Quick Tip: Practice Your Pedal Stroke by Using Easy Gears on Downhills

Pedal your bicycle in low gears down hills.

Off-season rides are ideal for working on technique — like turning a choppy, bouncy pedal stroke into a smooth, round one.

Practice on descents by staying in your small chainring as you gain speed. Spin your legs faster and faster. Think circles! The more you can relax your legs, the quicker you can turn them.

Don’t shift to higher gears until you’re bouncing on the saddle. After just a few descents like this, your pedaling rpm will be noticeably faster before your strokes get ragged. You’ll feel the extra smoothness whenever you’re spinning at 90-plus rpm.

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This is a nice drill in cold weather because it generates internal heat that helps keep you warm. When your legs are spinning quickly, your body automatically increases blood flow to the working muscles, improving circulation throughout your lower body.

It’s called “spinning out” when you’re riding at full speed and you’re out of gears and can’t pedal any faster. Pros practice deliberately with fast cadence drills during training to develop neuromuscular efficiency. The faster you can pedal smoothly, the more versatile you become as a cyclist. You’ll have the ability to respond to changes in terrain, maintain momentum through rolling hills, and recover while still contributing to forward motion.

Another benefit of practicing high-cadence spinning is reduced muscular fatigue on longer rides. When you pedal with heavy gears at low cadences, you’re primarily using slow-twitch muscle fibers that fatigue more quickly. By training your legs to spin efficiently at higher cadences, you distribute the workload across more muscle groups and rely more on your cardiovascular system.

For an additional challenge, try varying your cadence on a single descent. Start at a comfortable 90 rpm, gradually increase to your maximum smooth cadence, hold it for 15 seconds, then back off slightly. This interval-style approach further enhances your body’s adaptability.

Remember that developing a smooth, efficient pedal stroke at high cadences takes time. Don’t get discouraged if you initially feel awkward or bouncy on the saddle. With consistent practice throughout the off-season, you’ll develop the neuromuscular coordination needed for efficient spinning, setting yourself up for stronger, more efficient riding when spring arrives.