cadence and technique
 

what's your ideal cruising cadence? since i've just been riding for fun i usually cruise between 70 and 80.. also, what is this supposed technique i should be working on? i've been told to keep my ankles, knees, hips and shoulders all aligned as best i can... other than that, what else should i be looking for or working on?!

Pedaling in circles, keeping those knees in and riding a straight line. If you can get that pull on the way up I think a guy can add a mile or two per hour.

Watch Arch and his cadence. The guy can turn'm.

explain pedaling in circles.. i think i have an idea of what you mean. when i'm on a flat and i think about it, i won't just stomp on my down stroke, rather i'll try to be 'light' on the pedals and try and get a fluid stroke in all directions.. is that even remotely close to what you are talking about?

my FIL told me about keeping the knees in. do i keep them parallel with the top tube as best i can without squishing my sack too much?

i wanted to watch arch, but he was flat on his back ripped to shreds by mile 35... i was dropped after mile 2 i think! ha ha.. i will say up until that point i was having a blast drafting behind you guys picking off every team in sight.

so what's a cadence i stick around? if it's 80, then i'll do my best to ride in harder gears and stay around 80 to build my strength up. i've read some people like to be between 90-110. i don't really care about speed as much as i care about riding long distances and climbing.. climbing seems like a more enjoyable accomplishment to me than finishing a century sub-5. although i plan on doing more centuries this year because i think it's a fun thing to do, i won't be shooting for anytime, just to enjoy and have fun.

I think we have discussed this before. My uncle, the real bike rider in my family, used to say "RPM equals endurance."

Pedaling round is the opposite of pedaling square. You want a very smooth pedal stroke, powering down and up with a smooth transition at the top and the bottom.

RPM is very personal. I am usually around 85-95. 80 is OK, but think of the difference between Ullrich and Lance climbing up the mountains. This is probably the difference between 80 and 90 or 95. RPM equals endurance.

technique
 

Dip your heel on the down stroke. pull it up on the up stroke.
I have heard the technique described as acting as though you are trying to scrape mud off the botton of your shoe on the down stroke. Maintain a fluid motion for 360 degrees. In other words, be ssure you aren't just mashing the pedals as you push down. Pull up as well.

Next time you're on the trainer try unclipping from one of your pedals and pedal single-legged while maintaining a decent cadence. Its next to impossible to pedal anything but a circle with only one leg going.

Yea, but watch out for the free pedal, it can hurt.

Have you bashed a shin on the free pedal while riding the trainer before?

I've had a foot slip while trying to clip in on the road and gouge my shin. Not very fun.

Truthfully, not on the triner, but I have had foot come out on the tandem when my wife/stoker didn't realize it. Ouch. Thanks goodness I have fat calves so I could lose a chunk and not notice too much.