Cadence / improving

[lanternerouge]

I am currently averaging around 60 for cadence on my rides (often with a fair few hills). I have read that this should be around 70-80 - is that correct?

I am really keen to build both speed and endurance, but get very frustrated that I am pretty slow on a bike. Probably I am not doing enough rides - only 4 so far this month...

1) 57 miles in Peaks (Brickworks climb, Long Hill, Cat) 5th April (1200m climbing)
2) 20 mile gentle flat trundle 7th April
3) 15 mile ride with Mow Cop climb 11th April (300m)
4) 40 miles towards Peaks 13th April (1200m)

I feel a bit lost with my training really. I kind of go out on a longer ride every now and then and try to do hills. I'm looking to extend the distances I can do (I did the 76 mile Cheshire Cat last month).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am the kind of person that likes to know what they are doing is effective!

Cheers

LR

 

[amaferanga]

60 rpm is grinding so you should try to up your cadence a bit. You'll have to constantly remind yourself to shift down a gear or two for a while until it becomes natural for you. But make sure you don't just start riding slower though - keep the effort the same!

As for your training - doesn't look like you're training, just riding occasionally. If you really want to improve you'll need to up the miles. What's stopping you riding more? Make sure when you do shorter rides that you really bury yourself (on some of them at least) so you're done in after an hour or two. No pain no gain as they say. If you're just riding all the time at the same pace then you'll not get any faster. You need to push yourself if you want to improve.

 

[fossyant]

That's grinding. I live just outside Stockport and Brickworks etc are my regular hills. I average High 80's over that distance, and in 90's on the flat. Aim for 80 to 100 on the flat. 60 for me is grinding a steep climb.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk 2

 

[MattHB]

are you clipped/strapped in? If not youll find it harder to maintain a high cadence.

I agree with all of the above. The most important thing for my progress was consistancy. 3 weeks push push push followed by an easier week. I increased my milleage every couple of weeks from 35 upto 100+ per week. It was only once I got to 75 a week that I really noticed a difference. If you ride inconsistantly then your body wont be forced to adapt, so it likely wont.

It looks like youre quite capable of good distance rides, which is great. But its the 3x 20 milers a week and then the big weekend ride that you could be doing that would make the most difference. Then increase the distance on each as they become 'comfy'. I went out at night in the winter a lot and that made a huge difference.

People talk about base miles for a very good reason good luck with it.

 

[CopperCyclist]

Do you have a cycle computer that gives you live speed readout? If so, when you've got to a nice constant speed, simply drop one gear lower, and try to raise the speed just slighly - half a mph should do it. Then maintain that cadence, using gears to keep your feet turning at that speed when you reach hills, up or down. It will become natural to spin faster surprisingly quickly.

 

[lanternerouge]

Ace replies guys, thanks!

Work has really gotten in the way a lot as well as various other factors - I started a new job (promotion) in September and it has just taken over everything. However, due to a recent change in circumstances, I am now living closer to work and hopefully will be able to commute (12 miles) and use some of the time on my hands to cycle. Every cloud etc. Should also help lift my mood too.

I have realised I do not do nearly as much as I think I do! And also I have obv been grinding without realising it.

Do you guys think 3 x 24 miles commuting a week + a long ride at weekends would help?

 

[MattHB]

Do you guys think 3 x 24 miles commuting a week + a long ride at weekends would help?

Most certainly, but remember to build up slowly

 

[Fab Foodie]

I am currently averaging around 60 for cadence on my rides (often with a fair few hills). I have read that this should be around 70-80 - is that correct?

LR

Not necessarily. Average cadence is meaningless, is 'typical' cadence is what you mean, i.e what you'd typically do on fairly level ground?
I wouldn't geyt too hung-up on cadence, it was thought to be the best things since sliced bread cos Lance was a spinner, but it doesn't suit everybody. People will naturally assume a cadence which is natural for them and recent thinking is that that might be optimal. Try different techniques by all means but don't be dognmatic about it.

 

[MattHB]

Don't forget that if you freewheel a lot it'll drive your average down so it's not a great measure. I stay at about 85 most of the time but with freewheeling it nearly always comes out at about 70!

 

[Enw.nigel]

I agree with Fab Foodie - don't get hung up on cadence. I bought a computer to measure my cadence after reading on here that you should be aiming for somewhere between 80/85 rpm. My first readings were in the upper 60's. I put this down to my style of riding - grinding on the hills thinking that it was improving my leg strength. I've since learnt that all that was doing was creating problems for my knees in future years.
I now spin more and my average is around 75rpm. I don't think that I'll improve it much more than this but I am comfortable at this figure so don't worry about it anymore.

 

[amaferanga]

Don't forget that if you freewheel a lot it'll drive your average down so it's not a great measure. I stay at about 85 most of the time but with freewheeling it nearly always comes out at about 70!

Most computers don't include zeros in the average cadence. There's no reason why you would want to really, is there? I know you can include zeros in cadence with Garmin's, but I don't know anyone who is daft enough to select this option.

 

[endoman]

My riding has improved markedly since concentrating a bit on cadence. I avge around 90, some rides my training plan calls for sprints to 120, others 80 ish. My sweetspot seems to be around 90 other than up the hardest hills when I can drop to 50 or 60.

The computer helps a lot to be able to see it straight off and then the avge sometimes comes as a surprise.

 

[fossyant]

I am not a spinner but the 80 to 100 is the magic number. I.ve improved my flexibility by riding fixed on commutes, but I still grind up hills compared to most, I am usually out of the saddle honking it.

80-100 is the sweet spot.

 

[smutchin]

When I wanted to learn more about cadence, I got a computer with a cadence function - a Cateye Astrale 8. After using it for a while, I'd learnt what 90rpm feels like, so now I always have a rough idea what cadence I'm doing even without a computer.

But I've found the best thing for actually increasing my average cadence has been riding fixed. Most of my riding over the past two years has been on a fairly short fixed gear (about 65 inches), and I now find that when I ride gears, I'm more naturally inclined to select a lower gear and spin. I've effectively trained myself so that spinning feels more comfortable and natural than mashing a big gear.

d.

 

[HLaB]

I would think 60rpm is grinding too but it depends what you are doing and how you feel etc. I like to pedal reasonably quickly uphill, I dont often have a cadence meter fitted and go more by how I feel. Sometimes riding in a group I end up cycling at a lower cadence to match the speed of the group its a bit relaxed etc or pedalling slowly downhill in a higher gear when no force is needed; lowering my average cadence. I also like to be able to up cadence/speed when needed, sprints, traffic etc. One of the best riders in our club can appear to have a lower cadence but he can shoot up hills and sprint strongly but is well within himself on club runs and when he's on his own his cadence is far higher. To a lesser degree I think I'm similar, 80-100rpm (averaging in the 90s) on my first TT last week but I am probably lower on other rides on average when don't have a meter fitted but peak higher and don't need to spin as much. IMO spin too fast and you tyre yourself out but spin to slow and the extra needed force to get going tyres/wears you out so you need to find the optimum for you and what you are doing.

Most computers don't include zeros in the average cadence. There's no reason why you would want to really, is there? I know you can include zeros in cadence with Garmin's, but I don't know anyone who is daft enough to select this option.

Thats interesting but for my self when I'm almost freewheeling, I often turn the pedals very lightly, the rpm must be very low but not a zero figure then surely that must lower the average cadence.