Cadence Questions!!
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Spin
It's rather simple. Shoot for 90-100 rpm on the flats, and 75 minimum when climbing. Into the wind, maybe 80+.LyncStar said:
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Well, . . .
A lot of this is pretty subjective. I've climbed for over an hour at 60 rpm and never felt I was in dire straits. That was back in the day without the ready access to lower gears that we have today. I would certainly set the goal higher than that but it's not life threatening or anything. YMMVrocco said:
its up to your body
did you happen to see the cadence's during the paris-roubaix? these guys are like egg beaters over those cobbles. anyway, you should comfortable spinning along at 90-110 rpm, and you shold be able to sprint at north of 120. it takes a computer, and alot of practice to get comfortable spinning high rpm's. bike fit is crucial. working on a trainer is a great place to increase rpm's. your ideal cadence is a function of your physiology. you should be spinning at an rpm that minimizes muscle tension, without stressing your cardio system too much. finding the balance is part of training. as for climbing: there is no rule of thumb. just compare lance in the alps verses almost anyone else. his legs are a blur, while others are standing and pushing a slower rpm. alot depends on your body type
did you happen to see the cadence's during the paris-roubaix? these guys are like egg beaters over those cobbles. anyway, you should comfortable spinning along at 90-110 rpm, and you shold be able to sprint at north of 120. it takes a computer, and alot of practice to get comfortable spinning high rpm's. bike fit is crucial. working on a trainer is a great place to increase rpm's. your ideal cadence is a function of your physiology. you should be spinning at an rpm that minimizes muscle tension, without stressing your cardio system too much. finding the balance is part of training. as for climbing: there is no rule of thumb. just compare lance in the alps verses almost anyone else. his legs are a blur, while others are standing and pushing a slower rpm. alot depends on your body type
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Tips for increasing cadence
Pervious replies are all good input. Here is my two cents:
Riding rollers is great for increasing your cadence because they force you to be very smooth just to stay on them.
I use this drill. When riding comfortably on the flats, down shift one cog and try to keep your speed (forward speed of the bike) the same. Concentrate on pulling back and lifting your foot. The pushing down part takes care of itself.
If your cyclometer does not have a cadence function, you can make a chart and tape it to your stem. The chart shows the speed in each gear a given cadence. My chart is calculated based on 100 rpm. It is a little old school, but it works. Really old school is counting your crank revolutions for ten seconds and multiplying by six to get rpm. If you are interested, I think that Sheldon Brown has template for this on his website or e-mail me and I’ll send you my excel template.
Pervious replies are all good input. Here is my two cents:
Riding rollers is great for increasing your cadence because they force you to be very smooth just to stay on them.
I use this drill. When riding comfortably on the flats, down shift one cog and try to keep your speed (forward speed of the bike) the same. Concentrate on pulling back and lifting your foot. The pushing down part takes care of itself.
If your cyclometer does not have a cadence function, you can make a chart and tape it to your stem. The chart shows the speed in each gear a given cadence. My chart is calculated based on 100 rpm. It is a little old school, but it works. Really old school is counting your crank revolutions for ten seconds and multiplying by six to get rpm. If you are interested, I think that Sheldon Brown has template for this on his website or e-mail me and I’ll send you my excel template.
I think higher cadences have been proben to be beneficial, but you have to look at how guys like Ullrich will power up long hills and be very sucessful. I think all of our bodies have a different natural cadence that we are comfortable with. When it comes to climbing, I have to fight to keep myself seated at anything below about 80rpm. I'm one of those guys that feels perfectly comfortable standing all the way up a 20-30 minute climb, but when I'm racing I try to stay seated as long as possible to conserve energy.
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I have found..
that staying seated on a climb is more efficient and I also climb faster when I am seated as long as I am able to maintain my cadence. I tested this theory quite a bit last year and would always be slower at the top of the hill if I was standing rather than sitting, sometimes as much as 3 mph slower!
that staying seated on a climb is more efficient and I also climb faster when I am seated as long as I am able to maintain my cadence. I tested this theory quite a bit last year and would always be slower at the top of the hill if I was standing rather than sitting, sometimes as much as 3 mph slower!
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Confused
If this were true, then you would never see a racer stand up and drop their rivals on hills. Standing is less efficient because you have to support more weight, but it generally allows you to produce MORE power rather than less. Light people (under 140 lb/65 kg) often can climb for long periods while standing. People over 160 lb/75 kg should generally remain seated. YMMVClark said:
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