Pedal Slower, Ride Faster?!

A 45 years ago we did the low cadence training once a week. It was called "dicke Mühle Tag", translated 'day of the thick mill'. We rode up steep hills with the hardest gear possible. It was terribly hard. Did it achieve anything? I'm not quite shure.

I don't like low cadence training, better for me – go to the gym.

Don’t do gym work, but do do low cadence stuff (primarily as I’m more of a gravel rider – soz!)

I used to do a 7 mile climb. Avg. gradient 6%. Max gradient 10%. One day a week I'd do it sitting down in my biggest gear… 53/12. My cadence would regularly drop below 10 rpm on the steepest sections. Then one day a week I'd do it sitting down in my smallest gear… 42/27. The trick was to try to do it faster in the small gear than in the big gear. Not as easy as it sounds. One thing that riding at that slow of a cadence does, besides building muscle, is to force you to pedal a complete circle. On a steep enough climb you either pedal a complete circle, or you fall over. Having the ability to apply max power all the way around the pedal stroke isn't something that's needed all the time, but it's a game changer when it is. It's like a secret super power.

You remind me of the big rivalry between Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong in the Tour De France. Armstrong developed a high aerobically balanced cadence following his defeat of cancer. He did so because he had lost so much muscle mass and was not able to regain it. His cadence was higher than anyone else that competed against him in the Tour and it was the primary reason for his success in the climbs. Jan Ullrich, riding for German Telekom rode a heavier gear and a lower cadence which seemed to have a lot of success as it made him the closest competitor to Armstrong. Ultimately, however, it seemed that Armstrong's style was the better, particularly in the climbs, as over successive days, Ullrich tired himself out. The other big physical difference was as noted Armstrong had less muscle mass and was lighter, possibly making climbing easier, (in the context of the race). Ullrich was a solid man with the muscle to turn those gears on a climb but was obviously moving more weight. There was of course also the doping issues for which Ullrich was caught and Armstrong wasn't until he retired from racing. That kind of muddies the water a bit.

It works. Have done ultra high resistance, low cadence training every winter for the last decade to make up for not being to do proper 90min ftp rides indoors(overheat). I come out of the winter with minimal fitness losses and have attained numbers I never thought possible, especially for being almost 40.

I've recently started doing weight training in the gym, I've also done lots of low cadence work on the trainer, I have been finding it very beneficial, especially my physique and general posture. I've always had good leg power but it has slightly improved, the biggest benefit is just how I feel about myself and that improves my mental health even more than cycling alone, so I would definitely recommend it to anyone, although carrying the extra weight in muscle up those hills are not a bonus 😂

Hey, mo-fos, you might not like the gym, but all you guys and ladies out there who are getting close to 50 better get serious about hitting the weights in the gym! You got to slow down the loss of your muscle mass and bone density!

Just watch how the Best cyclist in the world pedals.

I’m 60, two years ago i got back to gym, because I realized I had lost upper body strength. I get to cycle i little less from 4500 mls /yr to 3500 mls/yr ( working a full time job) . I’m still riding with the A group in my club a little slower maybe, I can’t pull at front for as long as I used to, but I can sprint faster. On the same token I don’t get tire of been on the bike as much, no shoulder or neck pain.
I also work on mobility and core exercises for 15 min when and wherever I can.
Thank you guys at GCN !

IMO a variety of training is best combined with some gym work. I mix in some low cadence every winter in training. Every year I try to do something different just for the variety and fun of it. I don't race just want to improve my overall strength. 73 years young.
My suggestion is to add another training option that never gets mentioned. Ride out of the saddle on some rides and gradually increase the time over a few months. Tried this last summer and I was amazed how much it helped. And you know who was more surprised? My riding friends who couldn't believe how much stronger I got. By the end of the summer I could easily ride 10 miles out of the saddle excluding downhills. Main point was to ride out of the saddle on flat and hilly terrain on some rides. I got to the point that steep hills (10%+) were no longer a worry which is darn good at my age. Definitely saw an increase of watts. Longest I rode mostly out of the saddle was 25 miles. I actually got to the point where I could ride out of the saddle as long as I wanted. Gating factor was my hands/wrists/forearms not my legs or core. Today at the gym after I did some low cadence I rode 9 easy minutes out of the saddle on the stationary bike. Don't want to lose what I accomplished last year. Trek Emonda SL9 bike helps with the geometry needed when standing.

The gym is impossible to quit, it's almost never worth subscribing. I have joined gyms 3 times in my life and they were all full of crappy smallprint, like having to pay for the whole year if I quit after a month. At this point, gyms seem almost like a scam (at least here in New Zealand).

Quality content here

Resistance training for the uninitiated can be a minefield. For most cyclists, they'll know everything there is to know about power, aerodynamics etc etc. Being shown how to train correctly and specifically for the bike, can really improve how you feel about getting back on the bike. I train people, but i also love cycling. I use the gym over the winter, which means that im really excited about getting back on the bike.

My problem with going to the gym to do strength training is, it is a gym, and you have to deal with gym people! 🙂 To do it at home means you need to buy a load of gym equipment and store it.