Tri/TT riders low cadence and big gears ?

[Ridgeway]

I see quite a few of what look like Tri or TT riders when i'm out, always going in the opposite direction of course and more often than not cruising along at an insane pace but turning the pedals real slow, looks like 70rpm (very rough guess but certainly slow).

They usually take the flatter routes in the area and hence based on their bikes and the way they are specced up i assume they are either into Tri or TT, think there's quite a few triathletes around my area, not sure about TT though ?

I am just imagining they pedal that slow or is that normal for Tri/TT ?

 

[Sharky]

Apart from the start or the turn, there is no need to accelerate, which is where lower gears would be effective. In a tt, once you get to your cruising speed, a higher gear is probably the norm. So there is a tendency to ride bigger gears at lower cadence.

But the good riders will ride the big gears at a high cadence. I think Chris Boardman took the 25 record riding a 110 fixed at a cadence of 102.

 

[HLaB]

It depends on the individual. I find I TT best with a relarively high cadence (90-105rpm).

 

[Cuchilo]

Higher cadence is the aim for racing but remember you are seeing them out training not racing so they may be working on other things like position or testing equipment .

 

[matticus]

...
I think Chris Boardman took the 25 record riding a 110 fixed at a cadence of 102.

Statto! Statto!

 

[Ridgeway]

Yes they'll be on training laps i guess, and they do seem to very fixed, i mean the only thing moving is their legs, like ducks on water with the top half seemingly doing nothing and the legs slowly driving it all along, very impressive vs me being a fidget pants

Will have to get to see a TT one day, think there used to be one occasionally near my folks place just outside Knutsford.

 

[Dogtrousers]

A couple of observations.

Steve Abraham, on the couple of occasions that I've seen him riding and seen him on video, has a noticeable slow, smooth cadence. He seems almost lazy like he's cooling down. (Mind you he wasn't TT ing, but gunning for big distances day in day out)

I've just read a book on Beryl Burton and in her day TTers like BB and Alf Engers favoured higher gears.

The modern marginal gaining superstars doing things like hour records all seem to be around 100rpm.

 

[Sharky]

I've just read a book on Beryl Burton and in her day TTers like BB and Alf Engers favoured higher gears.

Although we often look back at these riders and say they used big gears, it's unlikely that they used bigger than a 55 or 56 chain ring and the smallest on the back would have been 13. A 56x13 gives a gear of 113".

But today's casual riders often ride with a 50x11 top gear, which equates to a 120"!

 

[screenman]

Two times BBAR champion Nik Bowdler, 77tooth I think.

 

[matticus]

I've never met Mr Bowdler, but I still suspect he was a massive prankster at heart. (if so, he did a grand job!)

 

[Ian H]

If they're 'just cruising' on competition bikes, they probably haven't got low gears to ride slowly at high cadence.

 

[Cuchilo]

Two times BBAR champion Nik Bowdler, 77tooth I think.

View attachment 518682

I remember Dan Bigham passing my like a bullet with a dinner plate like that on the F11/10 . I thought i was about to get passed by a car he was going so much faster than me

 

[screenman]

I've never met Mr Bowdler, but I still suspect he was a massive prankster at heart. (if so, he did a grand job!)

How do you mean?

 

[matticus]

I mean he probably didn't think the 77T was much faster than a 56T, but he liked having one, and liked persuading the other testers that his biggest advantage was having a 77T.

(bit like 11 on your Volume dial ....)

 

[screenman]

I mean he probably didn't think the 77T was much faster than a 56T, but he liked having one, and liked persuading the other testers that his biggest advantage was having a 77T.

(bit like 11 on your Volume dial ....)

I prefer to think he knew what worked for him and quite well it seems.