I started out with a bike computer that didn't have cadence. The bike shop said it was for racers, not someone like me.

So off I went on my bike. I had no clue how to shift, when to shift, why I would want to shift. I just rode and mashed the h@ll out of my pedals. Rode with low cadence and just mashed even harder and faster to get more speed on the bike.

Then 6 months into riding I had such accute knee pain I couldn't even pedal. I never got knee pain like I had from riding...from running!

I then learned about cadence. I learned that if you can keep a high cadence of 90-100 you will save your knees. Great!

So I got a new bike computer with cadence and focused on keeping my cadence between 90-100. It was hard but I finally got use to it.

My knees got better... and I got faster on the bike. I also learned WHEN I needed to shift! 80 cadence? Better shift to make it easier. 110 cadence? Better shift to make it harder.

After that it all just clicked. Honestly, I can't believe it took me a year to get it to click. I was a slow learner. And someone told me that cadence was not necessary. But for me, it made all the difference in the world.

Good luck on whatever you decide!