Cadence why measure

samsbike

I am being thick but why measure cadence and how does measuring it help?

I understand heart rate and speed and power but not cadence.

Thanks

imposter2.0

The short answer is - it doesn't. Cadence is largely a personal preference and tends to rise naturally as your fitness increases.

danlikesbikes

Personally I find it a good measure if I'm on rolling terrain where the speed is constantly changing keeping within my 'happy range' its easy to see how I'm doing.

TheHound

I found it a big help.

I'm not a power rider like my brother so find it much more efficient to ride at a high cadence. When I started out I was pushing too high a gear and tiring quickly.

I'm pretty used to how it feels now so wouldn't say I need it. I can have a decent guess. But it helped a lot initially.

16mm

If you are measuring power, then measuring cadence also allows some analysis of how you achieve power in different situations, eg high force low cadence or lower force higher cadence.

It can be useful to see this data if you want to analyze a race or training session to see how you rode different parts of the race, and what happened, for example, before and during the main race move.

On it's own, I'd suggest cadence can usually be determined by looking at your feet.

rolf_f

16mm wrote:

On it's own, I'd suggest cadence can usually be determined by looking at your feet.

Lol - doesn't really work though. I tried it! Infact, even showing cadence alone doesn't make any difference IME- what works for me in increasing my cadence is showing both cadence and average cadence. Without the average, you tend to think you are doing much better than you actually are!

Neil_aky

I bought a cadence sensor to use with my iPod Touch and found it interesting to aim for 90rpm on cadence as it made me faster / more efficient; however, after a few weeks I was able to judge my cadence accurately enough without the sensor; I'de say if you've never considered / measured it it can help but you don't need to measure long-term (IMO)

wishitwasallflat

I find have a computer that shows my Cadence extremely useful - I check it regularily when riding and counting never worked for me. I've had mine for over 6 months now and still feel its great - much more efficient and knee friendly to ride higher cadence lower force and checking it subjectively by feel or counting doesn't work for me.

Monty Dog

Higher cadence = greater economy, puts less stress on the muscles and therefore should enable you to ride for longer without fatigueing

Monty Dog

..also many beginners perceive that they need bigger gears to go faster when in fact they are grinding gears relatively slowly. Developing a smooth cadence and pick-up really helps when sustaining a high speed.

Anonymous

At a basic level its simply a case of 100% knowing what you are doing , rather than guessing/not knowing.
Cycling = peddling, so I would say its important to have an idea of what you are actually doing.

If you analyse it a little it will force you to think about it, and even if that leads to you not using the information in the future, you will have gone through a useful process IMO.

I used to run a lot and used a Garmin. I found it invaluable and could not have improved without it. I would often think I was running better, or worse than I actually was, and the Garmin just clarified it.
Running only has one gear, but as cycling has almost 20 I just feel its helpful to have the extra information there to look at if it helps.

I would almost ask why not measure it to be honest :roll:

imposter2.0

Carbonator wrote:

Cycling = peddling,

call me pedantic if you like, but cycling = pedalling. If you're gonna do it, you might as well learn to spell it.

bernithebiker

Imposter wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Cycling = peddling,

call me pedantic if you like, but cycling = pedalling. If you're gonna do it, you might as well learn to spell it.

Or is it 'pedaling'? I can never remember?

imposter2.0

bernithebiker wrote:

Imposter wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Cycling = peddling,

call me pedantic if you like, but cycling = pedalling. If you're gonna do it, you might as well learn to spell it.

Or is it 'pedaling'? I can never remember?

I'm sure you've asked this before. UK = double 'L' / USA = single 'L'. What it definitely isn't, is 'peddle.'

Edited because I'm an idiot.

bernithebiker

Imposter wrote:

bernithebiker wrote:

Imposter wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Cycling = peddling,

call me pedantic if you like, but cycling = pedalling. If you're gonna do it, you might as well learn to spell it.

Or is it 'pedaling'? I can never remember?

I'm sure you've asked this before. UK = single 'L' / USA = double 'L'. What it definitely isn't, is 'peddle.'

So what shall we decide on then? One L or 2?

briantrumpet

Imposter wrote:

bernithebiker wrote:

Imposter wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Cycling = peddling,

call me pedantic if you like, but cycling = pedalling. If you're gonna do it, you might as well learn to spell it.

Or is it 'pedaling'? I can never remember?

I'm sure you've asked this before. UK = single 'L' / USA = double 'L'. What it definitely isn't, is 'peddle.'

If you're going to be pedantic, always be careful. The UK spelling is two Ls. The general rule in British English is that if the final syllable is unstressed then you don't double the final consonant (e.g. 'ticketed'), but I think it gets doubled up where without a double consonant it would be open to mispronunciation ("pedayling").

Back to topic, I find the nicest way to keep a good tempo is to find a song you know really well in the right tempo and just sing while you pedal - or peddle, if you're selling onions on the move.

imposter2.0

briantrumpet wrote:

If you're going to be pedantic, always be careful. The UK spelling is two Ls. The general rule in British English is that if the final syllable is unstressed then you don't double the final consonant (e.g. 'ticketed'), but I think it gets doubled up where without a double consonant it would be open to mispronunciation ("pedayling").

Back to topic, I find the nicest way to keep a good tempo is to find a song you know really well in the right tempo and just sing while you pedal - or peddle, if you're selling onions on the move.

apologies - I got that the wrong way round. UK is double - USA is single. Hence why I spelt it with double. Now edited for accuracy

bernithebiker wrote:

So what shall we decide on then? One L or 2?

Entirely up to you. Just don't type 'peddle'.

briantrumpet

Imposter wrote:

apologies - I got that the wrong way round. UK is double - USA is single. Hence why I spelt it with double

I thought that was the case, but catching out pedants is just so much fun.

imposter2.0

briantrumpet wrote:

Back to topic, I find the nicest way to keep a good tempo is to find a song you know really well in the right tempo and just sing while you pedal - or peddle, if you're selling onions on the move.

This doesn't work, by the way. All that happens is the tempo of the song simply rises/drops to match your cadence.

briantrumpet

Imposter wrote:

briantrumpet wrote:

Back to topic, I find the nicest way to keep a good tempo is to find a song you know really well in the right tempo and just sing while you pedal - or peddle, if you're selling onions on the move.

This doesn't work, by the way. All that happens is the tempo of the song simply rises/drops to match your cadence.

It does if you're a tempo pedant like me - for my day job (amongst other things) I direct big bands, one central skill for that being able to set tempos spot on. It's something I'm quite good at - better than lifting weights, anyway.

imposter2.0

briantrumpet wrote:

Imposter wrote:

briantrumpet wrote:

Back to topic, I find the nicest way to keep a good tempo is to find a song you know really well in the right tempo and just sing while you pedal - or peddle, if you're selling onions on the move.

This doesn't work, by the way. All that happens is the tempo of the song simply rises/drops to match your cadence.

It does if you're a tempo pedant like me - for my day job (amongst other things) I direct big bands, one central skill for that being able to set tempos spot on. It's something I'm quite good at - better than lifting weights, anyway.

In that case, I will bow to your superior sense of tempo. Probably explains why I never made it as a musician

bernithebiker

briantrumpet wrote:

Back to topic, I find the nicest way to keep a good tempo is to find a song you know really well in the right tempo and just sing while you pedal - or peddle, if you're selling onions on the move.

Another one Bites the Dust is good if you're giving it some welly,

(110bpm!)

cyco2

I don't have a cadence counter on my single speed training bike and was interested in what cadence I was doing. I use single speed because I like the disapline that the single gear demands. I do have a computer so can see my speed and and have caculated my cadence at various speeds. 20mph= 93rpm, 23mph=106rpm,25mph=116rpm and 28mph=130rpm which is my max so far. So I quess I'm in the 'a cadence counter would be a waste of time' group.

CiB

bernithebiker wrote:

briantrumpet wrote:

Back to topic, I find the nicest way to keep a good tempo is to find a song you know really well in the right tempo and just sing while you pedal - or peddle, if you're selling onions on the move.

Another one Bites the Dust is good if you're giving it some welly,

(110bpm!)

Nelly The Elephant and Remember You're A Womble are both good for setting a steady tempo.

Discovering cadence and raising mine a bit made a big difference to my riding. I don't need to measure it now but do so nno other reason than it's on the computer anyway and it's good to have confirmation or that extra nudge in my eye-line to keep it at a higher rate.

DavidJB

Never bother any more.

I know I always ride between 95-105.

drlodge

DavidJB wrote:

Never bother any more.

I know I always ride between 95-105.

Same here. I used to watch my cadence quite a lot, now I hardly bother.

briantrumpet

CiB wrote:

Nelly The Elephant and Remember You're A Womble are both good for setting a steady tempo.

Also good for CPR. As is 'Stayin Alive', though hearing The Bee Gees might finish them off if they're music lovers.

t4tomo

Doesn't Nelly the Elephant have a bit where it goes "whooaaaaaa" and speeds up to a crazy speed? I seem to recall that from school discos. is that when you sprint like a maniac off the front of the peleton?

madbiker2007

16mm wrote:

If you are measuring power, then measuring cadence also allows some analysis of how you achieve power in different situations, eg high force low cadence or lower force higher cadence.

It can be useful to see this data if you want to analyze a race or training session to see how you rode different parts of the race, and what happened, for example, before and during the main race move.

On it's own, I'd suggest cadence can usually be determined by looking at your feet.

A bit OTT dont you think? You dont need a rocket scientist to ride a bike fast. (although a rocket might help).