How to find the right cadence rate

[Andyfromdonny]

Thank you all for the advise, I may invest in a sensor at least I can then judge my rate and pace

 

[adamangler]

I like to mix it up including getting out of the saddle and standing up.

My general cadence seems to be around 90, but sometimes i like to shift into a big gear and get out of the saddle for a while even on the flat just to stretch out and get weight of the old crotch.

 

[Sharky]

Rode our club 10 last night. Don't have a cadence sensor, but as I rode a 50x15 fixed, I can use an online calculator to give ...
Struggling over our "bridge" @ 15mph - cadence down to about 58rpm
Maxing at about 29mph on the way back - cadence about 112rpm
Average for the 10 miles @ 21.7mph - cadence 84rpm

 

[2IT]

Be careful with a higher cadence, until you're body becomes 'bike stable'. What I mean is that I see too many people, who are relatively new to road riding, who's muscles don't seem to have yet adapted / stabilised to the way they work on a road bike, trying to pedal at a high cadence, and the result is that, not only do they not go any faster, but they also 'squirrel' ( move about in an unpredictable way ), which puts them at higher risk of getting caught up in an incident with a passing cyclist / other road user. I'd personally say that you may want to concentrate on keeping the Cadence rate steady, to begin with, then increase the Cadence speed as you get used to it.

There are also those in too big a gear that swerve side to side with each pedal stroke.

 

[2IT]

only into my second week back on the bike and the bug is beginning to bite. I know I shouldn't worry too much about times and speed etc but what bugs me is on the 5 rides I have done my average speed is dropping gone from 26.9 to 23.9kmh.
As I have progressed I have found my self trying to get in a higher gear once I have some momentum and maybe I should keep to an higher pedal rate to avoid burning out
Do you have my reccomendations on high pedal rate rather than shifting to higher gear..not sure whether I should have high cadence rate or lower and how have you jewbies found this out?

Thanks

Andy

Not mentioned yet is synchronization of breathing with your cadence as a guide. I exhale every third stroke of the pedals. If I get to every second stroke, I definitely need a smaller gear if I have one. If I'm not aware of exhale rate, then I'm really not working it.

PS leg turnover for running and cycling seems to be about the same for people with the better runners having a higher turnover.

 

[Racing roadkill]

There are also those in too big a gear that swerve side to side with each pedal stroke.

Agreed, both cases are newbieness, and at either end of the scale. I tend to ride with a bigger gear, and lower cadence, but I've been riding for a long time, and that's what I've found suits me better. Some prefer lower gears and higher cadence. It's a bit 'helmet debate'.

 

[MichaelW2]

Cadence is a personal decision, based on your own mix of leg/cardi strength and fast/slow twitch muscle. Other factors in the mix include the relative size of cranks: legs. Long cranks cannot be spun rapidly by people with short legs. People with long legs naturally adopt a slower cadence.
Whatever your starting point, you can train for higher cadence. Use some pedal retension system. Pick a long flat section of road. Ride at a moderately easy pace, you are training muscle speed not doing a cardio workout. Gradually pedal up to a comfortable cadence at cruising speed. Ramp up the cadence a bit and shift down. Continue until you are spinning like a hamster on speed and hold on as long as you can.

 

[Globalti]

It's less about cadence and more about spinning smoothly, applying muscle power right through the circle turned by the cranks. A sure sign of a beginner is the cyclist who is bobbing up and down with the effort of pushing down on the pedals (sometimes derided as a "nodder") while a sure sign of an experienced rider is the cyclist whose upper body remains still while the legs power smoothly round the stroke - see Chris Froome for example. Spinning the pedals smoothly and rapidly in a circle enables you to share the work between several muscles and transfer some of the load to the cardio-vascular system. I believe I'm right in saying that the arrival of smaller chainrings on the cycling scene has made the spinning style more common amongst professionals and that Froome wins races because his cardio-vascular system is well acclimatised, he having grown up at altitude.

 

[2IT]

Other factors in the mix include the relative size of cranks: legs. Long cranks cannot be spun rapidly by people with short legs. People with long legs naturally adopt a slower cadence.

Could it not be the other way around? Long legged Chris Fromme spins at a high cadence. At 6 feet tall I prefer cadence over power.

In regards to crank length a shorter crank takes longer to make that circle then a long crank. The bigger the circle the faster the outside edge of it moves.

I switched from 175 millimeter crank to 170 millimeter cranks and have enjoyed it. I feel like the cornering clearance on 170 millimeter cranks better. Smaller cranks also make the gear ratio bigger with each turn of the pedal.

 

[bozmandb9]

Not mentioned yet is synchronization of breathing with your cadence as a guide. I exhale every third stroke of the pedals. If I get to every second stroke, I definitely need a smaller gear if I have one. If I'm not aware of exhale rate, then I'm really not working it.

PS leg turnover for running and cycling seems to be about the same for people with the better runners having a higher turnover.

Not necessarily, I have really quick turnover sprinting, but a really crap stride length. Younger guys in my sprint group fly past me at half the cadence, with their long strides. Bloody annoying!

 

[jonny jeez]

Thank you all for the advise, I may invest in a sensor at least I can then judge my rate and pace

I don't know how "serious" your need for the correct cadence is. From my own experience, I fitted the monitor for my Garmin, learnt how fast 90rpm felt, and never looked at it again. I find that too much info on the screen is a danger for me as I am constantly looking at it rather than on the toad (I commute a fair bit)

So the HRM and the cadence meter are now in a box in the workshop.

As a side note, whilst I am happy spinning at 90rpm, I prefer a much slower cadence, despite the suggested recovery benefit of a higher rate.

Regardless of the rate I choose, I like to keep it the same and adjust the gears with the terrain to maintain the same cadence.(intuitively)

 

[MichaelW2]

Could it not be the other way around? Long legged Chris Fromme spins at a high cadence. At 6 feet tall I prefer cadence over power.
In regards to crank length a shorter crank takes longer to make that circle then a long crank. The bigger the circle the faster the outside edge of it moves.
I switched from 175 millimeter crank to 170 millimeter cranks and have enjoyed it. I feel like the cornering clearance on 170 millimeter cranks better. Smaller cranks also make the gear ratio bigger with each turn of the pedal.

Chris Froome isn't normal.
Regarding crank circle, it depends which variable you fix. I would fix pedalling force and power output and vary gearing to suit.
A rotation of a short crank would be a shorter distance, producing less work, than one rev of a long crank, and taking less time. This makes no impact on bike speed because of gearing. You just spin a short crank more rapidly.
Imagine if you take crank length to extreme levels and double the length. Could you spin a 350mm crank faster than your 170? It may sound a silly thought experiment, but very short riders have this kind of pedalling experience on med cranks.

 

[2IT]

[QUOTE="MichaelW2, post: 4265719, member: 41344]
A rotation of a short crank would be a shorter distance, producing less work, than one rev of a long crank, and taking less time. This makes no impact on bike speed because of gearing. You just spin a short crank more rapidly.
Imagine if you take crank length to extreme levels and double the length. Could you spin a 350mm crank faster than your 170? It may sound a silly thought experiment, but very short riders have this kind of pedalling experience on med cranks.[/QUOTE]

Think about it. The leg on the 350 crank has to move faster in one turn than the 170. The longer you make the crank the smaller the gear ratio. See Sheldon Brown gear ratio calculator.

 

[mickle]

It's very easy: Pedal faster (until you can pedal faster no more). And try to go as fast as possible.

I'm presuming that the reason you're asking this question is because you want to get fitter. Or arrive at your destination sooner.

 

[MichaelW2]

Think about it. The leg on the 350 crank has to move faster in one turn than the 170. The longer you make the crank the smaller the gear ratio. See Sheldon Brown gear ratio calculator.

You are fixing the wrong variable. Cadence is not an independent variable. If you change from a very short crank to a very long one, your cadence will not be the same. Your power output and work-rate will not vary, neither will your speed, because you can vary the gear ratios. At you increase crank length, you get an effective lower gear but in practice riders compensate automatically by selecting a higher cog ratio.