Pedal Economy over 4 Quarters

1) Our last seven-minute profile. Functional Threshold Power test next week, then we’ll revisit the seven-minute profiles next month. Indoor cycling, at least in 2025, doesn’t make space for seven minutes of continuous pedaling. I’m blessed to have a group that accepts such challenges. Our goal for the year is to ride 5 kilometers in 10 minutes. Who’s in?
2) Identifying your sweet spot is essential when attempting to pedal for seven minutes. I stress gauging heart rate over stressing about watts. Very few of us have outdoor bikes that measure watts. Heart rate is more accessible. Chasing watts often leads to over-exertion — you come out of the saddle, then start to sway left and right, and then you stop. No bueno. Pedaling efficiently — sometimes called pedal economy — allows you to maximize each pedal stroke while controlling your breathing.

Getting more power from each pedal strokeis a hallmark of pedal economy.

Figure Courtesy of Dr. Andy Coggan, Ph.D

3) The ability to pull back on the throttle and slow down before losing your breath is an underappreciated skill. I was recently in Los Angeles and came across their earthquake early warning system. It warns residents before the quake occurs. Your body provides signals, too. Your job is to heed the warnings and make the necessary adjustments. In cycling, as in life, you win or you learn. Sound like too much? Check out Ukrainian boxer Vasiliy Lomachenko's approach to training, using math puzzles to enhance his “mind flexibility.” What’s the last thing you learned about yourself on the bike? And don’t say “I am stronger than I think I am!”

4) This week’s profile includes four 7-minute efforts. When you consider there are 1440 minutes in a day, and one mile running is about three to four miles on a bike, 7 minutes isn’t much. Or at least that’s what I want you to tell your legs! Each block poses a different challenge: an endurance effort, a pyramid, and two high-intensity intervals — one cadence-driven and a time trial.
5) Gaining confidence in making your own decisions is a precursor to outdoor riding. “Dru doesn’t tell us what to do. How fast should I pedal? When to come out of the saddle.” It’s the most frequent critique I hear. No one dreams of being a background dancer, doing the same thing as others. You wanna stand out, like Beyonce or Usher. Develop your own moves. It ain’t easy, and not everyone can pull it off. (Many outdoor cyclists will recognize the above as a loose interpretation of Rule #10)
6) Some indoor cycling classes cherry-pick the easy stuff… pedaling fast sans resistance, sprinting, coming out of the saddle, and excessive choreography. Remember, heart rate is not a measure of effort; it’s a measure of your body’s response to effort. This week’s profile challenges you to identify intensity and intelligently engage both your aerobic and anaerobic energy systems in each seven-minute effort block. Remember, you’re supposed to lose your breath — in fitness America is ranked #143 of 168 globally. The goal is to learn how to keep it.

7) Going faster in cycling gets harder as your watts increase. The table above shows the increasing difficulty in raising your speed or watts over 1.5 mph intervals. Considering 12 mph is achievable by novice cyclists, the jump in watts gets larger as you move away from that initial speed. When riding for seven minutes and finding your sweet spot, roughly the pace you can hold for an hour, allows you to maintain a strong pace.

haring and Italian bike company Cinelli collobrated in 1986.

8) This week’s banner is from artist and bike lover Keith Haring. One of the first public figures to die from HIV/AIDS, his art and foundation became synonymous with the movement to eradicate the disease. Haring designed the logo for NYC bike shop City Cycles and was often pictured riding a bike. I miss this casual interpretation of a cyclist. Back in the 1980s, fancy bikes and expensive kits were not the primary archetype of a cyclist. Imagine telling Haring in 1986 that people would wear bike shorts as a fashion statement! Sans bike! Everyone wants to look like a cyclist, but no one wants the suffering (see Rule #5).
9) Our final cyclist is the stagiaire (or trainee). They often join a team towards the end of the racing calendar on a trial basis. They are given a chance to integrate with the team during training and are allowed to race. If successful, the team offers a contract.
A few years ago, my friend Ayesha McGowan turned her opportunity into a reality and became the first African American professional cyclist. Pretty effin cool!
In the Washington, D.C. area, Team Rock Creek Velo starts working with kids at the age of nine. Around 14, they may move to another regional team, and in special cases to Europe. They may never win a race, but it’s the opportunity the stagiaire craves.