How many of you use cadence for training ?

[midlife]

Cadence is simply a measure of revolutions and surely nothing to do with work done, you could be pedalling downhill and doing no work?

Shaun

 

[Doyleyburger]

Thanks everyone for your input . Think I might invest in a new garmin soon then

 

[Cuchilo]

Thanks everyone for your input . Think I might invest in a new garmin soon then

I may be getting rid of my 500 now I have the 1000

 

[Citius]

Worth a read. For those that can't be arsed, the general conclusion is that focusing on cadence is irrelevant. http://myworldfromabicycle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/ideal-cadence-for-competitive-bicycling.html

If you're serious about improving performance, then focus on riding harder for longer.

 

[ayceejay]

An interesting article with the wrong conclusion being drawn.
The myth is that there is an ideal cadence that everyone who wants to improve performance should
strive for, in reality it is more likely that an optimal cadence is an individual thing and not a universal
silver bullet. Discovering ones own optimum requires some effort and it is not rocket science to
know that hills and wind will effect this, or to blindly stick to any given cadence during a race.
None of this suggests that putting a training effort on cadence is irrelevant.

Working on cadence and gym work could improve performance no end

 

[Citius]

An interesting article with the wrong conclusion being drawn.

Not sure what you mean. You say that, and then you go onto agree with the premise of the article?

None of this suggests that putting a training effort on cadence is irrelevant.

Training should focus on improving performance, as I said earlier. Cadence is a by-product of cycling and is not going to help you produce more power. If going faster was simply a matter of increasing your cadence, we'd all do it.

 

[Hacienda71]

I don't monitor my cadence and it doesn't seem to hold me back compared to my peers. Each to their own.

 

[screenman]

Has anyone with a low cadence won anything lately?

 

[Hacienda71]

Tony Martin isn't exactly spinning to win.

 

[Citius]

Has anyone with a low cadence won anything lately?

Lots. How many do you want?
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=472KioY35pM


I can do links to high cadence too...

 

[screenman]

Tony Martin isn't exactly spinning to win.

I thought he was in the region of 80, not that slow.

Try Nik Bowdler with his 77 front ring.

 

[screenman]

Cities I was not saying there were not any, I just did not have the information at hand.

 

[ayceejay]

If you're serious about improving performance, then focus on riding harder for longer.

This statement is flawed, especially in the context of cadence, and in this case as an answer to how training cadence could help someone who is thinking of "taking cycling/training a bit more seriously and (will be) partaking in lots of sportives"

I would say that the focus for riding, say a 100 event would be on maintaining an even pace and training to remain comfortable after many hours in the saddle. Assuming that this is doylyburgers aim do you not see how cadence training would help? Obviously there are other considerations but if working to discover an optimum cadence that enables an even effort for a long period wouldn't that make more sense than focusing on riding harder for longer?

 

[Citius]

If you're serious about improving performance, then focus on riding harder for longer.

This statement is flawed, especially in the context of cadence, and in this case as an answer to how training cadence could help someone who is thinking of "taking cycling/training a bit more seriously and (will be) partaking in lots of sportives"

I don't see how that statement is in any way flawed. It is perfectly practical advice and works on any level. There is no 'context' for cadence - because cadence is incidental to the objective - ie improvement. If we accept that cadence is largely self-selecting and will vary according to where you are riding and how hard you are working, then how will 'training' it improve things?

I would say that the focus for riding, say a 100 event would be on maintaining an even pace and training to remain comfortable after many hours in the saddle.

The objective for riding a 100 mile event is being able to ride 100 miles. Everything else is debatable.

Assuming that this is doylyburgers aim do you not see how cadence training would help?

No I don't. Perhaps you could explain?

Obviously there are other considerations but if working to discover an optimum cadence that enables an even effort for a long period wouldn't that make more sense than focusing on riding harder for longer?

You don't get it. Maintaining an even effort requires you to maintain an even effort - nothing more, nothing less. The cadence you ride at while doing that is incidental, and will vary according to the terrain you are on. Expecting someone to maintain the same cadence for 100 miles is utterly stupid.

 

[Venod]

If going faster was simply a matter of increasing your cadence, we'd all do it.

But if I pedal the same gear at a higher cadence I will go faster.