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[steve.c]

Hi to you all.A couple of weeks ago I thought sod-it I would buy a normal push-bike and see what happens (not the Downhill bike Which I have sold????)and found its really really good I can go faster on the flat ad its faster down hill and to work and back it takes the same time but the long hills ooohhhhhh they were tough,you don't really know the assistance you were getting until its not there !!but its getting better!!!. but what I want to know is do you people out there who also ride standard bikes do you keep it in a fairly high gear and push hard on the pedals or put it into a very low gear and spin around quickly !!!! Ive found that if I change down to a lower gear I pushing hard just the same but going slower ???.
Thoughts Please Regards Steve C

 

[flecc]

Pushing hard on the pedals at low cadences (rpm) is very bad for the knee joints and is the most common cause of damaged knees for cyclists. Doubling the cadence halves the effort per pedal stroke necessary for the same performance, and that's why race and good club road bike cyclists commonly use a cadence of around 90 rpm. More efficient and less damaging.

But higher cadences need practice since there's a natural tendency to spin legs at the minimum rate thought necessary. The best practice is to change down and spin faster when the going is easy on the flat, that way you can get acclimatised to spinning faster. Once it feels natural you'll find it more efficient on hills too.

Basically try to keep your cadence at 60 or more, especially when inputting high effort, easy to time since it's staying at or above a turn per second. Definitely avoid slogging hill climbs at a cadence of 40 or less which will bring damage over time causing arthritis in later years and possibly even joint replacements.

 

[tillson]

Pushing hard on the pedals at low cadences (rpm) is very bad for the knee joints and is the most common cause of damaged knees for cyclists. Doubling the cadence halves the effort per pedal stroke necessary for the same performance, and that's why race and good club road bike cyclists commonly use a cadence of around 90 rpm. More efficient and less damaging.

But higher cadences need practice since there's a natural tendency to spin legs at the minimum rate thought necessary. The best practice is to change down and spin faster when the going is easy on the flat, that way you can get acclimatised to spinning faster. Once it feels natural you'll find it more efficient on hills too.

Basically try to keep your cadence at 60 or more, especially when inputting high effort, easy to time since it's staying at or above a turn per second. Definitely avoid slogging hill climbs at a cadence of 40 or less which will bring damage over time causing arthritis in later years and possibly even joint replacements.

Good advice. I have recently bought a new unassisted bike and I am finding that I at least equal the pace of my Pro-Connect (I only use it on low assist). However, I may be guilty of pedalling at low cadence. I will try out some of your tips.

 

[jackhandy]

I seem to have a natural cadence comfort zone of about 60 - 70 rpm.

Unassisted, I seem to spin a little faster than when on the powered bike... But I get off & push once my pulserate is getting silly.

 

[D C]

I've just been for a ride on my unassisted bike and what a joy to cycle again on a light bike without dragging along the extra weight.
Great that is till I got to a long steep hill!
I think it's good to have both alternatives available, if I'm doing less than ten miles relatively flat ( not easy to find a route like that in these parts) I would take the unassisted from choice, anything more than that or with steep hills it's E power for me!
As others have said, do keep the cadence high as advised, when I had youth on my side I used to power up hills standing on the pedals and have broken a few bikes in my time.
It's not worth it, you end up with dodgy knees!
Always change down just before you need to.

 

[billadie]

For my 6oth birthday i bought myself a pedal only bike, more as a dare than for any serious purpose. I have surprised myself as to how far and how fast I can go, but hills are still problem. I try to drop gears early but end up in bottom and spinning madly not going anywhere, then stop before I fall over. I am not sure what my cadence is, (or even if I've got one) is there some cheap means of measure other than counting revs in my head?

I also seem to have a problem with upper back pain, which travels down my arms. I have replaced the flat bars with North Roads, I have adjusted the angle of the stem but to little avail. The setup of the bars is as close to my ebike as I can get, but I have no problem with that.

Should I have bought a Momemtum Model T instead?

 

[Mike63]

I know all about dodgy knees.

Always change down just before you need to.

The instructions that came with my latest bike "Woosh Sirocco CD"

stop pedalling before changing gear

Unfortunately this doesn't work...If I'm barrelling uphill and I stop pedalling to change into a lower gear I obviously lose all momentum, then It's put pressure on my knees or get off.

...What am I doing wrong ?

 

[Blew it]

There is no need to stop pedalling on down-shifts, the motor speed will naturally synchronise with the increased cadence. It is up-shifts that need a little care, just lightly apply one of the brakes while the chain de-rails to the next smaller sprocket, continuing pedalling while you do so.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

There is no need to stop pedalling on down-shifts, the motor speed will naturally synchronise with the increased cadence. It is up-shifts that need a little care, just lightly apply one of the brakes while the chain de-rails to the next smaller sprocket, continuing pedalling while you do so.

That doesn't really work with the Woosh because there's quite a delay before the power comes back after you use the brakes. The only method I found that worked was to judge the hill, and then change right down to the appropriate low gear in one go at the start of the hill. You have to pedal air for a bit while the bike slows down, but at least it gives crunch free changing. Changing up is no problem.

I just changed the gears on my crank-drive to a Nuvinci hub. It completely eliminates this problem. You just pedal away, and choose whatever gear you want any time, however, it's a relatively expensive solution. Wouldn't it be nice if Woosh made a Sirocco CD with a Nuvinci hub for about £1000!

 

[RobF]

Spinning smoothly in a lower gear is the way to climb hills.

Another tip is try to pedal 'in circles' rather than up and down.

 

[flecc]

The only method I found that worked was to judge the hill, and then change right down to the appropriate low gear in one go at the start of the hill. You have to pedal air for a bit while the bike slows down, but at least it gives crunch free changing.

This is also the best way with conventional hub gears, anticipating the gear needed for the hill and getting into it early.

 

[jackhandy]

If you video your rides, timing the frame wobble (on playback) with a stopwatch will tell you your cadence.

Honest

 

[Ettica]

I know all about dodgy knees.



The instructions that came with my latest bike "Woosh Sirocco CD"



Unfortunately this doesn't work...If I'm barrelling uphill and I stop pedalling to change into a lower gear I obviously lose all momentum, then It's put pressure on my knees or get off.

...What am I doing wrong ?

I was exactly the same, hard to get it right on steep ones. Usually ended up in lowest gear and slowly crawling an inch at a time. But just this morning, I rode a bike with the Nuvinci 360 hub, what a difference. very gradual movement of the twist grip control matching the increasing incline helped a lot. I was half way up the hill by the time I was on the lowest setting. Usually, with normal gears I was in first just a little way nto the incline. Very impressed