Zo stránky absoluteblack:
Why pedalling at lower cadence seems actually better?
We all heard common advice to
pedal over 90rpm on the road
bike to be “more effective”. But as it turns out this statement is actually not exactly correct. Researchers* found that pedalling at 60 or 75rpm (compared to 90 & 105rpm) not only produces higher effective force (the one that actually propels the crank) but is also more economical energetically to the rider (economy of movement). It simply means that at lower cadence you deliver bigger effective force to pedals at a lower energetical expense.
What is your natural cadence on the road bike?
Or would you be keen to try pedal for one day at 75rpm and see what happens?
Economy of movement means, the less oxygen you consume (naturally) exerting same power, the more economical you are. Simply because it directly correlates to less energy demand.
Effective force, is the force that is applied perpendicular to the crank. All other force vectors are considered a “waste” as they don’t contribute to crank movement, but together create “resulting force” that is measured by all power meters produced today. But only the effective force matters when it comes to propelling the crank. So the bigger it is compared to other force vectors the more effective you are on the bike.
Study also noticed that “ In relative terms, elite cyclists [pedalling] technique is poor, but in absolute terms they produce more power, thus overcoming any difference in technique” Or simply speaking they can exert bigger force on pedals (because of training) despite other factors, thus riding faster.
*Study: “Effective force and economy of triathletes and cyclists” Candotti at all.
You can find whole study here:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14763140601058490