Training & Nutrition - power and cadence

Now that I am back riding after my colon surgery, I have really focussed on spinning. My most comfortable cadence is between 100-105 with light pedal pressure. I can maintain this for up to 115 km - 4 1/2 hours (so far). I find that anything lower than 95 results in "power" riding which plays me out still. Hills are still a bit of a trick, though the short ones I can accomplish easily spinning at 115 - 120. :p

I was out riding with "the boys" when one of the stronger riders told me I was wasting wattage by spinning so fast. I find my recovery time is good, and I am not winded by the high cadence. As my surgery affected my digestion I have focussed on spinning a fast cadence to focus on lung ability over calorie consumption. :rolleyes:

Am I on the right path? I appreciate any advice. :)

No problems with spinning on the flats. Especially at the higher speeds of 25mph+. You naturally develop a higher cadence at those speeds to lower muscle-effort and stave off muscle-fatigue.

On the hills however, the requirement changes from power to force. You are no longer moving a column of air aside per-second (power), but rather lifting a weight up a certain distance (work). So on the hills, you'll want to use lower RPMs and save your lungs a bit. I've found that my fastest speeds on hills vs. cadence vs. HR comes out at about 80-90rpms.

Hey, if it's working for you stick with it! You can integrate plenty of power riding at that cadence.

One thing that your buddies may be saying is that a lot of strength development training will target using lower cadence and higher muscle tension. So as your fitness improves, you could start to integrate more of that Muscle Tension and Tempo training into your riding. After that though, keeping your cadence up is a great strategy for generating power and staying fresh in a pack.

One step at a time I say. Keep working your fitness engine, then you can move on to getting your strength back. And nice job getting back on the bike period! :)

No problems with spinning on the flats. Especially at the higher speeds of 25mph+. You naturally develop a higher cadence at those speeds to lower muscle-effort and stave off muscle-fatigue.

On the hills however, the requirement changes from power to force. You are no longer moving a column of air aside per-second (power), but rather lifting a weight up a certain distance (work). So on the hills, you'll want to use lower RPMs and save your lungs a bit. I've found that my fastest speeds on hills vs. cadence vs. HR comes out at about 80-90rpms.

Danno-
Your clear explanations are always informative and a pleasure to read. :D

Danno-
Your clear explanations are always informative and a pleasure to read. :DWhy thank you! :)

Cadence is a personal thing. I used to watch it pretty religiously, but I've slowly moved away from doing that. I see what it is at the end of the ride and kinda note it. I can go back and look at the files and see that when I'm doing my 2x20 threshold intervals, my cadence is 95ish. Tempo pace (87-90% threshold) I'm hovering around 90. Sprinting goes 110-120. I'd rather climb in the 90's of RPMs any day than going lower, but I'm typically prepared to go lower if I have to and certainly get plenty of time doing it in the mountains around me.

Importantly, do what works for you and over time your riding cadence becomes as natural to you as your walking. Steady rides don't necessarily dictate specific cadence, but certain situations certainly lend themselves to certain cadences (ie. being able to spin quicker coming out of corners to stay with a pack or for sprinting).

Now that I am back riding after my colon surgery, I have really focussed on spinning. My most comfortable cadence is between 100-105 with light pedal pressure. I can maintain this for up to 115 km - 4 1/2 hours (so far). I find that anything lower than 95 results in "power" riding which plays me out still. Hills are still a bit of a trick, though the short ones I can accomplish easily spinning at 115 - 120. :p

I was out riding with "the boys" when one of the stronger riders told me I was wasting wattage by spinning so fast. I find my recovery time is good, and I am not winded by the high cadence. As my surgery affected my digestion I have focussed on spinning a fast cadence to focus on lung ability over calorie consumption. :rolleyes:

Am I on the right path? I appreciate any advice. :)

Generally, higher cadence means more load on your heart and less on your legs. If you have the legs strength to ride a slow cadence, a higher cadence may be slower.

But whatever works for you right now.

Didn't that Lance dude ride with a high cadence while that guy he gave "the Look" preferred a lower one?

<vastly oversimplified and purely incidental analogy but better than simply saying "Different Strokes for Different Folks".>
http://whatchutalkinboutwillis.com/img/whatchutitle.jpg

Thanks for the input. hmmm, Wonder if that is why Lance won?

Thanks for the input. hmmm, Wonder if that is why Lance won?

Yeah, cough, cough.... I wonder too.