Cadence

[spinner_43]

Would someone please be kind enough to explain the meaning of 'cadence'
wrt cycling ? I assume that it means maintaining a reasonably constant rotation speed of the chainwheel, and is thought to be 'a good thing', but I'd appreciate the advice of the experts.
Incidentally, I've tried the search facility, but couldn't find what I wanted.
Regards, Alan
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Take it easy! No Pain, No Pain....

[Hector's House]

according to the Glasgow Sustrans/Go Bike/Spokes map, it simply means "leg speed".

In context:

Cycling uphill should not be a problem... Aim to keep your leg speed (cadence) roughly constant

that's all I know.

[reohn2]

Cadence simply means RPM of your legs ie fast/high cadence=lower gear or slow/low cadence=high gear.
Spinning (high cadence)is easier on joints and developes the so called fast twitch muscles which is better for the touring cyclist,you won't build big muscle but lean legs that will take you much further.
Low cadence puts a lot more strain on the joints particulrly the knees and builds bigger muscle but you'll tire sooner due to the high energy output per pedal stroke.

Its similar to weightlifting,more reps with less weight builds endurance(like climbers in cycling).
whereas big weights less reps builds big muscle groups that are suited to explosive power(like sprinters)

Thats the general rule of thumb though there are exceptions.

[lauriematt]

your cadence is how many revolutions per minute of the pedals/chainset

for instance if i had a cadence of 60 RPM...it would mean that the pedal / chainset rotated a whole turn 60xtimes per minute

[Big T]

Building big muscles has little to do with cadence and much to do with your body type. Mesomorphs (like me) build big muscles, whereas my friend Ed, who's an ectomorph, has hardly any leg muscle. We both ride the same gears and spin at the same rate.

[360fix]

Some cycle computers not only measure your speed they also measure your cadence through a little magnet placed on the circumference of the chainwheel. An electrically charged pick up is placed near the magnet and creates an electrical pulse every time the magnet passes, i.e. every time the chainset goes through one revolution, i.e. every time your legs go through one cycle. This figure is divided by two, hence the term bicycle.

Disregard the last sentence...

[zenzinnia]

Some cycle computers not only measure your speed they also measure your cadence through a little magnet placed on the circumference of the chainwheel.

And Shimano work out a virtual cadence based on your measured speed and the gear you are in so it tells you how fast you should be pedaling as you free wheel down that alpine pass.

[360fix]

Some cycle computers not only measure your speed they also measure your cadence through a little magnet placed on the circumference of the chainwheel.

And Shimano work out a virtual cadence based on your measured speed and the gear you are in so it tells you how fast you should be pedaling as you free wheel down that alpine pass.

Shimano are also working on an emergency stopping distance based on your virtual cadence as a function of your realised speed and the inverse reciprocal of the depth of tread on your tyres. I think that should be the direct reciprocal - dunno...

[Mick F]

My Garmin 305 has a heart-rate thingy that I strap round my chest, and it tells me how much work my heart is doing. I could also buy a cadence unit to strap to my bike to see how much work my legs are doing. How much info do I need?

I have lots of gears, and I change up or down when my legs tell me. I don't think I need a cadence unit - can anyone tempt me to spend another £40?
Will the expense be justified?

[reohn2]

Building big muscles has little to do with cadence and much to do with your body type. Mesomorphs (like me) build big muscles, whereas my friend Ed, who's an ectomorph, has hardly any leg muscle. We both ride the same gears and spin at the same rate.

Can't say I'd agree with that.

[Dave Ross]

For most experienced cyclists, the ideal cadence is in the range of 80-100 rpm - and most tend to automatically pedal at around 90 rpm in normal conditions.

Though unless you ride a fixed wheel many of the cadence monitors, will give you a much lower average, as most people tend to freewheel downhill, rather than spin at 90 rpm

If your just starting out, try spinning at 60-70 rpm, most people starting out tend to push the big gears until their quads burn at around 30-40 rpm, definately not the best way to build up your fitness.

Hope this helps,

Dave.

[rogerzilla]

Racing cyclists use about 100rpm. If I have lots of gears, I seem to end up at 105rpm.

I did some turbo trainer testing years ago, and produced the maximum power for the minimum heart rate at 80rpm, so for time trialling I use a pretty headbanging 90" gear, and do a lot better than on a "medium gear".

[AndyB]

Racing cyclists use about 100rpm. If I have lots of gears, I seem to end up at 105rpm.

True, but don't expect to tour at high cadences. Personally, I find cadence varies with effort: pushing hard I'm at 100-120, cruising gently much less - maybe 60rpm. Unless I'm on fixed, that is, where I vary between about 50 and 175.

[Mick F]

I need a cadence unit!
That way I can discuss the ins and outs of various rates with you lot that know stuff!

Am I pedaling too slow, or too fast?
I do worry!

[WesBrooks]

True, but don't expect to tour at high cadences.

Check out the Riding style section. I think he may do a few tours!

Lance Armstrong