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In: Ask the Expert, Biomechanics, Cadence, Power, Form and Technique
With: 2 Comments

Instructors should understand the very real risks of high resistance/low cadence pedaling, and know when to provide options for their riders. This article covers the physiological reasons behind why very low cadence is not beneficial either indoors or for cyclists outdoors. I also present ways to address a rider who is resistant to taking your advice and continues to pedal too slowly in a big gear.Read more…

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In: Ask the Expert, Biomechanics, Cadence, Power
With: 7 Comments

I’ve had numerous questions over the years about what to do when riders put on too much resistance that slows their cadence down too much. This is a very important issue because heavy resistance has a high risk of injury. Students may do it with the misguided belief it will “strengthen” the legs (like leg presses). It also usually has a high ego component to it. How do you tell them to pedal faster? . . . Read more…

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In: Ask the Expert, Coaching and Cueing, New Instructors
With: 4 Comments

Aisha asked me, how much cueing is too much? No one likes an instructor who talks non-stop, but we’ve also been in classes where not enough good cueing is given and the class seems to be at a loss on what to do or how hard to go. Here are 9 things to consider when doing a self-analysis on whether you are talking too much (or enough) in your classes.Read more…

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In: Ask the Expert, General Coaching, Physiology, Heart Rate & RPE
With: 3 Comments

Teri asks if we could expand on what “breathless” means and how it’s different than gasping for air. This is important because at certain points in class we ask our riders to reach an exertion level where they are breathless—but could that mean different effort levels for each participant? Read on to find out.Read more…

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In: Ask the Expert, Biomechanics, Cadence, Power, Form and Technique
With: 10 Comments

It is always great to see the response of our cycling instructor and coach community. A number of questions arose after I published the last Ask the Expert article on “Healing the Pedal Stroke.” The focus was solely on the practice of pushing down or dropping the heel below horizontal during the pedal stroke. In addition to my response to questions and feedback, I created a video using footage from the 2013 USA Cycling Pro Challenge to demonstrate the technique. Hey, pictures are worth a thousand words, right?Read more…

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In: Ask the Expert
With: 2 Comments

Bill Pierce’s challenging profile “Strong Start or Fast Finish” is a series of intervals that either start off “very hard” and slightly back off to “hard,” or start off “hard” and build to “very hard.” We got a great question asking whether this was too much time spent in Zone 5. This article should clarify how much time a rider should be able to spend above threshold. Hint: The answer is it depends!Read more…

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In: Ask the Expert, Medical & Health
With: 7 Comments

I received this question: “One of my riders asked me if indoor cycling is weight bearing enough to be beneficial for someone dealing with osteopenia. Any thoughts or insights or studies that I could pass along?” For the answer, I went to someone with far more knowledge than me. This is an important issue for all of us and our students, so make sure you are informed. Read more…