| How to Increase your Pedaling Cadence |
|
|
| by Diet Detective Editorial Staff | |
| Thursday, 29 June 2006 | |
|
The best way to increase your cadence is gradually, rather than overnight. If you're currently pedaling between 60 to 80 rpm, the best way to increase your cadence is gradually, rather than overnight. Lower the gears a little if you need to and just bear with it. A little weight work for strengthening muscles could also help. Many cyclists underestimate the role of muscles (other than the quadriceps) in cycling. The hamstrings are also quite important and are often underdeveloped in cyclists who pedal lower rpms. Leg presses and leg curls are good exercises to work out the hams. If you have the time during cycling season, there's no reason not to do weight work.Saddle height is another factor that can affect efficient use of muscles. A badly positioned saddle can make it harder to achieve your desired cadence. You can get fairly close to the right height by doing the following: Sit on the saddle with both heels on the pedals and pedal backward. If your pelvis rocks, you're too high. To adjust, ram the seat all the way up until your pelvis just starts to rock and then lower it ever so slightly. A more exact way to check saddle height is to stand and be measured from the floor, up an imaginary inseam, to the highest point in the crotch area, the pubis symphysis, where the two hip bones come together. According to a study by Desipres, 105 percent of this measurement is probably about optimum saddle height (saddle height is measured from the top of the seat to a straight line along the seat tubing, to the center of the pedal axle with the pedal in the lowermost position). This experiment indicated that the hamstrings are affected more than any other muscle group in the legs by a change in saddle height. Bookmark:            Trackback(0)
Comments (0)
 Write comment
|
|
| Last Updated ( Thursday, 29 June 2006 ) |
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
