Cycling UK Forum

WesBrooks wrote:

AndyB wrote: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

Ha, ha! I'm well aware of Armstrong's style, but I doubt he spins at 120rpm when pootling along at 10mph admiring the scenery. I just wanted to add some balance to those who say you should cycle at 100rpm - it depends what you're after.

i was following a chap and rapidly caught him up on a long slope uphill. he was really pushing painfully hard in a low gear around 45/min; i was a bit uncertain about whether to say anything, but as i passed i asked if he would welcome advice and told him that he was making cycling hard and to take an easier gear and turn pedals more quickly. he told me he was new to cycling and thanked me for the advice. worth doing i think: if people starting reckon cycling is just hard they'll give up

AndyB wrote:Ha, ha! I'm well aware of Armstrong's style, but I doubt he spins at 120rpm when pootling along at 10mph admiring the scenery. I just wanted to add some balance to those who say you should cycle at 100rpm - it depends what you're after.

Fair enough. Have you seen this weeks cycle weekly? Page 35. There's a guy in there, Nik Bowdler who pushes a 77th chain ring at 60rpm in his time trials. His lowest gearing is 108" and the top is 160". I think this is like all things there'll be something that suits the masses (which I guess is somewhere between 80 and 90) and the ones who either don't fit the pattern like Bowdler, and ones that push it as far as possible like Armstrong. I believe Boardman is another advocate of high rpm riding.

As for me I'm happy sitting at 90 (an average reading from the computer) for long rides (in my books anyhow!) and have done so for up to about four hours. I'm trying to get fit for time trialling over the winter so am trying to get averages over 100 while on the trainer, with 30 second intervals up at 130-140. about 180 is the most I've ever done, but that really is just for a few seconds, and is not sustainable for me.

Apparently Reed, the female BMX and Track rider can hold 200 for 2 minutes! (That snippet probably came from someone on here!)

WesBrooks wrote:There's a guy in there, Nik Bowdler who pushes a 77th chain ring at 60rpm in his time trials. His lowest gearing is 108" and the top is 160".

...

Apparently Reed, the female BMX and Track rider can hold 200 for 2 minutes!

Eek! I'm not sure which is worse!

One bloke wins local time trials on a 125" fixed. That sounds terrible, but if he can manage 30mph, he's turning it over at a reasonable 80rpm.

jawaka wrote:i was following a chap and rapidly caught him up on a long slope uphill. he was really pushing painfully hard in a low gear around 45/min; i was a bit uncertain about whether to say anything, but as i passed i asked if he would welcome advice and told him that he was making cycling hard and to take an easier gear and turn pedals more quickly. he told me he was new to cycling and thanked me for the advice. worth doing i think: if people starting reckon cycling is just hard they'll give up

generally when im cycling on my own...i cycle in a low gear at a slow cadence

but when another riders in site & i fancy some competition - i cycle with a fast cadence in a higher gear

Well, thank you all for your interesting replies to my question. I think that I've pretty well found my own cadence at about 60, by counting 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 ( close to Army marching pace ) as I pedal, so your messages are most welcome confirmation.
The term 'cadence' puzzled me, as in music a cadence is (loosely) a 'fall', as in A-men at the end of a hymn, and I didn't fancy humming hymns as I ride.
Don't know that many anyway.
Again, thanks,
Alan

I don't use a cycle computer, but I just used an online calculator and apparently when I hit 30, I'm spinning at 175rpm...

It also means when I cruise at 20, it's still just over 120 - this seems quite high.

see what you mean spinner, so just been to dictionary. as you say music comes to mind but can mean"a rhythmical effect in written text"... "origin late midddle english (in the sense of rhythm or metrical beat)". how it came to be acycling term...

jawaka wrote:see what you mean spinner, so just been to dictionary. as you say music comes to mind but can mean"a rhythmical effect in written text"... "origin late midddle english (in the sense of rhythm or metrical beat)". how it came to be acycling term...

Ah yes, jawaka, thanks very much- I like that, the rhythmical rise and fall of good poetry or a well constructed sentence. And the similarity to good pedalling technique is very close, when you think about it in those terms. Again, thank you, Alan.

jawaka wrote:see what you mean spinner, so just been to dictionary. as you say music comes to mind but can mean"a rhythmical effect in written text"... "origin late midddle english (in the sense of rhythm or metrical beat)". how it came to be acycling term...

Its an Americanism (in the cycling/pedaling sense that is)