correct cadence for Sportive

roshay

I am a newbie to road cycling - having a bit of a mid life crisis and looking for a sport where my 50 yr old body does not break whenever I get competitive (not helped by carring a bit to much weight - which makes hills a real disappointment).

In the recent Cycling Plus article on training for sportives (suplement to March 2012) it recommended training at a cadence of 90-95. I find this too fast - and am comfortable at 75-80.

I am wondering whether this has anything to do with having been a rower for 15 years (and reaching a pretty good level) - so my legs are used to a slower "power" cadence - or whether its just that I need to do more training!

Advice and tips gratefully received. I've splashed out on a second hand Canyon in carbon so cannot blame the machinery.

Anthony

Alex_Simmons/RST

After a few years of cycling, you'll most likely naturally begin to pedal a little faster as you become fitter. Don't be overly concerned with it. Focus on effort level and choose a gear that feels good.

HiMoz

Just remember that Lance Armstrong was capable of sustaining a high cadence of around 120rpm and so you should undoubtedly be aiming to achieve the same at your sportive.

jgsi

There is no right or wrong in cadence to a major extent.... but if you start to do any group riding, by and large, you will probably be 'out of synch' with a cadence below 80.
For training for quicker cadences use smaller gears, even if it feels like you are going 'no where' - hence on the turbo is ideal

simon_e

HiMoz wrote:

Just remember that Lance Armstrong was capable of sustaining a high cadence of around 120rpm and so you should undoubtedly be aiming to achieve the same at your sportive.

Lance Armstrong wasn't the first or only rider to use a higher than average cadence. Advising a leisure rider to do what he apparently did some of the time during his professional career isn't necessarily a recipe for someone's sportive technique. Would you recommend someone practice driving like Jenson Button?

Cancellara is known for his unusual combination of high power output and fast cadence. Geraint Thomas says in training he usually turns 80rpm on road and 130rpm on the track. BBAR winner Nik Bowdler and Graeme Obree, amon others, have been successful using notably low cadence. A high pedalling cadence doesn't suit everyone. Anthony, I suggest you be more flexible than those tight guidelines. There are apparently benefits to doing long rides with relatively high cadence but it's not set in stone, there's no single 'correct' way to improve.

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/fitness/a ... low-20920/
viewtopic.php?p=15959021
viewtopic.php?p=15301233

Baggervance

From my own experience I would say that cadence is linked to a riders size/strength/weight; smaller/lighter riders usually have a naturally higher cadence.
A good analogy would be a large 3 litre V8 engine which produces lots of power/torque at low revs whereas a 4 cylinder engine has to rev much higher to produce power.
80+ is fine and with experience you'll find your own natural rhythm/cadence that produces the best results for you.

mamba80

+1 on what Alex said, Dont get hung up on what you read in some mag, 75 to 80 is fine, infact its what the Dartmoor classic training guide recommends and MDCC are no idiots.
Just gradually increase your distance until you can ride at least 75% of the event distance... Enjoy it, its a great hobby and try to do a few grp rides so you get used to riding around other riders.

cougie

Yes - there is no magic cadence figure that is right and everyone else is wrong.

From what I've seen non-cyclists tend to push about 60rpm on their rides. The more cycling you do - the faster you learn to spin. When I was beginning I'd try and copy the cadence of the older guys in the club. Novices tend to grind bigger gears until they get the hang of things.

Ron Stuart

Don't get bogged down with to much theory to soon, keep those legs turning, make sure your bike is a good 'bike-fit' for example like a pair of good supportive running shoes your bike and clothing should all feel comfortable and enable you to get them miles in. To start with a good guide is to be in a gear one lower than that which you feel you can turn ok, there is a term for this it's called being 'on top of the pedals' meaning you could turn this gear on this type of terrain for hours with no problem. On the steeper hills your cadence will drop just like the pros do, don't worry, have a good range of low gears and ignore the pace just get used to this type of riding and practice. 3 Months of this and you can start to read a bit more into the sport but for now as I said keep you and your bike in good shape (maintained) and get them miles in, you will find big benefits in relatively a short while.
Lastly if you can work it, three rides of twenty miles are better in a week than one of 60 miles. Do this and the rest can be built on, consistency is the key and don't go staring at to many gadgets and bloggs about cadence etc. That comes later when you look to refine your act.

rjh299

Simon E wrote:

HiMoz wrote:

Just remember that Lance Armstrong was capable of sustaining a high cadence of around 120rpm and so you should undoubtedly be aiming to achieve the same at your sportive.

Lance Armstrong wasn't the first or only rider to use a higher than average cadence. Advising a leisure rider to do what he apparently did some of the time during his professional career isn't necessarily a recipe for someone's sportive technique. Would you recommend someone practice driving like Jenson Button?

I'm guessing he was being sarcastic?

Herbsman

rjh299 wrote:

Simon E wrote:

HiMoz wrote:

Just remember that Lance Armstrong was capable of sustaining a high cadence of around 120rpm and so you should undoubtedly be aiming to achieve the same at your sportive.

Lance Armstrong wasn't the first or only rider to use a higher than average cadence. Advising a leisure rider to do what he apparently did some of the time during his professional career isn't necessarily a recipe for someone's sportive technique. Would you recommend someone practice driving like Jenson Button?

I'm guessing he was being sarcastic?

I thought that was blindingly obvious.

racingcondor

OP - Don't worry about it. The 'correct' cadence is whatever gets you to the end and 75-80 isn't all that low.

I spin deliberately when racing crits so that I can stick with the accellerations but the longer I ride the more my cadence tends towards 80.

simon_e

Herbsman wrote:

rjh299 wrote:

I'm guessing he was being sarcastic?

I thought that was blindingly obvious.

Allright, allright, no need to rub it in all of you!

fastandfurry

Just to offer a contrary opinion, if you spin at a higher cadence, you are reducing the force you are exerting at any one time. This means that you would expect each contraction to take less out of the muscles.

There is some evidence that you use less oxygen for the same power output (ie are more efficient) at a lower cadence. However, when you try and ride at the cadence these studies seem to recommend (about 70rpm) you can't put out anywhere near the same power output as at a higher cadence, for reasons loosely linked to what I outlined above (basically you're using more fast twitch fibres at a lower cadence, due to the higher forces needed for the same power output, which fatigue quickly).

In my view (mostly informed by looking into sports science for the purpose of writing rowing training programs, as it happens...), the limiting factor for all fairly fit to elite level fitness individuals is muscular, not circulatory. Therefore, spin to save your muscles.

Alex_Simmons/RST

fastandfurry wrote:

(basically you're using more fast twitch fibres at a lower cadence, due to the higher forces needed for the same power output, which fatigue quickly).

The forces are hardly high at such power levels (Sportive pace), and muscle fibre type recruitment is far more a function of power than cadence or force per se (it's the rate of muscle movement and force together that dictate muscle recruitment demand).

You are correct in saying fast twitch fatigue quickly, so quickly that if in fact we did use them to any great degree we wouldn't be able to continue for more than a few minutes at such cadences. Yet we can. Hence we don't.

Herbsman

I thought fast twitch fibres were predominantly used during sprinting.

ddraver

You need to balance fast and slow twitch fibres/fast and slow cadences - If you push at huge gear at a cadence of 1 you will run out of energy very quickly. If you spin at 200rpm (to acheive the same road speed), you ll tire equally quickly. Spin a huge gear at 200rpm on the Champs Elysees (sp?) and you ll be knackered in 10 seconds

Somewhere between the 2 is a balance that is right for you. For most people, that is around (AROUND!!) 90rpm

Roshay - It will come with time and training, like smooth pedalling, riding no handed, comfort with wearing lycra in public etc etc...