Aunque está en inglés, se entiende bastante bien todo.
http://www.bikefitting.com
Os copio algunas curiosidades.
CADENCE
(Dedicado a Cabezas)
The pedaling frequency is the number of rotations of the pedal
per minute. Research into the optimal pedaling frequency has
been extensive. Already in 1929, Hartree and Hill indicated
that there had to be an optimal pedaling frequency. When a cyclist
pedals too slowly, energy is taken away from both power, as
well as duration of contraction. On the other hand, if a cyclist
pedals too quickly, energy is lost to overcoming internal resistance
in the muscle. So there has to be an optimum; however, Hartree
and Hill failed to indicate where this optimum was to be found.
In other surveys, the lowest level of oxygen intake was used as a criterion. Gregor (1986) presented an overview of these studies. In most instances, the result was somewhere between 33 and 80 rotations per minute (rpm); however, in reality, most cyclists invariably choose a frequency that lies between 90 and 110 rpm. At first it was believed that this difference could be explained by the effect of training, but this hypothesis lost ground as a result of tests conducted by Boning and associates (1986). He tested both trained as well as untrained test persons and came to the conclusion that, in spite of the greater effort that untrained test persons experienced when resistance increased, the optimal pedaling frequencies did not change.
A few years earlier, however, Hagberg (1981) made an interesting discovery. He noticed that, when deducting oxygen usage in cycling without resistance from the oxygen usage in cycling with resistance, the optimal pedaling frequency shifted towards 100 rpm.
Redfield and Hull (1986) had an explanation. They used the sum of the torques in ankle, knee and hip as a criterion (Cost function, see diagram). This was calculated in the function of the pedaling frequency, and it appeared that it was the lowest between 90 and 100 rpm. This corresponds quite well with the pedaling frequency of cyclists in everyday reality.
Cadence in real live: (cadencia en la vida real)
The list, below, with all the postwar world hour records illustrates that for this specific aspect of the cycling sport a somewhat higher pedaling frequency is preferred; the average here is 103 rpm
(Lista de los record de la hora, con sus cadencias medias. La media de todos 103rpm)
| Year | Name | KM | RPM |
| 1956 | Jacques Anquetil | 46.159 | 104.0 |
| 1956 | Ercole Baldini | 46.393 | ? |
| 1957 | Roger Riviere | 46.924 | 105.7 |
| 1958 | Roger Riviere | 47.346 | 104.7 |
| 1967 | Ferdinand Bracke | 48.093 | 106.3 |
| 1968 | Ole Ritter | 48.653 | 105.4 |
| 1972 | Eddy Merckx | 49.431 | 103.9 |
| 1984 | Francesco Moser | 50.808 | 104.3 |
| 1984 | Francesco Moser | 51.151 | 103.1 |
| 1993 | Graeme Obree | 51.596 | 93.0 |
| 1993 | Chris Boardman | 52.270 | 101.8 |
| 1994 | Graeme Obree | 52.713 | ? |
| 1994 | Miguel Indurain | 53.040 | 100.9 |
| 1994 | Tony Rominger | 53.832 | 101.4 |
| 1994 | Tony Rominger | 55.291 | 102.2 |
| 1996 | Chris Boardman | 56.375 | 105.0 |
