# Cadence



## Maz (16 Apr 2009)

I was just wondering how many of yous actually try to maintain a cadence of around 70-80 revs/min (¿?) when cycling. Is this meant to be the optimum for aerobic respiration and increasing your stamina?


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## yenrod (16 Apr 2009)

I thought it was 90 rpm...


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## Maz (16 Apr 2009)

yenrod said:


> I thought it was 90 rpm...:?:


Could be right. I'm not sure...


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## marinyork (16 Apr 2009)

92 even? Anyway it varies from person to person. It's really noticeable when you cycle with other people. Discounting outlying people who may be going along at 40rpm or something I think there's a lot of variation out there.

I try (and fail) to pedal at 95-110rpm as that seems to suit me.


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## montage (16 Apr 2009)

I am about 90-100 rpm, but not sure exactly as I don't have a cadence moniter.
I do vary though, sometimes I will grind for a mile or two just to get a change of pain in my legs :?:


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## tyred (16 Apr 2009)

I just use whatever seems comfortable. What I feel I have achieved by riding a SS bike is being able to pedal comfortably at a wide range range of cadences.


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## Crackle (16 Apr 2009)

Me: Bought a cadence computer specifically to keep an eye on it. It has made a difference to my overall stamina and discourages me from wrecking my knees. Keeping a higher cadence seems to eek out my stength more. The downside is I'm slower to build power but that's fine because the other main purpose is not to overdo it as I ride. So cadence and HR are my weapons for this. Being something of a stop and go cyclist about to make another return to it in a few weeks, I've found it all very useful and it compliments the turbo. Oh and 89 to 90 is my rpm down to 50 on hills and 40 ish on "Oh Jeezus, I'm not going to make this" inclines.


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## fossyant (16 Apr 2009)

Somewhere 80-100 here !


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## HLaB (16 Apr 2009)

I keep a fairly high cadence when I'm peddling 80-90 on average. I like to be able to increase it when I need too my gps records around 110+ regularly but I don't like peddling down hill so the cadence drops.


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## Fab Foodie (16 Apr 2009)

Maz said:


> I was just wondering how many of yous actually try to maintain a cadence of around 70-80 revs/min (¿?) when cycling. Is this meant to be the optimum for aerobic respiration and increasing your stamina?



The optimal cadence for you will be the one that you're most comfortable with. It seems science is slowly starting to understand this. It is important to experiment as see what works for you, but don't slavishly follow fashion.


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## speccy1 (16 Apr 2009)

Mine averages about 80 - 85. I don`t like it dropping below 60, and my red line is around 115


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## Young Un (16 Apr 2009)

On the turbo I average about 110

ON the road I average about 90 maybe? I used to be a grinder but I think all of my turbo work is turning me into a spinner which I am glad about, although on big climbs I still like to honk.


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## HJ (16 Apr 2009)

Strangely enough I was discussing this very subject with Jim Riach yesterday, he was saying that it is a personally thing, but most pros ride at between 80-120 rpm...


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## jimboalee (17 Apr 2009)

You have to get yourself on an ergonometer ( or dynamometer ) with some gas analysis kit measuring your O2 and CO2.

Its an 'all-afternoon' job, but you get some curves of efficiency versus pedaling cadence.

Mine was 76 rpm, which is strange because its close to the tempo of some of my favourite dance tracks.


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## Crackle (17 Apr 2009)

jimboalee said:


> Mine was 76 rpm, which is strange because its close to the tempo of some of my favourite dance tracks.



Fantastic quote


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## Fab Foodie (17 Apr 2009)

Crackle said:


> Fantastic quote



It's one of those tricks of the trade from the old-timers of the bike world...


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## marinyork (17 Apr 2009)

I have to admit I only worked out recently that Jimboalee is a comic genius who loves his cycling and not trying to wind people up.


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## Aperitif (17 Apr 2009)

My cha-cha-chadence is 65, 82, 65, 86 - I only noticed that today, as I checked the Polar for my last four rides etc... Lots of pedalling downhill...


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## jayce (17 Apr 2009)

I have an arrow on my computer when it points down i put more work in so it points up then alls fine ,but it always points down uphill ..


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## Crackle (17 Apr 2009)

marinyork said:


> I have to admit I only worked out recently that Jimboalee is a comic genius who loves his cycling and not trying to wind people up.




Then you've been missing out on savouring his posts. I used to work with someone very like Jimbo, when they say about thinking outside the box, it was difficult to get him to acknowledge the box. Personally I thought he was a genius but others didn't really get him. Reminds me, I must give him a call.


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## marooncat (18 Apr 2009)

Any recomendations for a decent computer for measuring cadence which does not break the bank...


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## Young Un (18 Apr 2009)

marooncat said:


> Any recomendations for a decent computer for measuring cadence which does not break the bank...



I can get the Cateye Strade Cadence, in my LBS for about 38 quid, so you should be able to get it on the internet for about £35. I have the version without the cadence and it is a very good computer.


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## Plax (3 May 2009)

I'm still trying to get the hang of this cadence malarky. Finally treated myself to a Garmin Edge 705 (now known as Gary) with a HR monitor and cadence sensor. Took Gary out for a spin early afternoon. My average cadence was 68 rpm. This was over quite a hilly route (max elevation was just over 1200 ft whatever that means, started off at around 400 ft). I take it that "grinding" is when you are in a high gear and the pedal resistance feels quite high. Whereas "spinning" is where you are in a lower gear and just turn the pedals really fast and easily (because you really could be in a higher gear)?


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## Crackle (3 May 2009)

Don't know about average as climbs and stuff will affect that, what is it along the flat and what is it going uphill? 

The thing about cadence is that you need to study and familiarise yourself with your own and equate it with how you feel on a ride. A little bit of experimentation, say deliberately picking a gear to maintain a cadence of 60 on a hill you normally do at 50 and then seeing if you ascend it quicker that way or feel fresher at the top or improve your hill climbing etc. Those kind of things are where it is useful. Monitor that against your HR and just learn what your body is doing on rides.

Apart from obviously stopping you grinding away at 50 rpm, a cadence monitor is just a tool to help you get more out of yourself and it may take a bit of time to figure out how it will help you.

Gary: You named your Garmin Gary, Plax; honestly.


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## jimboalee (3 May 2009)

You can get a handle on your optimum cadence by getting on a gym bike for an afternoon.

Aiming for the same Watts output, slowly increase the resistance of the machine from zero ( fast cadence ) to Max ( low cadence ); keeping a note of your HR.

The curve shold be 'bowl' shaped with high HR at super-fast cadence and really-low cadence, but lower HR at the cadence where your body wants to pedal.

When you know your own 'optimum' cadence, grinding is pedaling lower and spinning is pedaling faster than your natural cadence.
In other words, grinding RPM for one person might be optimum for another person. Likewise, spinning RPM for one person may be optimum for another person.


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## Plax (3 May 2009)

Crackle said:


> Don't know about average as climbs and stuff will affect that, what is it along the flat and what is it going uphill?
> 
> The thing about cadence is that you need to study and familiarise yourself with your own and equate it with how you feel on a ride. A little bit of experimentation, say deliberately picking a gear to maintain a cadence of 60 on a hill you normally do at 50 and then seeing if you ascend it quicker that way or feel fresher at the top or improve your hill climbing etc. Those kind of things are where it is useful. Monitor that against your HR and just learn what your body is doing on rides.
> 
> ...



Well, I suppose I could have called it Minnie, but I much rather prefer Gary . 
I'm still playing with all the different features on it so I still have a lot to learn. I'm sure Gary and I will have a very happy future together though. I shall hopefully get to go out spinning tomorrow.


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## Sapper (6 May 2009)

Plax said:


> Well, I suppose I could have called it Minnie, but I much rather prefer Gary .
> I'm still playing with all the different features on it so I still have a lot to learn. I'm sure Gary and I will have a very happy future together though. I shall hopefully get to go out spinning tomorrow.



I too have just bought a Garmin 705 Cycle computer.

Whilst I have not yet worked out how to monitor my rides using the garmin software, I do monitor my cadence and have been recording my heart beat.

I think before I had the toy, I was a grinder and did a 60 mile route as part of my training and I suffered towards the end.

A couple of weeks later having been using the cadence feature, I found the same disance a lot easier, as i endeavoured to keep my cadence around 90-95 ish.

Able to do the distance -possibly quicker.  Might also be helped that I changed my tyres from Marathon plus to Pro-3s for my charity cycle ride later this month.

So any advice on how to use the garmin 705? maybe should start a separate thread?

Adrian


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## yello (6 May 2009)

marinyork said:


> I have to admit I only worked out recently that Jimboalee is a comic genius who loves his cycling and not trying to wind people up.



Welcome to the club! It took me a few posts to tune in but it's a truly beautiful world! And I in all seriousness do not mean anything belittling or cute by that - Jimbo is hugely knowledgeable and we can all learn from him.

Back to cadence... I try to mix it up a little, as suits my legs at the time. I can't spin like a hamster, I need to feel at least _some_ resistance, but I will pedal at 95 or lazy pedal a big gear (50ish), as the mood suits me. 

I did notice with one of my recent rides that spinning (and by that I mean 90+) for any length of time did result in my right knee aching; this is almost contrary to popular wisdom! It's supposedly grinding that causes that!

When climbing, I like to try and keep above 70 at least... but it really depends on the gradient! I did a randonée last Sunday and coming up to a climb saw a fellow ahead of me battling away on his double/contact. It looked uncomfortable. I used my granny ring and caught him. He was cooked at the top whilst I could change up and leave him. I was still fresh-ish. This is not a triple v double thing, it made me think how much leg energy is used grinding. If I want to rest my legs a little then spinning seems to help.


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## Chris James (6 May 2009)

I have a cadence function on my bike computer, but I no longer use it much. I just go with what feels comfortable.

On the flat that seems to be about 90 - 100. I can spin at 120 + easily enough. 

Up hills it can go as low as 45 ish - probably routinely it is 60 on a long 10%. It depends how steep it is and how knackered I am. 

By the time I am doing 45rpm I am already in bottom gear so knowing that I 'should' pick a lower gear for higher cadence isn't much help!


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## jimboalee (6 May 2009)

If you are a high cadence sort of chappie, don't go trying a steep hill on a high gear straight away.

Find a hill that is pretty steep - steeper than 10% but less than 14%, 12% will do.

Get warmed up and ride up it on LOWEST gear. Freewheel down to rest the legs and then climb it again on the next highest gear.

Repeat this until you cannot pedal and ditch out sideways in a heap. If your knees hurt - STOP.

That's one session.

Eat lots of protien food and then next week, do it all over again.

Over the weeks, you will be climbing that hill on higher gears at a lower cadence. You will no longer be frightened of a 12%.

Go in search of a 14% and try a session on it.
Success? Go and find a 20%.
Success? Strap a 10lb weight to your bike. 

Within a season, there won't be much that will scare you. 

And you didn't have to buy a larger cassette.  Just a pair of rear hub cones.


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## Sapper (6 May 2009)

jimboalee said:


> That's one session.
> 
> Eat lots of protien food and then next week, do it all over again.



What sort of protein foods are you referring to?

Meats?
Fish?


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