Self Righteous Cyclist

Strange things happen when you ‘Like’ a Facebook page with the aim of winning a prize. When I liked ‘ The Squeaky Wheel ’, a cycling group I had not heard of before, I found myself the lucky winner of awesome stuff, including an invitation to attend and review the upcoming show ‘ PushyWomen – North ’, the second in a series of Melbourne based events showcasing the talents of 8 women speaking about their loves, disappointments, misdemeanors and misadventures on two wheels. The afternoon started on a high note when I rode my bike along High St from the Westgarth Theatre to the Thornbury Theatre and didn't have to stop for one red light or pedestrian at those dodgy tram stops. The entertainment continued with engaging stories from the 8 speakers: Catherine Deveney , the MC, dispensed sage like advice that would indicate she’s been battling her own personal “Hell of the North” every day for the past 25 years and survived to tell a tale or two about it. Listening to Catherine...

How often have you sat and watched the Tour de France or big cycling event and listened to the commentators say the riders are pushing a very high tempo averaging 110 RPM and wondered what the hell are they talking about?  RPM, otherwise known as Cadence refers to revolutions per minute or how many times you turn your cranks over per minute.  Actually there's a very good reason why they are doing this.  Firstly it's sustainable over a longer period to pedal faster, rather than harder. They will also be maintaining a lower level of   lactic acid   in the muscles which is known to slow down muscle responsiveness as you near your physical limits.   If you've ever been puffed after ten minutes on a bike then you're possibly on a steep hill or perhaps you're in the wrong gear.  I learnt early in my cycling life not to worry about speed and concentrate on having a cadence of at least 90 RPM.  Nowadays I'm the one inquiring about cadenc...