Cadence - How much?

plowmar
plowmar Posts: 1,032
edited October 2010 in Road buying advice
When reading many advice sections it's said that you should ride at a cadence of 80 - 90, and on today's technique section ( bad habits) they are saying that climbing should be done at 90 - 100 - using the right gear to maintain it .

When I've downloaded my Garmin info my average cadence is only 69 including spinning out and coasting down hills.

This has been so for over a year now and it just seems that I prefer a bit of grinding despite the damage can do to tendons etc. When I've span faster in lower gears I just seem to go generally slower.

Is the para. one advice therefore the goal for every one or just done to make people like me feel inferior or bloody minded. :wink:

Any advice may be entered into next years training although I am running out of time for any great improvements. (mimals (sic) I wish)

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Everyone has their own self selected cadence.

    On some hills you'd need a 30-27 gear to spin at 90-100!!

    Don't worry about it...
  • neeb
    neeb Posts: 4,471
    Use the cadence which feels right, but every now and again try to practice making a higher cadence feel right. This takes a while and it's difficult to explain how you do it - you've got to rewire your motor system to tune in to a faster program running in the head. For me, having 4 espressos, getting really psyched up and chasing cars like a demented jack russell seems to work.

    Sometimes I see people cycling who have obviously read or been told that a fast cadence is better and who are spinning away like maniacs but going decidedly slowly... There's no point spinning faster if you are not getting the power behind it.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I always spin miles faster in a chain gang or race than when I'm on my own...

    Training/TT 85ish, chain gang/race 95-100...

    Dunno why!
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    How long have you been cycling ? A lot of people seem to start off at cadences around 60 rpm or so, but pro cadences are as you say much higher.

    You'll probably find that you will pedal faster with time - but I really wouldn't worry about it too much.

    Riding fixed wheel would help you build cadence if you fancy it, or racing the track ?
  • plowmar
    plowmar Posts: 1,032
    Thanks all for advice and replies.

    I've been cycling now for 3 years on respectable bikes and am becoming ever more long in the tooth, if I had any. :oops: .

    The reason for the post was that on this sites home page under the topic - eradicating habits, it was advised that you should be cadencing - such a word? - at 90 - 100 going uphill.

    I was just going for another year of improvement before my main effort goes into maintaining last years performance.
  • JesseD
    JesseD Posts: 1,961
    I have a cadence of 90-100 on the flat and climb with a cadence of about 70-80, I suppose it's what works for you.

    However 69 seems a bit low, and will mean that if you race you may struggle to respond to changes in pace, plus grinding the gears will tire you out quicker than someone who spins a bit more.
    Obsessed is a word used by the lazy to describe the dedicated!
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    FWIW there are no quality coaches out there who will dictate that you must have this or that cadence. Pro teams don't dictate cadence to their riders either. There is only what everyone says on the internet.
    FWIW most, buy not all, Pro riders are somewhere between 90 & 100(give or take a few RPM's) on the flats. Uphill is anyones guess and not worth worrying about. Just find one that you can maintain and stay moving at a decent pace, whatever that may be.
  • bigpikle
    bigpikle Posts: 1,690
    remember your Garmin average includes every time you freewheel, so far more useful is to look at the actual data chart and see what range you tend to actually pedal in when you are going. As said, just find the cadence you find most comfortable and work in that, but generally speaking a higher cadence is more effective for successful climbing IME.
    Your Past is Not Your Potential...
  • alex16zx
    alex16zx Posts: 153
    dennisn wrote:
    FWIW there are no quality coaches out there who will dictate that you must have this or that cadence. Pro teams don't dictate cadence to their riders either. There is only what everyone says on the internet.
    FWIW most, buy not all, Pro riders are somewhere between 90 & 100(give or take a few RPM's) on the flats. Uphill is anyones guess and not worth worrying about. Just find one that you can maintain and stay moving at a decent pace, whatever that may be.

    i'd second the part about uphills being more variable. on the flats it's probably true that spinning around 85-95 is best for most of us, but you only have to watch a pro race to see that when it comes to the hills, there are a few different styles. the very fastest and lightest climbers often have a high cadence, but on the medium climbs they can be matched by stronger riders turning bigger gears at a lower cadence. i guess it comes down to your power-to-weight ratio.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    NapoleonD wrote:
    I always spin miles faster in a chain gang or race than when I'm on my own...

    Training/TT 85ish, chain gang/race 95-100...

    Dunno why!

    Is it 'cos you're riding fixed? :wink:
    _

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