Road Cycling - Finding most efficient RPM?

Hey guys,
I was just wondering what the best way to find what RPM you're most efficient at is.

Thanks,
Austin

90 is good.You can do a cadence of 90 at 25mph or 12mph.Watch your form and dont rock and bounce.

Ok. I had read though that it will be different from person to person depending on their level of fitness. That's why I was wondering whether you have to figure out you're own personal number.

Each is different, and some days I "feel" like just using a slower or faster cadence. Depends on how tired I am, etc.

I generally go from 85-95, sometime up to 100 or 105.

For many folks it may take a year or so to easily reach 90 regularly.

The most efficient RPM depends on many factors.

Although I haven't read anything specific about it, my general knowledge of physiology and biomechanics would make me say that the longer your leg (esp. top section), the lower your optimal RPM should be. In other words, whereas a person with 35" legs would spin at 90 rpm, a person with 30" legs would spin at 95-100 rpm.

Clothing also make a difference. I know I loose approximately 5-10 rpm with thermal underwear and winter footwear. Legs are heavier to turn around.

And last but not least, "most efficient RPM for what?" To get at maximum speed (i.e. racing), to last the longest (i.e. touring)? to cycle in flat plains or in roller coasters? to cycle in traffic or in rural areas?

Regards,

I hadn't really thought about under what situation. I just guessed that biologically there would be a point where your muscles were putting out the most work compared to how much energy they were using.

Austin

Ride where evere you are comfortable. I sometimes cruise at 80 but most of the time I am in the 95-105 range.

I was just wondering what the best way to find what RPM you're most efficient at is.

Austin, my obvious two cents would be that you should experiment with different cadances over longer distances to see what is most efficient for you. Find out for yourself what makes you faster, tired, etc. A cycling computer that displays cadance is very helpful.

In general, I think that a lower gear and more RPMs is easier on the leg muscles and the knees, while a higher gear and less RPMs is easier on the heart rate. 90 RPM is often referred to as a good compromise, but might not suit you.

It totally depends on your level of fitness. In other words, you may "feel good" at 90RPM, but can only do that in a 53/14 for two miles to keep up...as a result, that does not do you much good.
Your "efficiency" is the RPM you can maintain, regardless of conditions (you can do 90 in a 30MPH headwind, or 90 in a 30MPH tailwind) without going into lactate...you see this in CAT V races...guy's been doing a lot of riding, enters a race, suddenly had to ride at 90 in a 53/12 for 30 miles to maintain race pace and in about 10 miles blows up. Tries to go to an easier gear and can't keep up. Increases cadence to keep up and in that gear has to spin 110-115 to maintain speed. Can't do it.

There are multiple resources to help you determine your heartrate levels. But you need a heartrate monitor to do that.

Example...remember in stage 15 in the last Tour when Ullrich tried to attack Armstrong on the Tourmalet? And Lance let Jan go a bit after trying to run him down? Then he sat down and just rode the bike? At that point, he could tell he was going into the "red". Being very experienced, in order to keep from blowing up he just starting riding rhythm...and eventually Jan got to the same level and Lance brought him back. His "efficiency" changed several times during that day. It was managed by his heartrate levels.

Last..part of the reason that Armstrong, and Indurain before him, spin, is becasuse it is does not tax the muscles as much. You can train your cardio system to provide the needed fuel to ride at that level and keep yourself from blowing up..evidence? Look at how Ullrich, a gear masher responds to cadence changes vs an Armstrong. That's the advantage. Ullrich, like Paul Sherwin likes to say is like a big diesel engine. He eventually gets going, but it takes a lot longer. The spinners can take off and if they can maintain it, it can be demoralizing to a masher to have to keep going like that.

Pros measure their power output directly using special cranks (by SRM?). They can correlate their power output against cadence and heartrate to work out the most effective combinations under different conditions.
Speed is an output, not an input to these calculations, so its not that important to measure.

The most efficient RPM depends on many factors.

Although I haven't read anything specific about it, my general knowledge of physiology and biomechanics would make me say that the longer your leg (esp. top section), the lower your optimal RPM should be. In other words, whereas a person with 35" legs would spin at 90 rpm, a person with 30" legs would spin at 95-100 rpm.

Clothing also make a difference. I know I loose approximately 5-10 rpm with thermal underwear and winter footwear. Legs are heavier to turn around.

And last but not least, "most efficient RPM for what?" To get at maximum speed (i.e. racing), to last the longest (i.e. touring)? to cycle in flat plains or in roller coasters? to cycle in traffic or in rural areas?

Regards,
You lost me.Two guys riding side by side,30inseam and 35 inseam,same bikes,same gear and both doing 90 rpm is impossible?Clothing never has made a difference in my rpm,only like you said,the wind.

Same bike, same power-output, but different cadence and different cog combo.

Take the size argument to its most extreme, 6'8" basketball player, vs 4'10" gymnast, and figure out whats happening in terms of power, heartrate, cadence and gear. You can throw crank length into the equation just for fun :)

And last but not least, "most efficient RPM for what?" To get at maximum speed (i.e. racing), to last the longest (i.e. touring)? to cycle in flat plains or in roller coasters? to cycle in traffic or in rural areas?


The most efficient would be the cadence that produces the best power output to input ratio.
Max speed isnt about efficiency. One type of cadence may produce more power, but it would be less efficient.

Brent_Dubé and Shokhead:

Obviously, two cyclists using similar drivetrains, similar tires and the similar gear will spin at the same speed. What I said (or tried to say) is that, if two cyclists cycle side by side at the same speed:
- a tall cyclist with 35" legs will cycle with a 80" gear at 85 rpm ;
- a short cyclist with 30" legs will cycle with a 70" gear at 97 rpm.

Another way to figure it is is you were to walk with your 7 year old child: that child will do twice as many steps as you do... and you probably can't walk comfortably at the same number of steps per minute as your child does. But obviously, you cover a much longer distance for each step, so...

Regards,