Cadence vs higher gears

[CopperCyclist]

My average cadence is 215rpm at the moment...

My cadence sensor doesn't seem to work when you mount it next to the Di2 battery...!

 

[SquareDaff]

You just reminded me that I've not tried mine with the rechargeable front lights either. New wireless computer. The old one used to have interference when the lights were on constant low beam (but bizarely not high!)

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Really?!?!? Granted technique has an equal part to play but I'm pretty sure the strength to turn a bigger gear at a high cadence is just as important.

Eh no. vo2max has a bigger part to play. If you can't get the oxygen to muscle,it can't work. It makes little to no difference if you can for example leg press 130kg, it won't help you climb a hill in any way.

If strengh doesn't play a part then why do Wiggins and co have massive thighs?!?

You may need to take a look on ITV4 or indeed Eurosport this afternoon. Bradley Wiggins does not have massive thighs.

 

[SquareDaff]

You may need to take a look on ITV4 or indeed Eurosport this afternoon. Bradley Wiggins does not have massive thighs.

Compared to who? The likes of me and possibly a lot of others on here - or the other professional riders? I have been watching Wiggins on ITV4 and am aware he looks like a gangly piece of string. I suspect in person it's all solid muscle.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Compared to who? The likes of me and possibly a lot of others on here - or the other professional riders? I have been watching Wiggins on ITV4 and am aware he looks like a gangly piece of string. I suspect in person it's all solid muscle.

Compare to whoever you like it doesn't change anything. It probably is solid muscle,lean muscle from endurance training not mass from strength training.

It's not strength that gets you up mountains or climbs - it's the ability to generate sustainable power and to do that you need oxygen, and lots of it.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Really?!?!? Granted technique has an equal part to play but I'm pretty sure the strength to turn a bigger gear at a high cadence is just as important. If strengh doesn't play a part then why do Wiggins and co have massive thighs?!?

Wiggins' legs are probably no stronger than yours or mine. What you or I do not have, however, is his ability to apply that strength repeatedly for several hours a day.

 

[GrasB]

Well you've lost me now. His theory (not mine) is that you should keep the cadence the same and gear up/down accordingly in order to keep it smooth. So, in a class situation, if we put more load on the spin bike and can't keep the same pedal speed we need to drop back, but on a road it would equal to going uphill -if you can't keep the same cadence you gear down until you can.
It makes sense to me, but maybe I'm not explaining it right.

Okay simpler ones.
For me, my sustained (20>5 min) maximal power production on flat ground I need to be at 2.3-2.5m/s foot speed. If my foot speed it outside that range then my maximal power for a given duration is reduced. That foot speed that equates to 124-134rpm on 177.5mm cranks or 137 to 149rpm on 160mm cranks! So what is 'optimal' about 80-110 rpm if I'm at maximal effort?

Also 80-110rpm on 177.55mm cranks equals 89-122rpm 160mm cranks!

 

[GrasB]

Really?!?!? Granted technique has an equal part to play but I'm pretty sure the strength to turn a bigger gear at a high cadence is just as important. If strengh doesn't play a part then why do Wiggins and co have massive thighs?!?

To have more muscle fibres to distribute load across. The more fibres you have the less work is done by each so the risk of strain injury is reduced. Also the fibres can work faster under lower load so you can spin faster.

 

[Hacienda71]

We need Jimbo back to show us his power graphs.

On a 1 in 4 climb you can't maintain a high cadence even with a triple, you just have to grovel and grind your way to the top.

 

[fossyant]

The problem with cycling on the roads (or at least for me) is that you tend to stay in your comfort zone and your improvement stagnates until you alter your training in some way.

1 word for you. STRAVA



Adds motivation !

 

[black'n'yellow]

It's like if you come to a hill you have the choice of staying in a high gear and going slower, or gearing down and going up it faster without feeling it so much in your legs - but after a few times (definition of few is anything from 3 to a hundred!) of going up that hill you'll be staying in a low gear and going up it at speed.

maintaining a high gear/low cadence uphill does not necessarily make you slower - any more than a low gear/high cadence makes you faster. What matters is the power you can put through whatever gear you are in.

 

[SquareDaff]

1 word for you. STRAVA



Adds motivation !

I have a Garmin Edge 800 and VR partner - same thing.

 

[SquareDaff]

OK - so Wiggins has legs no stronger than mine - but a superior cardio vascular system. And all his training adds no muscle at all - and when I talk about muscle I'm not talking about bulk. So in theory I could hop on his bike (after altering it to my personal specs obviously) and cruise along at his sort of speeds in his gear ratios at his cadence for a (significantly!!) reduced period of time. I say this as his training has obviously had no impact on muscular structure - just his circulatory system and energy storage.

I don't think so.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

OK - so Wiggins has legs no stronger than mine

Exactly. I'm pretty sure if I was to compete with Wiggo in a legpress contest, I would win though.

but a superior cardio vascular system

Unless you have the backing of a highly profesisonal team,coaches and scientists then yes his certainly is better.

And all his training adds no muscle at all - and when I talk about muscle I'm not talking about bulk.

It will add very little,but what it does add will be highly functional and relative to the sport. IE: Slow twitch fibre = endurance

So in theory I could hop on his bike (after altering it to my personal specs obviously) and cruise along at his sort of speeds in his gear ratios at his cadence for a (significantly!!) reduced period of time.

And the reduced period of time will be because of sustainable power output which you nor I will likely ever come close to matching.

I say this as his training has obviously had no impact on muscular structure - just his circulatory system and energy storage.I don't think so.

Of course it has but the gains compared to weightlifting for example are minimal.

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

So, Loki421,

As you can see there's a lot of different approaches, mindsets and theories behind getting your cadence right, but from what I can fathom and I am not a pro and get bored with the technical Vo2/watts per revolution,Number of teeth on the ring I am using and whether I sit/stand/grind/spin on my big/small/wiry/super-dense muscle-fibre count, geomerty, triginometry, agebraic calculative....... aRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I try to sit, and spin at a comfortable rate until I need/want to push it and find I improve as time and distance goes by.
No matter what, you will get good days, you will get great days, and you will get days when you think that you have had your legs replaced with pink sticks, but whatever you want to do, DO IT YOUR WAY and you will progress.