Trainer Workout
My optimal cadence when riding outside is somewhere in the range of 85 to 100 rpm. I call this my ‘sweet spot’. My ‘sweet spot’ riding is done mostly on flat or rolling terrain. This is the cadence that allows me to ride long distances with the least amount of effort. In other words, I am most efficient riding in this range.
My winter training (my off season) is done on an indoor trainer.
Work up to these slowly. Like any new exercise, your body needs time to adapt. Doing too much, too soon could lead to unwanted injury.
This is a sample of what I do 2 x week during the winter months. Unless otherwise noted, these are done in the small ring in front (if using a double) or the middle ring (if using a triple). You will need to have a cadence monitor to do these drills.
Total Workout Time: 45 minutes
Warm Up
Time: 15 minutes
• 5 minutes easy gear working up to 90/100 rpm. Shift into the next hardest gear & continue spinning at the same cadence for 4 minutes. Shift into the next hardest gear & continue for 3 minutes. Continue this method, shifting into the next hardest gear, reducing the time by 1 minute until you have reach the last minute in the series. Remember to maintain the cadence throughout this exercise.
Single Pedal Drill (to build efficient pedal stroke)
30-60 seconds per leg
Repeat 4-6 x per leg
This drill is done in a gear that keeps your cadence close to 60 rpms..
• Unclip one foot & rest it over the bike trainer on the horizontal bar that runs from the outside of the trainer to where the bike skewer attaches to the trainer. The front top side of your shoe will act like a hook & your knee will be bent.
• Using the leg that is attached to the pedal use a steady, even pedal stroke…think circles. This may feel easy at first, but if you are in the right gear/right cadence, you may hear a clunk or feel a gap in your pedal stroke ….guess what? This is the weak point of your pedal stroke. Continue pedaling- think ‘pulling through’ the weak point of the pedal stroke until you can’t turn the pedal or you reach 60 seconds. (My weak spot is in the up & over side of the pedal stroke, so when I reach that point, I focus on pulling my knee up & over to the handlebar.)
• Without resting, unclip & repeat with the other leg.
• Continue back & forth until you have completed 4-6 times each leg.
• As you gain more strength in your pedal stroke you can move to a harder gear (1 up at a time) & repeat the process. Remember to stay under 60 rpms.
When you’re done with this drill & go back to spinning with both feet clipped in, you should feel a real difference in your pedaling
Spin Ups
When doing this exercise try to stay relaxed (easier said than done) using a smooth, steady pedal stroke.
The goal is to be able to do this exercise at 120 cadence/90 second hold.
Repeat: 4-6 times
• Using a fairly easy gear (the easier the gear, the more challenging this will be) gradually increase your cadence until you are bouncing off the saddle. Ease off your cadence a bit until you no longer bounce on the saddle. Maintain cadence for at least 20 seconds & work up to holding it for 90 seconds. As this exercise gets easier, you should be able to increase your cadence & work to hold for 90 seconds.
Tempo
5 minutes
Ride at tempo (a little harder than riding endurance). Work up to riding at 95-100 rpm at 80% max HR.
Stands
Work up to 90 seconds
Repeat 4-6 x
• Shift to your big ring & find a gear that allows you to spin at 75-80 rpm for up to 90 seconds.
Allow 1 minute to recover and repeat.
*I also do this in a gear that keeps me in a lower cadence, but working harder. For this one I concentrate on pulling up on the pedal on the backside of the pedal stroke.
Cool Down
80-90 rpm for 10-15 minutes.
Seattle Cycle