Little Ring v Big Ring

[Shadow]

Last year in the commentary during one of the Tours, Harmon and Kelly were saying use the Little Ring for Training and the Big Ring for Racing. Or was it the other way round? I can't remember!
I'm not going racing any time soon but now spring appears to have arrived I would like to do some 'proper' training. Which way round is it and what is the thinking/logic behind it?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Ignore that twat. If you have the CV fitness to use the big ring then theres no reason bar the steepest hills to not do so.

 

[Hacienda71]

If you are going to do a short TT there is a school of thought you should either not ride the day before or go for a very gentle ride using the small ring. Don't go out for a long blast turning a big gear.
That said you need to practice riding at close to TT speeds when training so your body is used to that type of exertion. Just have a break for a couple of days before.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

In it's most basic form you should be riding the cadence which allows the highest efficiency. The average rider might pedal around 85-90 rpm. some will be faster and some will be slower. Every rider is different. The main thing is that you try many variations and find out which works for you. Then with this information you can do specific training such as low cadence power efforts and high cadence spinning. Both are equally important in training for speed and power. Mix it up and don't stick to one type of riding.

For a quick example my most efficient cadence is between 80-85rpm. I can comfortably spin up to 120rpm then after that it becomes much less efficient. I can take my cadence as low as 40-50rpm on a climb and still be efficient as this suits my riding style. Others ride high cadence up hills but i find less rpm and more power is my most efficient technique. Usually between 50-70rpm depending on gradient.

Try out a few different ideas and see what you like best. See how your body responds during the effort and afterwards. Even the next day, how do you recover. Eventually you will know exactly what works for you. Bottom line is no one can tell you how to ride your bike.

Either way, good luck with the training. ASAP. Summers nearly here.

 

[edindave]

I used to spend most of the time in the small ring, aiming for high-ish cadence (well for me, 90rpm).
But lately I've been spending more time in the big ring, at a lower cadence, just catching the pedal strokes. Sometimes this feels like a more efficient use of energy, rather than my legs going like a blender.
Just a personal observation by the way, I don't race.

 

[number3]

I was advised on a recent try-a-tri course to aim for roughly 90 RPM. The advice was given by people that have taken part in ironman comps and seemed to know what they were talking about.

 

[Garz]

It also depends on the conditions, I found that when I'm heading into a gale a lower gear spinning and using the drops for better aero is more efficient saving tons of energy. I'm by no means a spinner with an average of 82rpm on most rides but it was an example of where spinning pays off.

 

[Rob3rt]

That advice (that the OP refers to) completely baffles me. If you race then your training should become increasingly race like as the event gets closer. If you train completely different to how you race, you will get good at your training but suck at racing!

 

[Ningishzidda]

Pedrosanchezo has it.
Work on efficiency.
Use the gear combination ( with acceptable chainline ) which results in the lowest heartrate for the situation.
Don't try to copy someone else.

Hacienda71.
My warm-up for a TT is a nice gentle hour at no more than 3/4 power efforts until the whole depth of my muscle is capilliary dialated.
In training sessions however, I attempt to be more powerful than the previuos session.

 

[tyred]

All the way down through the years, the advice was to spin the low gears for training. Charles Holland, the first British rider to ride in the TDF trained for the event on a 58" fixed wheel.

Isn't Eddie Merckx on record as saying something along the lines that if you can't spin the low gears, you certainly won't spin the big ones.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

A lot depends on what it is you are training for... targeting a club 10 mile TT would require different training to, say, riding 100 miles every day for a fortnight.

So what is your goal?

 

[fossyant]

Big ring everywhere, unless it's a big hill, and none of this compact or tripple chainset namby pamby stuff. 53 x 39 grrrr

 

[400bhp]

Big ring everywhere, unless it's a big hill, and none of this compact or tripple chainset namby pamby stuff. 53 x 39 grrrr

 

[400bhp]

Pedrosanchezo has it.
Work on efficiency.
Use the gear combination ( with acceptable chainline ) which results in the lowest heartrate for the situation.
Don't try to copy someone else.

Hacienda71.
My warm-up for a TT is a nice gentle hour at no more than 3/4 power efforts until the whole depth of my muscle is capilliary dialated.
In training sessions however, I attempt to be more powerful than the previuos session.

what does that mean in English?

I've got norfolk en idea what constitutes a sensible warm up before cycling, what I do know is that my body seems to take an age before it feels right to get the blood flowing and legs working properly. I'm conditioned to do long efforts I think, although I'm looking to do short TT's (10 miles). Thoughts?

 

[Sittingduck]

It's very personalised. I would try out as many combinations and techniques as possible and move forward from there. Pedro's post pretty much covers it, IMHO.