Quote Originally Posted by pooks
So I went to pick up an odometer/computer and a heart rate monitor. And the guy tells me the difference between "this" computer and "that" computer is that "this" one also does cadence.

I look at him. Wait for him to tell me why I'm supposed to care about cadence and, oh, by the way, what it is.

He explains most helpfully that it tracks how many revolutions that I'm pedaling.

"You know," he points out, "how if you're just cruising, you're not getting any workout at all? Well, this helps remind you that you need to be pedaling!"

So of course I bought it.

I just paid somebody MONEY to monitor how often I'm doing the FUN PART so that I can STOP DOING IT.

What's wrong with this picture?

(I did say health and fitness, didn't I? Careful what you ask for....)
If it's any consolation ... sometimes a faster cadence is EASIER. If you're struggling with an incline or a headwind, or even just getting bored on the flat road, try going into a lower gear and increasing your cadence. All of a sudden you'll discover (as I did when I tried this advice) that you're actually going faster and ... having fun doing it.