If I try training based on HR, do I need to give up on cadence? For example, if I want to be in zone 2, I can only do it if my cadence drops to 75rpm (50x15). When I spin at 90rpm, my HR jumps to zone high 3 - low 4. Do I need to give up one for the other? Just wondering.

Good question. Arnie Baker notes this in his book, but never really addresses just what to do. I think you have to determine what the point of that days ride is (training wise) and adjust to that, so on endurance building days don't pay attention to cadence, and on leg speed training, don't worry as much about HR. What happens if you go to a lower gear at 90 rpm? Can you gear low enough to keep your HR down?

What happens if you go to a lower gear at 90 rpm? Can you gear low enough to keep your HR down?

Yeah, try using an easier gear. That's what they're there for.

If I try training based on HR, do I need to give up on cadence? For example, if I want to be in zone 2, I can only do it if my cadence drops to 75rpm (50x15). When I spin at 90rpm, my HR jumps to zone high 3 - low 4. Do I need to give up one for the other? Just wondering.

You know you can use different gears right?

If I try training based on HR, do I need to give up on cadence? For example, if I want to be in zone 2, I can only do it if my cadence drops to 75rpm (50x15). When I spin at 90rpm, my HR jumps to zone high 3 - low 4. Do I need to give up one for the other? Just wondering.

This is pretty common when you are first working on cadence. When you are first working at higher cadence your nerves and muscles aren't programmed to be able to operate smoothly at a high cadence and a light load, so you end up with a high heart rate. And even when you're trained, higher candence leads to a higher HR than lower cadence.

The cadence work that worked for me is as follows:

Pick a flat road, and ride along in an gear that is easy at a comfortable cadence. Over 30 seconds, slowly spin up to as fast as you can comfortably go. Then hold that cadence for 30 seconds. If you start to bounce, slow down.

Do that 2-3 times.

After you've done that a few times, move up to spending a minute at the higher cadence.

I think you will find that to help out. You might also try one-legged pedalling drills (click out on one-side, and do 20-30 revs on that side, clip in, and then do the other side). Do it in a calm environment the first time as it feels really weird.

Another thing you can do is stay at lower cadence and do single leg spins. Take your left foot off and spin with the right for a while, switch, repeat.

Zone two recovery days are great for technique practice.

Try to train on something other than a single speed.

If I understand you correctly, your HR jumps up when your cadence goes up, irrespective of what gear you're in. So what others have said about spinning and single leg drills. But mostly, just spin at 85 or above all the time on the flat. At first, choose a gear that seems easy on your legs when you're doing zone 2, so that you definitely don't feel your legs "loading," and don't worry about HR.

You ride like that 4-5 days/week and very quickly, within a month, your HR will drop into zone. Then work on increasing your cadence further, so that you can spin at 95 or even 100 and stay in zone 2. Once you have established a good spin, you can mess around and try to find what cadence is best for you under various conditions. Most folks find somewhere around 90 is good on the flats, and 70-85 on long climbs.

It can take a year to more to get a good spin going. Keep trying to "pedal circles." Relax your legs. Straighten your back. Relax your shoulders. Try to pedal three perfect pedal strokes in a row. Then keep trying to improve on that.

When a rider starts cycling, invariably the downstroke gets all the attention; the quads get built up. What's ignored is the upstroke until the rider asks how to spin faster, how to have a faster cadence.

The answer is to have a good pedal stroke, pedal efficiency, using all the muscle groups, not just the quads (mashing). Even choosing a lower gear will allow a masher to a higher cadence, but not necessarily pedal efficiency.

It takes a rider some time to experiment to discover how much powerful the hamstrings and glutes are compared to the quads. Try this: ride up a long hill with an exagerated upstroke. That is, let the quads do less of the work. This exercise is better than the one pedal thing. It immediately gives the rider the realization that the upstroke is very powerful indeed.

The result is that the rider will want to develop that upstroke because the rider will become a better climber and a better spinner because the pedal action is more efficient.