Question – Why do I get sore thighs when I cycle?
Answer – Because you are using too high a gear.
Question – So, how can I avoid it?
Answer – Adjust your cadence.
Eh? Sorry? What?
Let me explain……
Cadence
Cadence – what is cadence? It is simply how quickly you turn the pedals around; if it’s easier, think of it as the tempo or rhythm. It is one of the best secrets in cycling and is important because it can make your cycling experience much more enjoyable.
As more and more people get into cycling, you see a lot of cyclists “grinding” the pedals around. By this, I mean they are turning the pedals around very slowly but using brute strength to get them around.
Efficiency
What is wrong with that, you may ask? Well, several things; firstly, and most importantly, it is a very inefficient way to ride your bike. You will tire much faster than if you “spin” the pedals more fluidly. A good analogy is driving a car; if you drove everywhere in 5th gear, the car would labour at points or stall if you didn’t change down gears. By using sheer force to turn the pedals, your legs and body will tire much faster, and on a long day out, that is not what you need. Have you been out on your bike, and at the end of the day, you have very sore thigh muscles? Well, that’s the reason – you have been ‘grinding’ too big a gear.
The other issue is that by grinding the pedals around should the gradient of the terrain change quickly, in a big gear, you will not be able to react quickly enough. In the worst case, you will end up stalling and coming to a halt. This is so easily avoided if you use the correct gear.
But what if I just use the highest assist level on my ebike?
If you use a high power level to avoid getting sore thighs, then the battery will empty much faster. Therefore your bike ride will be much shorter unless you stop to charge up the battery. Fewer charges mean it is better for the health of the battery and motor. It also means you get less of a workout if that is what you are looking for.
What is the correct cadence?
Ok, so what is the correct cadence? To give you some idea, professional cyclists often have an average cadence of about 80 (80 complete revolutions of the cranks per minute). But we are not professional cyclists. Therefore, a comfortable cadence could be 60 -70 revolutions per minute. If it is not something you are used to, it is quite a change to make and could be uncomfortable to start with. You can measure it by counting the number of revolutions per minute, but many bike computers have cadence sensors that tell you exactly how fast or slow you pedal.
The rate at which you pedal will be controlled using the gears, so the whole cadence subject is all about using your gears well, which will come with time and practice. Try using a low gear which still turns the pedals with enough resistance to move the bike forward. Not that you are having to really push the pedals, just enough to keep them going at the same tempo for a kilometre or so. Once you get into a rhythm, your whole cycling experience changes.
Riding an ebike
If you ride an ebike, another interesting point is that as our bodies have a point at which the pedalling rate is most efficient, so do the motors on E-bikes. The main motor manufacturers, Bosch, Shimano and Yamaha, all have their own suggested optimal cadences at which the motors work best. If you follow them, it will save battery power and your legs as well.
Save your legs from muscle aches – spin your pedals.
Happy pedalling!
