert won the world championship in 2012 he was the only rider to ride the Cauberg in the 53 chainring, or so i heard

eeeee

XtotheZ wrote: »

When the coach first said to do it, last winter, i hated it and thought it was pointless but kept at it nevertheless. but you really see the benefit when your at full form and done it semi religiously since late decemebr this season.

Do you mean spinning or mashing? Sorry if I'm being dim

crosstownk

I'm a spinner - I always have been. I find it enjoyable and I feel more in control.

However, I do mash to some extent when climbing rather than changing to a lower gear but too much mashing makes my legs burn. Like a previous poster I also mash downhill but mainly because I prefer to get into a higher gear so I can concentrate on reaching escape velocity (hasn't happened...yet).

XtotheZ

gadetra wrote: »

Do you mean spinning or mashing? Sorry if I'm being dim

sorry, mashing :P

Type 17

Riding a BMX for most of my teens, including riding it 5.5 km each way to school, and to BMX races, on a 44/16, means I've been a spinner from a young age.
Even today, my daily hack runs a 42 single on the front with a 13/21 on the rear, and I spin around 90.

Mashing is like driving a car in fifth gear at 50km/h - it'll do it, but it doesn't really like it, and you're not in the engine's power-band...

Ironlungs

I used to mash on climbs especially, but even on inclines of any sort, and I think it has contributed to establishing a decent powerbase. More recently I have been inclined to spin, and found that my times were unaffected. I also come over the crest of hills able to get the power down again quickly as opposed to having my legs flooded with lactic acid and having to recover. I try to spin as much a possible now, and only give in to a bit of mashing when I know I shouldn't be giving in to a climb.

cdaly_

Ironlungs wrote: »

I also come over the crest of hills able to get the power down again quickly as opposed to having my legs flooded with lactic acid and having to recover.

I'm a spinner but I thought this was just the result of getting generally fitter...

XtotheZ

Ironlungs wrote: »

I used to mash on climbs especially, but even on inclines of any sort, and I think it has contributed to establishing a decent powerbase. More recently I have been inclined to spin, and found that my times were unaffected. I also come over the crest of hills able to get the power down again quickly as opposed to having my legs flooded with lactic acid and having to recover. I try to spin as much a possible now, and only give in to a bit of mashing when I know I shouldn't be giving in to a climb.

you can put up with lactic acid but what i find when i spin is i need much more oxegen and where as lactic is just pain without oxegen you aint goin no where

pprendeville

“For the better part of a century, athletes and physiologists alike have considered lactic acid a primary cause of fatigue during high-intensity exercise and referred to it as a “waste product” of muscle metabolism. But now this way of thinking has changed, as scientists have learned that this substance we produce in large quantities during exercise, especially highly intense exercise, is not a cause of fatigue and actually helps to prevent it.”

Excerpt From: Cordain, Loren. “The Paleo Diet for Athletes.” Rodale Inc., 2012-01-08T08:00:00+00:00. iBooks.

Here's a good article explaining cadence: http://blog.trainerroad.com/does-ftp-change-with-cadence/