Pedaling In Harmony

So many cyclists and triathletes push hard on the bike to get high power/wattage but loose focus on the cadence and pedal stroke. Wattage is important but when the cadence is low below 70 RPM, you put stress on your joints. One client, her average cadence was 59-60 because she was in the big chain ring all the time. When I view her data, I had her bike in the small chain ring with higher cadence. She said it was hard to keep cadence above 70 but realize she was going faster. Next part, it is the actual pedal stroke. The pedal stroke should be circles, not boxes. Push then pull and keep foot flat, not toes pointing down. The other part of pedal stroke is to make sure both legs are working equally in the stroke. When you have an injury this can be hard but it is critical. Optimal cadence is 90-100. When you conquer the cadence and pedal stroke then you can work on your power/wattage. These few tips should make your biking more fun and faster.