Cadence vs higher gears

[black'n'yellow]

..which is when it becomes inefficient in that gear! Horses for courses.

inefficient from a cardio-vascular perspective, maybe....but that's not what this is about...

 

[Garz]

I think we need refreshing what this is about

 

[black'n'yellow]

I think we need refreshing what this is about

I can't actually remember - someone will have to re-read the thread and let us know...

 

[Licramite]

so - if you had automatic gears that changed to put you in the right gear for your candence depending on the road slope - automatically so say you set your candence at 90 - it would automatically change gear to keep you at that you would go faster ?
and yes they have them in america.

 

[black'n'yellow]

so - if you had automatic gears that changed to put you in the right gear for your candence depending on the road slope - automatically so say you set your candence at 90 - it would automatically change gear to keep you at that you would go faster ?
and yes they have them in america.

I'm having a bit of trouble understanding what you're asking - and there's only one 'n' in cadence...

 

[Licramite]

well the opinion seams to be better a good cadence than a higher gear.
so it sounds like if you had an automatic gear changer on the bike that gave you the right gear for your set cadence (say set at 90) as you go up and down hills , you just pedal at the same rate all the time , you would get a better overall speed ?

-does chainline make a difference? I have tried playing around with this since fitting a 52chainring and just using the cassette to keep the same cadence , but I see people saying about a crap chainline
my chainlines set up for middle chainring cassette ring 4 , should I change it so its normal position is outer ring small gear on casette - so best chainline highest speed.

 

[black'n'yellow]

well the opinion seams to be better a good cadence than a higher gear.
so it sounds like if you had an automatic gear changer on the bike that gave you the right gear for your set cadence (say set at 90) as you go up and down hills , you just pedal at the same rate all the time , you would get a better overall speed ?

Mechanically, the two things that define your road speed are gear choice, and the rate at which that gear is turned (ie cadence). Whether the gear is selected 'automatically' or not is irrelevant. You speed will be limited by your fitness, not by your cadence, or gear choice.

-does chainline make a difference? I have tried playing around with this since fitting a 52chainring and just using the cassette to keep the same cadence , but I see people saying about a crap chainline
my chainlines set up for middle chainring cassette ring 4 , should I change it so its normal position is outer ring small gear on casette - so best chainline highest speed.

sounds like you are over-thinking it. Just select a gear that enables you to ride at a cadence which is comfortable for you.

 

[GrasB]

No. People like to think the human legs are like a car engine & don't have a concept of perceived effort. This isn't true & thus you'll have changing cadence requirements due to differing situations. These situations means your optimal cadence changes dynamically as you ride -
The colder your legs are are the lower your cadence needs to be.
The steeper the climb the lower your optimal cadence.
The more power you put out the higher your optimal cadence.
Your position on the bike effect what cadence range you want to ride in.
Your perceived leg load will change what cadence you want to be riding at....

 

[Licramite]

so which do you think is more efficient for hill climbing:
I,ve seen riders pedalling like bazinga but moving slowely steadily up the hill
or is it better - which is what I do -
stay in a higher gear as long as possible till I struggle to turn the pedal and start dumping gears till I can (I,m ussualy standing on the damn things by then,) - but staying in a higher gear as possible.

or jump off and push the bike up the hill at a run

I think the slow but low pedal resistance method is to knackering - or am I just being to impatient and its best to be slow but steady than fast(ish) but struggling.

 

[black'n'yellow]

so which do you think is more efficient for hill climbing:
I,ve seen riders pedalling like bazinga but moving slowely steadily up the hill
or is it better - which is what I do -
stay in a higher gear as long as possible till I struggle to turn the pedal and start dumping gears till I can (I,m ussualy standing on the damn things by then,) - but staying in a higher gear as possible.

or jump off and push the bike up the hill at a run

I think the slow but low pedal resistance method is to knackering - or am I just being to impatient and its best to be slow but steady than fast(ish) but struggling.

Not sure if you're getting this. Your ability to ride quickly up hills is governed/limited by your fitness - not your gear/cadence. Your choice of gear and the cadence you ride at is a by-product of your physical ability - not the other way round.

 

[david k]

Not sure if you're getting this. Your ability to ride quickly up hills is governed/limited by your fitness - not your gear/cadence. Your choice of gear and the cadence you ride at is a by-product of your physical ability - not the other way round.

but a high cadence will help, it allows your muscles to go for longer

 

[black'n'yellow]

but a high cadence will help, it allows your muscles to go for longer

No it doesn't - why do you think that..?

 

[david k]

No it doesn't - why do you think that..?

its the way it works mate, ill try to find a link. your muscles can work for longer at a higher rate but with less power output, i read it and tried it and it works for me

 

[david k]

http://www.bicycling.com/training-n...bicycling-training-tips-climbing-high-cadence

ignore the reference to LA, ha, ha

 

[ayceejay]

"The combination of a higher gear with higher pedaling rate will improve your climbing, but you need a training program to adapt." from the link.
Just to deconstruct that: if you push a high gear quickly you will go pretty fast, to be able to do this you need to improve your fitness.