maximum cadence?
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Discussion

dave0010

Original Poster:

1,424 posts

190 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
I read a while ago that the most "efficient" cadence was between 80-105? I keep finding myself spinning up around 115. Is this best practice or should I be going up a gear and spinning slower to add strength/speed?

okgo

42,128 posts

227 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
Yes. 115 is far too high.

Try 90-95.

Disco You

3,748 posts

209 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
It completely depends on the person.

115 is very high though.

JEA1K

2,747 posts

252 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
My Garmin said my max was 257 on a ride on Saturday.biggrin

dave0010

Original Poster:

1,424 posts

190 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
I just find that if I spin away at that speed my legs last longer, therefore I can ride further. I guessing this may be detrimental to building leg strength and endurance though?

okgo

42,128 posts

227 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
Depends if you just want to increase distance or your fitness/engine/power etc. If the latter then you'll need to ride a bigger gear one way or the other, if you can spin a bigger gear at the same cadence then happy days biggrin

Mr Will

13,719 posts

235 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
okgo said:
Yes. 115 is far too high.

Try 90-95.
I thought you were the champion of the "everyone has a different optimum cadence and you shouldn't judge me just because I'm grinding and look even tony martin does it so there" cause?

I find myself in the mid 90s if I'm cruising but this rises to about 110 if I'm really pushing on. I typically average about 90 including the time that I spend free-wheeling.

okgo

42,128 posts

227 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
I am certainly. Nobody in the pro peloton rides at 115 rpm. 75-95 is where the vast majority will be.

You may well spin up to 110 when 'pushing on', as do I in certain situations, but you won't be riding 110 for 3 hours. Your garmin likely is not including zero's in your average cadence (if it is, turn it off, its a misleading number) so 90 is probably your average, which is fairly normal, as said above.

Edited by okgo on Tuesday 8th April 17:26

dave0010

Original Poster:

1,424 posts

190 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
ok, so next time I do my little 20 mile loop maybe stick to maximum of 90?

okgo

42,128 posts

227 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
dave0010 said:
ok, so next time I do my little 20 mile loop maybe stick to maximum of 90?
As Will said, I've said on here (and I'm not the voice of reason by any stretch) that everyone is ifferent and less or more isn't better or worse, but 115 is outside of the 'normal' range I think, try and keep it below 100 and see how you go, below 90 might be a bit of a shock to the system, try to average the same sort of speed as your normally would obviously...

Mr Will

13,719 posts

235 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
dave0010 said:
ok, so next time I do my little 20 mile loop maybe stick to maximum of 90?
Don't really worry about the maximum, keep a closer eye on the average - try and keep that to about 90.

ChemicalChaos

10,712 posts

189 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
Personally, I'd rather whirl a bit in a headwind or up a hill than struggle to force my legs down in a higher gear

dave0010

Original Poster:

1,424 posts

190 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
ChemicalChaos said:
Personally, I'd rather whirl a bit in a headwind or up a hill than struggle to force my legs down in a higher gear
This is my current preference too, although I think it may be hurting instead of helping build strength and speed. I'm just fed up of getting overtook all the time ha

Dammit

3,816 posts

237 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
Something I noticed on the trainer, maintaining a constant 300 watts I could drop my heart rate by upping my cadence, which is obviously totally anecdotal but suggests that (as a system) I was finding spinning a lower gear slightly faster easier than a larger gear slightly more slowly.

Might be worth setting some alerts in your Garmin/whatever and back-to-back the same ride, aiming for different average cadence for each.

If you have (or could borrow) a Powermeter then this sort of thing is an awful lot easier.

agentnomad

412 posts

300 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
Looking at the data from the track racing I have a max cadence of 135rpm on a gear of 53 x 15 the max cadence would have been at the same time as the max speed, the averages include the slow walk to the start and the roll out so the averages are lower that they would be for the races in isolation.


The juniors on the track are riding 88" gears or 52 x 16 and beat me by peddling faster not using big gears, keep the high cadence and when you gain leg strength you will go faster. If you climb with a high cadence you will slow due to lungs giving in and a few deep breaths you get over it, if on the other hand you climb in a big gear you use leg strength your legs will soon fill with lactic acid the will take longer to recover from, try it yourself to see how you perform and recover on a local climb

Below some data from the track (I am 50 yrs old and riding 2/3/4 track events)


Maximums

Speed (kph): 60.6
Power (watts): 1030
Heartrate (bpm): 190
Cadence (rpm): 135
Temp (C): 21.6

Averages

Speed (kph): 30.6
Power (watts): 116
Heart Rate (bpm): 152
Cadence (rpm): 83
Temp (C): 21.3

JEA1K

2,747 posts

252 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
Put simply, 'spinning up' and 'grinding' engage different muscles. If you 'spin-up' in general terms you'll last longer.

matt-ITR

892 posts

218 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
If spinning at 115 rpm is comfortable and doesn't seem forced, then I can't see a problem.
There was a phase when "the cadence" to pedal at was 100 rpm, but thankfully that seems to be past us now.

Pedal at whatever feels natural to you and use the gears appropriately and work on fitness above cadence.

TKF

6,232 posts

264 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
Dammit said:
Something I noticed on the trainer, maintaining a constant 300 watts I could drop my heart rate by upping my cadence.
It's typically the other way round.

Spin faster and your cardio does the work and relieves stress on the joints and muscles.

Dammit

3,816 posts

237 months

Tuesday 8th April 2014
quotequote all
It was an aerobic effort at that point, but I see what you mean.

I'm clearly built back to front.

JEA1K

2,747 posts

252 months

Wednesday 9th April 2014
quotequote all
Dammit said:
It was an aerobic effort at that point, but I see what you mean.

I'm clearly built back to front.
Well it works for Tony Martinthumbup