Road Cycling - Climbing cadence vs. flat/downhill cadence

Shoot me some numbers! I seem to run about:

95-110 rpm = flats and downhill
65-85rpm = climbing (depending on grade)

How about you? Does your flat cadence differ from your climbing cadence? If so, how much????


ThanX!! :D

My numbers are very similar to yours. I am working this year to see if I can keep my climbing cadence numbers above 90. Have put on a triple crankset in an attempt to do. Was partially successful in my first hilly ride yesterday.

95-130 flats/downhills
80-100 for climbing

Climbing it depends on how long and steep the hill is and what gearing I have. I like to climb at 95rpm.

I'm about 10 RPM lower on the flats,
seem to run 85 - 105.
I try to maintain 70 - 80 on uphills but
if its long enough, or steep enough that
dog won't hunt. . .

Marty

On the flats, I stay between 90 and 105, my sweet spot cadence is right at 93.

I have had a few climbs where i drop down to a cadence of 20, or about 2.5MPH :) Most climbs i stay around 80 - 90.

Yep, depends on the climb, but I did put a cassette on with a larger cog than what I've run in the past. Helps on the climbs. I think the fact that I'm carrying 20 fewer pounds up every climb now than I was a year ago helps, too.

I have a pretty high cadence.

On the flat I do about 100-120, uphills if I've got a gear low enough I do 120-140, and Downhill I can sometimes end up doin 150 or more. I am the fastest pedaller in my team, and one of the fastest in my club I think.

Does anyone else think it's weird how I pedal faster uphill than I do on the flat? I find I get more power this way.

I really should get a computer to measure cadence :p

no wind on flats,90-105

climbing cadence: depending on the gradient, as low as 30rpm

downhill cadence: depending on the gradient, as high as 150rpm (just a guess)

flat cadence: depending on the wind, around 80-90rpm

viva la fixed gear.

flats 85 - 95. hills 90 - 100.
kept having pain in my knee until i bought a computer w/cadence and found that spinning at 115 - 125 actually was causing the pain.

Originally posted by bac
Shoot me some numbers! I seem to run about:

95-110 rpm = flats and downhill
65-85rpm = climbing (depending on grade)

How about you? Does your flat cadence differ from your climbing cadence? If so, how much????


ThanX!! :D

I spin 95-115 rpms on the flats and 75-90 rpms on the climbs. I just wish we had longer climbs!

Originally posted by fore
climbing cadence: depending on the gradient, as low as 30rpm

holy moly, are your legs sledgehammers?
or do you move slowly on really steep stuff?

depends on the gradient man :)

My route has some KILLER hills...where my cadence probably drops well below 70rpm...those are the ones where I'm dying and my bike moves along at 5mph heh

On climbs that approach and exceed 7% anything goes. I have seen anywhere from about 40-50rpm's.

Normally on climbs I try to at least stay above 75 and on flats anywhere from 85-100. I have a tendancy to crush big gears.

Depends on the climb. On long gradual climbs I like to maintain a similar cadence to what I do on the flat. On short steep ones, I like to attack like a raging gorilla! Anything goes.