Cadence / improving

[MrJamie]

I've been trying to increase my cadence too since getting a computer that measures it. My typical cadence ranges from about 60-80 with me being concious of trying to not let it get even lower, used to be more like 50-70.

I dont know if its right, but the lower cadence really seems to suit me... being relatively fit from running/cycling regularly and still weighing near 19st when im riding on the flat i have quite a lot of power and weight doesnt seem to matter so much. Also with using an 11-32 8-speed cassette on my hybrid some of the jumps are quite significant so dropping down a gear can require a seemingly big increase in rpm to just maintain the same speed.

I really try to spin up a bit uphill unless theyre short enough to get out of the saddle for, i wouldnt want to put all that weight/stress through my knees regularly.

 

[tyred]

Select a gear of about 60 - 65 inches (something like 46/20 on a 27" wheel - my fixed gear ratio for winter) and aim for about 19-20mph on a flat road and you should have a cadence of around 100rpm.

 

[dan_bo]

As I get older i've found it easier to maintain speed with a bigger gear- i've gone from 78" to 84" on my commute for example- and as such am spinning slower than I used to. Maybe it's just me but cadence isn't everything.

 

[SquareDaff]

Don't worry about average cadence - personally I tend to ride on my commute between 80-90 and if I ever drop below 75 then it's time to change down a gear (or two). If you've been riding at about 60 (which was me about 18 months ago) then you'll initially find it hard to change. I was exhausted for the 1st week or 2. Your body will eventually adapt and 70 will soon seem normal. After that it'll creep up over time.

Just remember that spinning isn't a subsitute for the power you put down whilst grinding. Do both and the benefits are enormous!

 

[tyred]

You will find yourself hopelessly out of breath if you really try to spin a fast cadence when you're not used to it. Fitness will quickly improve if you work at it.

 

[smutchin]

All this talk of average cadence... do you folk have computers that actually measure your average cadence? I only know my average cadence because I ride fixed (ergo it's easy to calculate from my average speed).

I've no idea what my average cadence would be when I ride gears - I generally try to keep it in the 90-100 range but that's more a modal average than a mean. Tbh, I think the modal average is probably of more interest.

d.

 

[Fab Foodie]

All this talk of average cadence... do you folk have computers that actually measure your average cadence? I only know my average cadence because I ride fixed (ergo it's easy to calculate from my average speed).

Mine does, but then I tend to ride over flattish ground. If you rode a lot of hills you might get a very different figure which IMO would be meaningless.

 

[SquareDaff]

All this talk of average cadence... do you folk have computers that actually measure your average cadence?

Yes - and as said somewhere in a previous comment it can be misleading as the figure falls when you free wheel. I have my computer displaying current cadence all the time to stop me falling into my old grinding habits.

 

[fossyant]

Garmin Edge !

 

[HLaB]

All this talk of average cadence... do you folk have computers that actually measure your average cadence? I only know my average cadence because I ride fixed (ergo it's easy to calculate from my average speed).

d.

My Garmin Edge 305 tells me but the sensor is fitted to my best bike and I ride the other bike with it not fitted more, so I'm never too specific about my general cadence

 

[lanternerouge]

Moi aussi j'ai un Garmin

 

[mr Mag00]

yh my VDO had a cadence sensor

 

[amaferanga]

Yes - and as said somewhere in a previous comment it can be misleading as the figure falls when you free wheel. I have my computer displaying current cadence all the time to stop me falling into my old grinding habits.

Only if you have a crap computer. Any decent one will be smart enough to exclude time spent not pedalling.

 

[SquareDaff]

Only if you have a crap computer. Any decent one will be smart enough to exclude time spent not pedalling.

If you mean by that that I didn't have to take on the debt of a small african nation to buy one then I suppose it is cr@p

 

[amaferanga]

If you mean by that that I didn't have to take on the debt of a small african nation to buy one then I suppose it is cr@p

Is £100 really a lot for a good cycle computer? That's what I paid for my Garmin Edge 500.