Cadence Conundrum!

[bikeman66]

Hi all,

A training plan I am about to start, includes warm-up sessions where, for very short bursts, I am required to pedal at 150+ rpm. Problem is, at the moment I just cannot do it without feeling as though I am going to fall off the saddle. There are longer bursts that require a cadence of 120-130 rpm, which I find I can achieve, if sometimes at the cost of a little technique.

I have tried the 150+, but as soon as I go over about 130, my weight distribution goes out of the window, and with legs spinning that quick I start to bounce on the saddle.

If anyone has any tips as to how I can max out at 150+ without the technical issues cropping up so much I'd like to hear from you. Thanks.

Currently got a 58cm frame with 175mm cranks. Would switching to shorter (165mm) cranks allow me to be smoother, or can anyone please suggest any exercises that could make a difference? Normally ride at a cadence of 85-100.

I presume shorter cranks would reduce this technical shortcoming, but would probably cause certain issues elsewhere.

Any tip gratefully received! Thanks.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

What are you training for?
What has "smoother" got to do with cadence?

 

[S-Express]

Throw that plan in the bin - it's shite. Unless you are training for a competition where the fastest cadence wins, then focus on aerobic/anaerobic efforts of various durations instead, using whatever cadence you are comfortable at.

 

[r04DiE]

What are you training for?
What has "smoother" got to do with cadence?

He means smoother as in not pounding his arse against the saddle. You know, smooooother. I think.

 

[bikeman66]

What are you training for?
What has "smoother" got to do with cadence?

I would imagine a smooth, consistent pedal stroke has a lot to do with cadence.

 

[marzjennings]

Are you training for the track where +150 cadence makes sense? To have a smooth pedalling action at 150 you need to work up to it slowly. If you're good at 130, try 135 for a minute or two and then work up. Are you doing this on the road or on a trainer? It's a bit of a cheat, but it can be easier to develop a high cadence with some session on the trainer where you don't have to worry about pot holes and traffic.

Do you know why the training program included such a high cadence? Is it a VO2 max thing?

 

[Sharky]

With shorter cranks, the turning circumference is smaller, so even if pedal speed remains the same, the cadence rpm, would increase. For the training plan to be logical, you would have a different target rpm for each crank length.

 

[MichaelW2]

You really should match your crank length to your leg length and the cadence that you prefer. For people who prefer fast cadence, shorter cranks make sense, but if you favour a slower more powerful pedaling style, go longer.
You can train yourself to achieve higher cadence with a smooth pedaling style. 150 is pretty rapid so it will take some time to develop. I used to practice high cadence pedaling; you have to do this separately from high speed riding. At normal power output, you gear down and spin up. If you gradually ramp up your cadence and hold it at the fastest before you start bouncing around, you will over time find that your max cadence increases.

 

[S-Express]

Not sure how we got on to discussing crank length. Like I asked earlier, is the objective to spin faster, or is the goal to ride faster?

 

[Venod]

Not sure how we got on to discussing crank length

Because the op asked if they would help him spin smoother, IMO they would help him spin quicker, smoother should come with practice.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Pedal in circles, Powwwwwwerrrrrrrrr, marginal gains. Am I doing this right?

 

[Cuchilo]

Hi all,

A training plan I am about to start, includes warm-up sessions where, for very short bursts, I am required to pedal at 150+ rpm. Problem is, at the moment I just cannot do it without feeling as though I am going to fall off the saddle. There are longer bursts that require a cadence of 120-130 rpm, which I find I can achieve, if sometimes at the cost of a little technique.

I have tried the 150+, but as soon as I go over about 130, my went distribution goes out of the window, and with legs spinning that quick I start to bounce on the saddle.

If anyone has any tips as to how I can max out at 150+ without the technical issues cropping up so much I'd like to hear from you. Thanks.

Currently got a 58cm frame with 175mm cranks. Would switching to shorter (165mm) cranks allow me to be smoother, or can anyone please suggest any exercises that could make a difference? Normally ride at a cadence of 85-100.

I presume shorter cranks would reduce this technical shortcoming, but would probably cause certain issues elsewhere.

Any tip gratefully received! Thanks.

One thing a very fast TT'er mentioned to me was do do short bursts at a very high cadence as you mention . . The aim was that i would learn to not bounce around on the saddle . Stick at it .

 

[bikeman66]

Are you training for the track where +150 cadence makes sense? To have a smooth pedalling action at 150 you need to work up to it slowly. If you're good at 130, try 135 for a minute or two and then work up. Are you doing this on the road or on a trainer? It's a bit of a cheat, but it can be easier to develop a high cadence with some session on the trainer where you don't have to worry about pot holes and traffic.

Do you know why the training program included such a high cadence? Is it a VO2 max thing?

Hi Marzjennings,

The training plan is the "Improvers 12 week plan" I found on the British Cycling website. A lot of the sessions will end up being done on the turbo trainer, in order to provide a consistent workout. Things like the threshold tests need a constant effort over 30 minutes, but where I live there isn't really anywhere I can cycle for that duration on a flat road without junctions or other geographical features potentially interrupting the session. The regular rides will be done on the roads though.

The short bursts (6 seconds) are part of the "British Cycling 20 minute warm-up" which forms part of the plan. I did wonder why such high cadence bursts were included and ended up concluding that as much as playing their part in bringing the heart rate up etc, they were potentially a tool to encourage smoother, more efficient pedalling. I guess if you can get technically proficient at 150, then a more regular cadence of 85-100 should be further improved as a result.

I naturally prefer a slightly higher cadence, rather than grinding a gear. At 6ft-1" I would lean towards longer cranks (175mm currently fitted) but if shorter ones make a difference I'd be willing to give them a try.

 

[S-Express]

The short bursts (6 seconds) are part of the "British Cycling 20 minute warm-up" which forms part of the plan. I did wonder why such high cadence bursts were included and ended up concluding that as much as playing their part in bringing the heart rate up etc, they were potentially a tool to encourage smoother, more efficient pedalling. I guess if you can get technically proficient at 150, then a more regular cadence of 85-100 should be further improved as a result.

The short bursts are high intensity/maximal efforts as part of a warm-up - they're not intended to (nor will they) play any part in training your cadence. The objective of the warm up is to warm up, not to train any particular aspect of your riding technique.

 

[bikeman66]

The short bursts are high intensity/maximal efforts as part of a warm-up - they're not intended to (nor will they) play any part in training your cadence. The objective of the warm up is to warm up, not to train any particular aspect of your riding technique.

I know, and I clearly stated in the original post (very first line in fact) that the 150+ rpm bursts were part of the warm-up. I realize that they are not to train particular technical aspects of riding, but having them included in part of the plan (in whatever capacity or duration) and not currently possessing the ability to nail 150+rpm, I was merely seeking advice or tips as to any improvements I might try to implement.

If any plan asks for a certain skill or requirement, I'm always going to try to do it, rather than just say I can;t do it, so I won't bother. I 100% understand that being able to knock out 150+ for 6 second bursts won't have much impact on the end result of the 12 week plan, but the requirement is included, so it is part of what I'm trying to do.