Tell me about cadence

[Catrin]

Interesting Crankin, perhaps spinning comes more naturally to some of us than others? I haven't learned how to stand on the pedals and pedal either - though I gather I will learn that at the mtn bike clinic. While I've only had my new Sigma computer since I got the new Gunnar, it seems my average cadence has been, so far, 80-81. Not many steep climbs though, and we don't have many long ones...

Interesting topic! I've found my knees tend to get cranky without a certain level of resistance on the pedals, but that doesn't mean I can't learn how to do this more efficiently and more knee-friendly.

[westtexas]

Interesting Crankin, perhaps spinning comes more naturally to some of us than others? I haven't learned how to stand on the pedals and pedal either - though I gather I will learn that at the mtn bike clinic.

I think this is spot on. I heard a guy friend say that some of us are spinners and some of us are pushers. I guess that means I'm a pusher.

I find it interesting as well that it's not natural for some to stand on the pedals. I do this all the time on hills. It never occurred to me that it has advantages/disadvantages. If my legs get tired powering up a hill (I also use my clipped in feet to raise the pedals instead of just pushing down with the foot) I stand and find in short bursts it really helps to maintain speed and relieves muscle tension. I mostly stand when I need that extra umph to get up the hill at the end (hills around here seem to drag on forever!)

Good thing we were all made differently or this would be a boring world!

[Crankin]

DH does this and can power up and over any climb. I can barely get out of the saddle. I think I would need a lot of strength training to do this well, but I am definitely a spinner. When my son was racing, he was a climber/spinner.... lots of endurance. He sucked at time trials and was an average sprinter. I surmise this is genetic.

[MollyJ]

Catrin, did you "always" spin at your average rate or build to it?

Having not measured my cadence, I am assuming I am average--spinning at too low of a rate, too geared up.

And from what I have read fast spinners (lance-fast) are probably born and developed young--due to "more" rapid firing muscle fibers as opposed to more slow firing fibers (more average, more typical).

West Texas, I always say I'm built for endurance not speed and I'm expecting that cadence will reveal just that.

Somewhere I read an article about testing cadence at low gears and high gears but can't remember where. I think it was to actually show us that higher spin rates at lower resistance would engender better times than lower spin rates at higher resistance.

But I am interested in the role of cadence making the averge cyclist (like me ) faster and more efficient.

Good thread.

[Koronin]

Add me to the list of can't stand and pedal at the same time yet. Well I haven't tried it on the mountain bike yet, but just flat out can't do it on the road bike. (Thinking it might be easier to learn on the mountain bike). I also am not a spinner. I have a pretty slow cadence. Unfortunately due to moving it's going to be another probably two weeks before I can get back on my bike again. One of the last times before we started moving that my husband and I went out on our bikes he wanted me to try an easier gear and a higher cadence, and my legs felt like jello within a minute or so of trying that. He rides at a good bit higher cadence than I do and doesn't understand why I ride at a much slower cadence.

[jelee1311]

Most of the time my cadence is around 90 and I feel fine with it. I think it also depends what I'm doing if, I'm doing a hill I spin a lot. My PT said for me to spin in a lower gear rather than hammer in a larger gear so I don't injure my achilles again. I still use my big gears but I build speed before I use them so I still have a high cadence. I'm not as sore if I do this. But everyone has what works for them

[Catrin]

Catrin, did you "always" spin at your average rate or build to it?

Molly - I don't think I actually qualify as a "spinner" - I think they tend to have a higher cadence than I do. My Cateye computer on my LHT (the only bike I had last year) does not have average cadence so am unsure what my average cadence was last season. I suspect it wasn't much different though, since I learned early on that it is better for our knees to have a cadence >75. With my 51 year old joints I do try to be kind to them since they aren't problem free anyway.

I focus on cadence mainly as a way to support my knees - and of course I use it also when I do intervals. Some people do better with higher cadence and easier gears, while for others it is the opposite. Since this is only my second year of riding I am still working this out

[bmccasland]

Only thing I can add was some of the best advice from a spin instructor who does ride outside...

To help teach yourself to spin, think about your feet going around in circles, not mashing down. Of course this only works when you're clipped in.

I found on a ride when I was experimenting that if I thought about going in circles I could increase my cadence and speed without changing to a lower gear. I got to where I could spin up a short hill pretty easily. I'm toast on long hills. Circle, circle, circle. I can still see Mike's hand demonstrations in my mind.

[westtexas]

Okay, so I went out today (despite frigid weather of 55F and "misting" precipitation) and tried to focus more on spin and less on mash. The first half was miserable and gruesome and the second half was at least tolerable. Certainly, my legs feel fine (a little stretching afterwards also helped) but I do not think I have the cardiovascular strength (yet?) to spin at high rates. I don't have a cadence monitor but based on counting my strokes around the circle and counting time, I came up with a cadence of 80 rpm, but only if I was pedaling like my bike was on fire. My average speed was about the same (I measure based on distance/time) as it always is. I'm just not sure I'm cut out out for this quick cadence thing. I didn't enjoy my ride today at all. I guess it will have to be something I build up for. I did a lot of shifting to keep my cadence as steady as possible without fatiguing my muscles, so it's not like I was in a mashing gear trying to spin like a maniac.

Hmmm not really sure what to make of my ride today.