What is the recommended Max RPMs?

[SPARKY]

Hey all:

I read this somewhere before but now cannnot find it. What is the recommended max RPMs for Spinning? Once you go over that limit you risk damage to your knees and are no longer "simulating" a real ride outdoors. Also at this level, is it OK to sustain it for a few minutes (i.e. one song as a "quick flat" or is the recommendation for only shorter periods of time?

SPARKY

[Tom]

The official Spinning guideline is 80-110 for flat terrain, and 60-80 for a hill.

My own rule is if I throw my feet out of the pedals and they make more than 3-4 revolutions, then I need to add resistance.

Don't have your class do this. Someone will clip their calf and blame you.

[guest/allterrain]

Hi Sparky,

under 60 RPM you create a lot of stress on the joints and tendons of the knee, it takes a lot more effort and you get high lactic acid accumulation and a lower oxygen uptake in the muscles. With RPM's over 120 (for instance at a max effort) you lose efficiency, because you can't generate as much power in comparison with cycling at lower RPM's.

Hmm, which is more efficient: lifting 500 lbs once or 50 lbs 10 times?

[Todd S]

To put it differently...

If you can imagine a graph of the force a muscle is able to produce at different speeds of concentric contraction, force drops off rapidly with speed or rate of muscle contraction.

Power capabilities are maximized when you sort of find that sweet spot where the speed of contraction is not so fast that force has dropped off so much that the contraction is not effective, yet the speed of contraction still needs to be fast enough to turn those pedals at a fast enough rate where the velocity component of the power equation is not negated. Turns out that sweet spot is about 90 rpm for most humans.

Train in bigger gears below that cadence to emphasize strength, spin faster than that to emphasize cardio response and neuromuscular skill/efficiency.

How's that for too much information?

[SPARKY]

Hey Tod:

Very comprehensive response. For quick flats I think I'll tell my ridership to be below 100 RPMs. Some riders STILL don't get it. They Spin with almost NO resistance. I keep telling them to add "some" resistance so they can "feel" the road beneath the wheel. This super high cadence stuff (with almost NO RESISTANCE) is silly and not safe for the knees. I also tell my ridership that you would never see such ridiculous cadence on a ride outdoors.

Thanks, you Da' Man !!

SPARKY

[bluenoser]

Hi Sparky
Do you notice those low resistance/high cadence riders have a little extra bounce in their saddle as a result of their cadence and gearing choice?

If so, you may use that as an opportunity, a cue if you will, to urge them to add resistance to 'quiet the hips' so that they can be more "efficient" in their pedal stroke, smooth it out, if you will.

[spinnster10]

Good info!
I pull a "fast one" (every pun intended!) on my low-tension riders. I ask everyone to go to a slow flat, keeping their hearts about 70%HRM or 14 out of 20 Rate Perceived Exertion (they can breath in and out of the nose but feel some resistance). I put on music that has a beat of about 85bpm. I tell them that we are not touching the resistance for about 15 minutes (They groan!). Your low-riders will start chatting. They will comply with the resistance here, too because they are not feeling any burn.
I also find that these riders are usually "beat bunnies." So, after a couple of minutes here, I pull out my metronome. I start the metronome at 85bpm. Slowly, I fade the music and put the metronome on the microphone. Over about 10 minutes, I get the metronome up to 110 bpm. The riders try to mimic the cadence.
Somewhere in the middle, I see light bulbs clicking on. People realize that they don't have to be going 120 rpm to get a workout. Most do not make it to 110rpm.

If you apply this technique, please allow them to stop picking up cadence at their desired max exertion level (HR%) for the day. It's a learning technique, not a punishment.

[Jonnyspin]

this is a very tricky one. if I want my riders to "sprint" on the flat, I often play some house music that has a 130 bpm, like Darude. But, I don't want them to spin at 130, I want them to go at 110 ish. However, no matter how much I tell them to add some resistance before the "sprint" intervals (and take it off after), there is always someone who doesn't, and I see their legs going at 130+. Then it's a jump off the bike for me and a walk over to that person for some 1:1. Hmmm.

[bluenoser]

I hear ya Jonny . . . I don't know if you're JGSI, but if you are you can check your manual for info (post 2001 updates) regarding the "sprint". The sprint requires riders to load up resistance, coming out of the saddle to "break" that gear (takes about 5 sec), then return to the saddle to push that gear for the remainder of the sprint. Not even 110 rpms are required, just a big gear and a 100% effort push. IMHO, music that evokes that "push" (like a "big" chorus) is even more effective than music offering high tempo. Hope this helps.

[Jonnyspin]

Yes, I teach sprints like that too (note lack of quotes) - 10-15 secs high resistance starting at 60 ish rpm for an out of the saddle blast. But I like to do a fast road, seated flat, interval scenario too sometimes, and this is where I find the problem lies, because, whether you like it or not, riders do chase the BPMs.

[bluenoser]

Gotcha . . . I was thinking this after I replied to, of course. :)

[cougie]

Outside on my fixed wheel I can hit 170 rpm on a descent, but the top track riders (Brad McGee) can hit 225 rpm. Amazing !
So 170rpm could be outside cycling, but I agree it's a bit too fast for indoor cycling.

I always make sure my class have resistance when they sprint, and usually do 15 or 20 secs, and sometimes up to 30.

Last night - in a class with a new teacher who specified no resistance (I tried it to see what its like) she had us spinning for a minute or more. And I've got a huge blister where the toe strap rubbed me. That'll teach me to do stupid stuff.