Cycling cadence question

[shorewife]

I've always tried to keep my cadence while riding (on the flats) around 90.  I've noticed with my new bike my cadence is averaging around 85, even though it feels like I'm pedaling at the same rate and speed as I'm used to.  Maybe its having a different bike or maybe its just that its early season, but should I try to get my average cadence back up to 90 or is 85 okay too? 

Also, if I increase my cadence by switching gears it seems to make me ride slower, so should I be trying to increase my cadence by pedaling faster?  I would like to increase my overall speed this season.

[katinthehat]

Sadle is going to have a lot more input on this than I am, but I'll try to offer advice anyway.

You can go reach the same speed by a variety of ways. You can have a low gear and a super high cadence or a high gear and a low cadence but both are going to leave your legs tired. A low gear/high spin combo is going to leave your legs tired because you aren't putting down a lot of power so you're going to have to spin faster. A high gear/low spin combo is exhausting because you're putting down so much power with each stroke and there's a limit to how many times your legs can do that without giving out.

So you want to find your sweet spot of a cadence that you can reasonably maintain that gives you the speed you want to achieve.

I've turned into a numbers geek this pregnancy because I can only ride on the trainer so I've been trying to do a lot of cadence work as well. I've found this chart to be really helpful.

www.bikecalc.com/speed_at_cadence

I've also come to the conclusion I'm not a fast spinner. The way my legs are built, it's a lot easier for me to ride in a higher gear with a lower cadence than it is to ride in a lower gear with a higher cadence.

If you look at that chart, I find it easier to ride in a 50x17 at a cadence of 70 than it is for me to ride at 50x19 with a cadence of 90.

Anyway, if you google cadence drills for the bike you'll get a lot of ideas for workouts. The simplest workout I do though is to say, okay I want to ride at this speed in this gear and to do it, I'm going to need a cadence of XX (using that chart) then I'll just ride for ten minutes and try to build up to 30 minutes or whatever just staring at my Garmin watching my cadence. I also like to do intervals of staying in a gear and going for three minutes at a really high cadence and then backing off for two minutes.

It's definitely a learned technique but I find the trainer to be really helpful for it and since doing so much trainer work this pregnancy I've seen a real increase in my cadence.

[shorewife]

Jun 4, 2014 10:27:55 GMT -5 katinthehat said:

Sadle is going to have a lot more input on this than I am, but I'll try to offer advice anyway.

You can go reach the same speed by a variety of ways. You can have a low gear and a super high cadence or a high gear and a low cadence but both are going to leave your legs tired. A low gear/high spin combo is going to leave your legs tired because you aren't putting down a lot of power so you're going to have to spin faster. A high gear/low spin combo is exhausting because you're putting down so much power with each stroke and there's a limit to how many times your legs can do that without giving out.

So you want to find your sweet spot of a cadence that you can reasonably maintain that gives you the speed you want to achieve.

I've turned into a numbers geek this pregnancy because I can only ride on the trainer so I've been trying to do a lot of cadence work as well. I've found this chart to be really helpful.

www.bikecalc.com/speed_at_cadence

I've also come to the conclusion I'm not a fast spinner. The way my legs are built, it's a lot easier for me to ride in a higher gear with a lower cadence than it is to ride in a lower gear with a higher cadence.

If you look at that chart, I find it easier to ride in a 50x17 at a cadence of 70 than it is for me to ride at 50x19 with a cadence of 90.

Anyway, if you google cadence drills for the bike you'll get a lot of ideas for workouts. The simplest workout I do though is to say, okay I want to ride at this speed in this gear and to do it, I'm going to need a cadence of XX (using that chart) then I'll just ride for ten minutes and try to build up to 30 minutes or whatever just staring at my Garmin watching my cadence. I also like to do intervals of staying in a gear and going for three minutes at a really high cadence and then backing off for two minutes.

It's definitely a learned technique but I find the trainer to be really helpful for it and since doing so much trainer work this pregnancy I've seen a real increase in my cadence.

This is very interesting. I've never really paid all that close of attention to exactly which gear I'm in, but I will now.  It seems like you feel better at a lower cadence and that works for you?

[sadlebred]

I'm with Kat on this one. I'm better at a slightly lower cadence and a slightly larger gear. I'm more of a masher than a spinner.

High cadence came into favor when Lance Armstrong spoke about "spinning" with a higher cadence while climbing. As kat said, it can save energy.

I've found that cadence is a personal thing. I tend to get more tired when I use a higher cadence (within reason ie 120 rpm vs 80 rpm at the same speed). I pick a gear that is comfortable that I can stay with the group but not tire myself out in.

A caution that form follows function. Good form is more important than trying to spin at 120 rpm in a certain gear b/c you think it won't tire you out while you are bouncing all over the place. You will always be more efficient maintaining good, smooth pedaling technique, keeping your body quiet, and not bouncing up and down at any cadence. (Don't get me started with what I see in spin classes.) If you start to bounce at any time, shift into a slightly harder gear and maintain your form.

[katinthehat]

Jun 4, 2014 10:55:59 GMT -5 shorewife said:

This is very interesting. I've never really paid all that close of attention to exactly which gear I'm in, but I will now.  It seems like you feel better at a lower cadence and that works for you?

Yup.  Now, I have a lot of room for improvement but in general, I'm a masher.

And the trainer is a great tool for learning about your gears and what things feel like in certain gears and certain cadence in a void, so to speak.

Nothing can replace just getting on your bike and riding but if you have certain goals, especially if you're looking at how you want to do in triathlons, the trainer can be a really good tool to use.

[shorewife]

Thanks ladies this is really helpful!

[Susie]

My coach wants me to aim for 85-90. I have trouble naturally keeping it that high. 80, 82, those are more comfortable for me. Unless I am on a trainer, slight changes in outdoor grade, wind, etc., etc., etc., make differentiating between 85 vs. 90 (or some other small range) a fool's mission.