Cycling and Spinning

Cycling (spinning) is my favourite exercise. My objective when I cycle is to go as far as I can (usually 20 to 30 km) and average 30 km/hr.

Your equipment will dictate your average speed to some degree. You will likely not get 30 km/hr average on a low geared bike with big knobby tires. My bike is what is called a hybrid. It is somewhat rugged yet not too heavy with high pressure quite thin tires.

I customized my handlebars by installing a simple set of leaners (triathlon bars). It is comfortable and it is sized properly. It has three chain stays (front sprockets) so I get a good variation of gearing without the rattling of the chain against the front derailleur.



Gearing. There are three stays on the front and nine sprockets at the back. 27 speeds right. No. It is only 9 speeds. The three largest sprockets at the rear are only used on the smallest inner stay on the front. The three middle sprockets on the rear are only used on the middle stay on the front and so on. If you were to have the chain ride on the largest sprocket on the front and the smallest on the back you would put excessive strain on the chain and it is likely that the chain is going to rub on the front derailleur. The nine speeds give you a good range from very low for hill climbing to very high (70 km/hr at 100 cadence).

Sizing. It is imperative to be comfortable while riding. Adjust the seat so that when your leg is fully extended the heel of your foot is just putting pressure on the peddle. Said another way when the ball of your foot is clamped into the peddle there should be a slight bend in your knee. While peddling the ball of your foot should never be more forward than your knee. Adjust the seat forward or backward. This will ensure that you do not experience any excessive knee pain. Wear comfortable clothing.

Process. Cycling is a process. Here is the drill. Tools needed are a heart rate monitor, a cadence meter and a speedometer. Get comfortable on your bike because you need to watch all three. Know your target heart rate (link). Start cycling and gear your bike until your cadence is say 90 (ideal bike cadence is link). Get comfortable. Always get comfortable. Watch your speed. If you are not going 30 then gear so that you are going 30 at a cadence of 90. Wind and hills will be a huge factor. I have been on hills in windy days where I match my gears and cadence for 20 km/hr. This is something that you play with over time. Now are you at your target heart rate? If you are not even close then you could be going a lot faster. If I am going 30 km/hr at 90 cadence at 120 bpm (beats per minute heart rate) than I am probably going down a hill and/or have a wind at my back. This is when things can get a lot of fun. On vacation when I first had my bike I kept gearing up to a heart rate of about 160 bpm. I ended up going 70 km/hr at a cadence of about 100 (that is the capacity of the bike). Now I was going downhill on a highway just out of Rushing River Provincial Park in Ontario Canada. That was a lot of fun. I had a very good helmet on. Do not scrimp on a bike helmet.

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