Little bit of tape on Cateye.......and whaddya know ...8-)
JimmyK
Posts: 712
Well, well, well, did I learn something today :!:
I told (bored) yuz`all here about getting the compact (50/34)for my Trek 1000 and keeping my 12/25 a week ago , and I decided to go out for a 40 miler this afternoon . On my bike is a wired Cateye Strada with cadence computer ,and hands up, yes Ive been biking away all this time and watching my cadence religiously and keeping my feet spinning 80 rpm -3 / +3 .
So..........I split the ride into two 20 mile sections, and I decided beforehand that Id stop at the 20 mile mark to get a hefty swig of isotonic drink. Both sections of the ride were pretty similar in intensity, so that was good.
At that 20 mile junction , I pulled in as Id intended and had my drink. My Cateye was set to the cadence function and Id been in my zone ......totally. I went through the settings and to my horror..........average speed was 17.2 mph :shock: .........WTF :!: :!: :!:
I reached into my saddle bag and took out some black tape I keep in there. I tore a bit off and covered the screen so I had no idea what my cadence , average speed or current speed would be on the second half of my journey. I told myself to pay heed what my legs were telling me and select gearing accordingly , as opposed to staying in a cadence zone . That 20 mile section was certainly less of a physical struggle than the first bit and I was taking in nice views and scenery instead of having one eye on the computer.
At 40 mile mark , I pulled over and removed the tape from the cateye screen, I was anxious to see the difference between the two 20 mile sections. When I got to average speed , it was showing me 18.9 mph. My thighs didnt feel as they had in section 1 when I was cadence observant , I enjoyed taking in the view and I enjoyed section two about 100% more .........the radical increase in pace was the icing on the cake.
Now I know that I computer watched too much and Im just gonna ride by the feedback my legs and breathing give me . Anybody else supportive of this conclusion and who thinks im talking a lot of old cobblers ?
Jimmy
I told (bored) yuz`all here about getting the compact (50/34)for my Trek 1000 and keeping my 12/25 a week ago , and I decided to go out for a 40 miler this afternoon . On my bike is a wired Cateye Strada with cadence computer ,and hands up, yes Ive been biking away all this time and watching my cadence religiously and keeping my feet spinning 80 rpm -3 / +3 .
So..........I split the ride into two 20 mile sections, and I decided beforehand that Id stop at the 20 mile mark to get a hefty swig of isotonic drink. Both sections of the ride were pretty similar in intensity, so that was good.
At that 20 mile junction , I pulled in as Id intended and had my drink. My Cateye was set to the cadence function and Id been in my zone ......totally. I went through the settings and to my horror..........average speed was 17.2 mph :shock: .........WTF :!: :!: :!:
I reached into my saddle bag and took out some black tape I keep in there. I tore a bit off and covered the screen so I had no idea what my cadence , average speed or current speed would be on the second half of my journey. I told myself to pay heed what my legs were telling me and select gearing accordingly , as opposed to staying in a cadence zone . That 20 mile section was certainly less of a physical struggle than the first bit and I was taking in nice views and scenery instead of having one eye on the computer.
At 40 mile mark , I pulled over and removed the tape from the cateye screen, I was anxious to see the difference between the two 20 mile sections. When I got to average speed , it was showing me 18.9 mph. My thighs didnt feel as they had in section 1 when I was cadence observant , I enjoyed taking in the view and I enjoyed section two about 100% more .........the radical increase in pace was the icing on the cake.
Now I know that I computer watched too much and Im just gonna ride by the feedback my legs and breathing give me . Anybody else supportive of this conclusion and who thinks im talking a lot of old cobblers ?
Jimmy
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Comments
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LOL 49 views and nobody has been in agreeance or has said I talked a lot of old cobblers. Its deadlocked like tonight`s X factor cant believe Jamie got canned as LLoyd was as flat as a pancake......good ole British Public, ya can never rely on em when it comes to talent shows.
Jimmy0 -
Yep i agree.You don't have to cycle by numbers.There's been plenty of research that suggest your cadance is governed naturaly by your body's own rhythm.And it may even vary a lot during a longer ride.Don't force your body to do something that it finds unatural-just enjoy your cycling.Mind you someonebanana on here might suggest your cadance should be 140 when your taking it easy TT photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/steverob/0
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Yep matey, ride the wheels, I gave up using computers, cadence gps a while ago. I have a nice un-cluttered sleek bike, just listen to your body, when its fast, its fast.
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Sounds suspiciously like you were wind-assisted on the second half, unless you did the same 20 mile loop twice, and conditions did not change.0
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Why were you trying to stick to a cadence of 80rpm all the time? What was your average cadence on the second section?More problems but still living....0
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I don't have a cadence meter but I used to be a slave to the average speed on my Cateye, thinking my average should be faster and so pushing harder than I was comfortable with and ending up knackered and thoroughly not enjoying the tail end of the ride.
I still pay attention to it, but I don't aim for a "magic number" cos it doesn't mean anything (I don't train for racing). I just enjoy riding my bike.0 -
amaferanga wrote:Why were you trying to stick to a cadence of 80rpm all the time? What was your average cadence on the second section?
absolutely no idea as I had those figures covered by the tape.0
