Quote Originally Posted by Catrin View Post
This makes sense, and I was thinking that it might be good for me in general. At my last riding/practice session I was having major problems with my pedal stroke which may have had to do with spinning too fast in an incorrect gear at too low of a speed. It sounds like the cadence monitor would be a good overall training tool.
It could be, but for this specific thing, I doubt it would really help you much... knowing when to shift up/down is really more of a "feel" thing. You will eventually find a cadence and pedal resistance that is comfortable for you, and learn to shift to match. Just seeing what your cadence is won't really "tell" you when to shift.. Its like driving a standard car..there are always instances where you have to sort of throw the 'rules' out and just do what works. Bike gears are not that different.

I have a computer with a cadence monitor.. apart from the initial novelty I don't really pay attention to the cadence. What I use look at most on my bike computer is the HRM and the clock, and I appreciate the ability to keep track of distance, since I don't always rely on a set route and it's nice to see how far I rode without having to go back and "map" my ride.

I think something to consider is why you are are riding.. to a point some of the extra 'goodies' are just extras, and can just add complications.. if you're riding for fun you might do better to just let it be fun for a while.