The great Cadence thread

[theBlob]

Well... not really, but I recently got my cadence sensor in place and today some new data to analyse (Yah! data nerds you know what I'm talking about)

Anyway I found that I sit between 100 and 120. Mostly around 110.

I am sure a lot of personal preference when it comes to "best" cadence, Is there any accepted standards?

Anyone with any interesting links or knowledge on the subject?

 

[Edogawakikkoman]

Well... not really, but I recently got my cadence sensor in place and today some new data to analyse (Yah! data nerds you know what I'm talking about)

Anyway I found that I sit between 100 and 120. Mostly around 110.

I am sure a lot of personal preference when it comes to "best" cadence, Is there any accepted standards?

Anyone with any interesting links or knowledge on the subject?

My first coach/captain said to keep it on 100 when training LSD.

I tend to be lazier when not concentrating on cadence so it's a hassle to have to force myself....

I find anything higher than 100 is too much effort for me unless I'm in a race and we are about to go for it.

You'll have to find what is comfortable for you and possibly aim a little higher than that.

Terrain and gears as well.... sometimes you can't spin...

In races I average 98 but I'll not pedal much at all if I'm in a good draft so must be spinning a lot higher than that.

128 is my max in a race which is not great compared to some...

Best to sit on a roller and play with your cadence. warm up 80 to 90 in your easiest gear then sit on 100 cadence for every gear until you can't go any longer... set a time limit for each gear to stick with...

You'll have to keep an eye on your heart rate as well....

Riding in groups ideally you should all be riding in the same gear and cadence whether it suits you or not....

Just play with it to keep it fun....don't worry too much about it all the time.

 

[FarEast]

Ok this is a debate that has been going on for a while.

Basically it all depends what you are doing - at the end of the day the higher the cadence the less pressure and stress it puts on your knees, experts have identified that when climbing you want a cadence over 85 rpm, drop below this and you should drop down a gear.

Spin to Win has been the catch phrase for ages - I remember my old mentor Bray Douglas drilling that phrase in to us as juniors.

 

[Wolfman]

experts have identified that when climbing you want a cadence over 85 rpm, drop below this and you should drop down a gear.

If you can keep 85 while climbing this is why you're so good. For me it would be impossible; more like <50.

 

[japanviking]

If you can keep 85 while climbing this is why you're so good. For me it would be impossible; more like <50.

Same as me. Climbing reminds me of doing heavy squats in the gym....even in 34/28

 

[andywood]

Basically you want to go as fast as you can with least effort right? This is your optimum cadence. You can easily test this on rollers. Pick a set speed that you are comfortable at holding. Do 5 minute intervals at gears which allow you to hold the speed at say 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100 cadence. See how your heart rate responds.

Optimum cadence depends on a number of variables:

You – the cadence you use is very much down to the individual. Generally speaking, new riders have a low cadence in the 60s / 70s which becomes higher with experience.

The terrain – on the flats and on climbs, your optimum cadence will likely be different. It’s a good idea to experiment with this. For me personally I aim at 90 on the flats and 80 on the climbs (if you can’t hit your optimum cadence due to the steepness of the climb, lighter gears are the best way to go faster).

The ride length: For long rides, you can aim at a higher than usual cadence to keep the legs fresher for longer.

Your training goals – if you are looking for leg speed, go with a high cadence. For leg strength, heavier gears, lower cadence. For example, the SFR approach is popular with hill climbers recently. Basso is a fan of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYxhs4SzaDc&feature=related

Race – in a race your cadence is likely to be higher than what you spin at in training.


Anyway, just some ideas.

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time

 

[astroman]

For what it is worth from a triathlete: I train at 70 and do big gear interval efforts at 50 to 60 on my TT bike. Then I race at 75 to 80. The lower cadence in training has really helped my leg strength and has built up my quads. And I seem to bike faster now and it has helped my running as well.

This works for me.

K

 

[GSAstuto]

Endless bio mechanical studies show that cadence of 50-70 result in highest torque, while cadence higher results in lower metabolic cost ,until about 120, the, swings back to anaerobic under high loads . As one gets older, driving from bigger muscles and higher torque appears to be more rational. I know it does for me. I train at high cadence, but ride hard under load at much lower. Otherwise I run too close to my vo max and start hitting anaerobic cycles. Delicate balance. To each his own which results in best times.

 

[Sikochi]

Basically you want to go as fast as you can with least effort right? This is your optimum cadence. You can easily test this on rollers. Pick a set speed that you are comfortable at holding. Do 5 minute intervals at gears which allow you to hold the speed at say 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100 cadence. See how your heart rate responds.

Optimum cadence depends on a number of variables:

You – the cadence you use is very much down to the individual. Generally speaking, new riders have a low cadence in the 60s / 70s which becomes higher with experience.

The terrain – on the flats and on climbs, your optimum cadence will likely be different. It’s a good idea to experiment with this. For me personally I aim at 90 on the flats and 80 on the climbs (if you can’t hit your optimum cadence due to the steepness of the climb, lighter gears are the best way to go faster).

The ride length: For long rides, you can aim at a higher than usual cadence to keep the legs fresher for longer.

I agree with Andy here, but before you do the test, do the session 3 or 4 times, as if you haven`t tried riding at a certain cadence before, then it will take your body time to adjust, so the results of the test will likely just reflect what you currently do.

 

[Sikochi]

For what it is worth from a triathlete: I train at 70 and do big gear interval efforts at 50 to 60 on my TT bike. Then I race at 75 to 80. The lower cadence in training has really helped my leg strength and has built up my quads. And I seem to bike faster now and it has helped my running as well.

This works for me.

K

This discussion might interest you:-
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=3824415

 

[astroman]

This discussion might interest you:-
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=3824415

Yeah. I follow Sutto's train of thought. Seems to work.