Cycling Jargon - HELP!

Nilxs

I am new to this activity, for some years anyway and things have changed a bit since I last had a bike. I am intrigued by some of the new jargon, especially the term "cadance". Can someone please tell me what it means?

Maybe you could contribute towards a dictionary of terms for dummies like me so that when I go into a shop I don't look a complete pratt and have some idea of what the kid behind the counter is talking about.

Gary Dean

SamuelQ

Cadence is simply how fast you turn the pedals, i.e. number of crank revolutions per minute.

Nilxs

Thanks, but why is that so important

Gary Dean

SamuelQ

Ummmm... I'm sure there are folk here who are more into their training than me who can give a more comprehensive answer, but the current wisdom is that you pedal most efficiently at a cadence of 90-120rpm - ie "spinning" the pedals. This is rather faster than feels natural to many people starting out on a bike.

Unknown

So the idea is to use your gears to keep you cadence within the optimum range. This will be easier if you are fit and/or have a good range of gears that suit the terrain.