first coker commute: the next day

Unicycles and Equipment
1

My first commute to work on the coker was fun… but unicycle seats being
as they are (even with air pillows) I did not feel up to unicycling to
work again the very next day. (Ok, well, it’s not so much the seat, as the
fact that all your weight is on it.)

So, I rode my bicycle. Then I noticed something odd. I was going a lot
faster than I usually do on my bike. When I made it into work, I checked
my cycle computer, and my average speed had increased by a mile per hour
over what it usually is. I think this is also my all-time record.

Has anyone else had something like this happen? I am sure my riding style
has a lot to do with it. I tend to ride in high gear at all times, except
for large hills. Since I am in the highest gear, I have no more harder
gears left to use, so the limiting factor is how fast my feet can spin the
pedals. (I don’t think most bicyclists ride this way, but I got into
bicycling after I was into unicycling.)

So, after riding the coker, where I have to pedal like crazy just to stay
at a speed that feels like a crawl (compared to a road bike), my feet
apparently were just more willing to get in more pedal revolutions on the
bike as well.

If the weather remains nice, I will definitely be riding the coker as
frequently as I can, biking a little less, and driving a lot less.

Jeff Lutkus

Free e-Mail and Webspace - http://Unicyclist.com

2

Jeff Lutkus wrote:
> So, I rode my bicycle. Then I noticed something odd. I was going a lot
> faster than I usually do on my bike.

> Has anyone else had something like this happen?

I noticed years ago that riding a unicycle improved my pedalling style and
endurance on a bike. You have to keep pedalling on a unicycle. Once you’re
used to riding a unicycle, you’re more likely to keep pedalling on a bike
rather than using the less efficient technique of pedalling for a bit,
then freewheeling for a bit, then pedalling for a bit to get your speed
back up, then freewheeling for a bit… I also believe that I have
developed a smoother pedalling style as a result of unicycling. Basically,
unicycles have the same advantages for pedalling style as the riders of
fixed wheel bikes often mention for their mounts.

> I am sure my riding style has a lot to do with it. I tend to ride in
> high gear at all times, except for large hills.

It sounds as though you’re using the highest gear that you can possibly
push, which isn’t the most efficient way to ride a bike but is an
efficient way to bust your knees.

Every bicyclist has an optimum pedalling cadence (which will vary
according to terrain and conditions). For a novice cyclist, 60rpm is a
good cadence to aim for. A heavily laden touring cyclist is likely to ride
at about 70 rpm. Otherwise, experienced cyclists usually find the most
efficient pedalling cadence is about 90rpm (120rpm can be quite
uncomfortable, this apparently has the legs moving up and down at the
right frequency to cause resonance in internal organs, though I’ve never
noticed it).

> Since I am in the highest gear, I have no more harder gears left
> to use…

OK, maybe you’re not pushing the highest gear that your legs can possibly
handle, sounds like you’ve just got a low top gear. But I thought the
point was worth making anyway.

The best way to use the gears is to ride in the highest gear in which you
can ride at your optimum cadence. On a unicycle you’re pushing a
relatively small gear, so you’re likely to end up riding at a high
cadence. This will then increase the cadence that you can manage on a
bike, thus increasing your pedalling efficiency (and your speed for any
particular gear).

> So, after riding the coker, where I have to pedal like crazy just to
> stay at a speed that feels like a crawl (compared to a road bike), my
> feet apparently were just more willing to get in more pedal revolutions
> on the bike as well.

Exactly.

–
Danny Colyer (remove your.mind to reply)
http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/danny.html “The secret of life is
honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made” -
Groucho Marx

3

danny@speedy5.freeserve.co.uk writes:
>Every bicyclist has an optimum pedalling cadence (which will vary
>according to terrain and conditions). For a novice cyclist, 60rpm is a
>good cadence to aim for. A heavily laden touring cyclist is likely to
>ride at about 70 rpm. Otherwise, experienced cyclists usually find the
>most efficient pedalling cadence is about 90rpm (120rpm can be quite
>uncomfortable, this apparently has the legs moving up and down at the
>right frequency to cause resonance in internal organs, though I’ve never
>noticed it).
Maybe that explains the humming coming fromo my stomach.
>
But seriously, I find that it’s easier to maintain a high cadence on a
Coker than on a smaller uni. On my Coker, I ride with a cadence of at
least 120rpm for at least 14 miles a day. This definitely does not feel
either comfortable or easy, but 90rpm would feel too slow.

116rpm is about 12mph (almost exactly). I keep up 14mph for 7 miles (the
flat, uninterrupted part of my commute). I guess that comes to about
132rpm. Bicyclists frequently comment that they can’t believe the pace I
maintain, but I always point out that it’s easier on a uni than a bi
because of the direct drive situation.

David