cadence

[grey]

I'm still a little new to riding (almost a year) and have yet to jump out and get myself a road bike (I am pinching my pennies, I want to get a GOOD one and keep it 10 years - that's how I've always bought anything), but for now I've been riding an old mountain bike and have been able to keep up with the cycling club in my area. We do about 35 miles, lots of hills, great area to ride around here.

I think some of my tiredness at the end of a ride comes from working with big, fat, heavy tires (when I catch up to folks it isn't uncommon for someone to yell "car back" because the tires make that much road noise!) and a bike that weighs twice as much as everyone else's.

However, one rider keeps harping at me about my cadence. He says it is too low, that I need to pedal more not less. Well, I do drop down the gears on hills and all that and I honestly HATE the granny gear, all that pedaling to move an inch drives me crazy, I'd rather be a few gears up and pedal a little harder, but be actually moving up the hill. I feel that the granny wears me out faster.

With their road bikes, the hill climb is my ONLY chance to catch up and pass them. Road bikes glide downhill much faster, and much longer, than I can. They'll be still coasting along and I have to pedal as fast as I can just to keep in range so I can pass them on the next uphill.

So uh, what is the importance of cadence? He says I should always be in the 90rpm range but I kind of think this would vary some by rider? I also think it may be hard to compare the cadence needed on a road bike vs a mountain bike, which has far more drag. BUT: I turn to the more experienced people here - and ask - how important is the cadence?

[mimitabby]

There are mashers and spinners.
Some of us (the mashers) can't stand spinning.

I think as you get stronger, you may spin more; but my very strong son (a masher) has done some serious bike rides (150-200 miles) without doing a lot of spinning.
Tell the guy to each his own. You know, you might be able to get better tires for that bike!

[grey]

Mashers, huh? I didn't know the term before. I think I'll wear it proudly. Can we get jerseys that make that declaration with MASHER written boldly on the back?

I've been pinching pennies for the bike. Won't be much longer, and I bet on a road bike I'll be flying past Mr. Cadence.

[wolfak]

I know mashing seems a lot more natural to you, but spinning helps build finer muscle in the quadriceps, rather than the body builder look. It's also better for your knee health in general. Also very good for your cardiovascular system!

I might suggest you try some sort of toe clip or clipless pedals. You will increase your efficiency, build some hamstring muscle and you might not feel the need for mashing.

Basically, the high rpm on the cadence is to build muscle, not bulk and save your knees from cartilage tears. I know it's a tough conversion to make. Good luck!

[KnottedYet]

I'm a masher.

Been riding bikes for 35 years. Mash, mash, mash.

I have more slow twitch fibers than fast twitch fibers, and that's just the way my body works. No bulky fast-twitch fibers on my bod. Long, lean, hard slow-twitchers. (think marathon runner's body vs sprinter's body) Under the fat, anyway...

If you were a sprinter on your high school track team, you'll likely feel best spinning at a high cadence.

If you were a distance runner or cross-country runner in high school, don't be surprised if you feel better at a 60-80 rpm cadence.

Just don't pedal slower than your footfalls when you walk or jog, just as a general guide.

ETA: think of your fast walk/slow jog "footfall cadence" as your bottom limit for your biking cadence.

[ilima]

If you were a sprinter on your high school track team, you'll likely feel best spinning at a high cadence.

If you were a distance runner or cross-country runner in high school, don't be surprised if you feel better at a 60-80 rpm cadence.

Ha! I've always thought it was just the opposite. The sprinters are the ones with explosive power = mashers, while the distance folks are more about economy = spinners.

Maybe there are no predictable rules about who turns out to be mashers vs. spinners.

For the OP, 90 is just thought of as an 'ideal' cadence with the best balance between energy expenditure vs. speed/power. Your ideal cadence may turn out to be a bit higher or a bit lower. Nevertheless, I do think it would be worth your while to invest in a cyclocomputer with cadence and try to spin at 90 for starters and then refine your ideal cadence from there.