Road Cycling - Cadance, Speed, Form new roadie questions

Ok new member in the last week or so and just getting back into biking after about 8-10 years or so. Currently riding on a mtn bike ('01 Giant XTC SE2) with slicks as I wait for my '04 Marin Argenta to arrive. Yesterday when I was on my ride home (well I took the really long way to get a ride in) and was passed by this guy on a Trek OLCV, no big deal there I am on a mtn bike and he is on a road bike but what I noticed was that his cadance seemed VERY slow when compared to mine. When reading some past posts on cadance it kept coming up that "bikers" tended to have higher cadance RPMs compared to recreational riders (which is basically what I am now I suppose, although improving quickly) but I wonder if my cadance is too fast...is there a too fast?

Not sure what my cadance is but it is pretty fast and even trying I can't slow it down. If I shift into a smaller cog I will either suffer and slow or be able to push that gear back up to my other cadance. Should I try to slow my cadance or is fast a good thing?

From cadance lets move into two other very related (for me anyway) topics: 1)speed and 2)form. First off speed: my fast cadance seems to work great on flats in terms of speed but once I start to climb I slow rapidly and quickly get into the larger cogs and move to the smaller chain rings. On decent I am fast but that might have more to do with a general lack of fear more than leg strength/speed. I know the first and largest thing I can do to to climb better is to loose a bunch of weight. One of the main reasons I am getting back on my bike is for exercise, I am 5'10" and 223 lbs currently which is down from 250 lbs in Jan '04, goal is ~185 or even less if I can go less but I have a large bone structure and carry a bunch of muscle (would love to thin my chest out :( ). So anyway loose weight and I will climb better but I also need to get stronger and want to ride the right way which brings me to how much my legs hurt yesterday. I am wondering if I am doing too much. Yesterday I rode to work 3.5 miles (some light hills), ran 3 miles at lunch and then took this ride on my way home (probably another 10-15 miles, with some short but steep hills), by the end of my ride my legs barly had anything left. The day before I rode to the gym (3 miles), played VB (competitive not recreational) for 2 hours, rode home 3 hours, and ran for about a mile in the afternoon. My last 2 weeks have consisted of 4 days of the 3 mile run per week, 60 miles of riding on 3 different rides, 4 rounds of golf (walking roughly 4.5 miles per round) and 4X 2 hour VB practices. So my question is: am I doing too much and not recovering properly?

Clearly I am working hard to loose weight but am I pushing too hard? I think I have to give something up to ride properly but I amnot sure what I would give up. :(

It will change on your road bike.

cadence... the dude on the road bike might have just been coasting along. While I typically average 85rpm, I certainly go much slower at times. So, coincidence? I don't think you can have a too fast of a cadence, assuming you're comfortable at that spin; however, I've read various studies that suggest 80-100 is most efficient. But pros will sometimes do upwards of 130. Bottomline, if you can occassionally do 100+ comfortably, that'll only help you in the 80-100 range.

So you move to easier gearing on the climbs? You freak! Seriously, why would you think that's anything but normal?

Overdoing it... you should give up the golf. Cuz, I mean, it's golf ;) You get stronger during resting/recovery phases... so make sure you work those into your routine. You can go for a very easy bike ride instead of resting on any given day. Make sure you're eating proper nutrition and replacing electrolytes.

Congrats on the weight loss so far. I'm in the same bike, err, boat.

cadence... the dude on the road bike might have just been coasting along. While I typically average 85rpm, I certainly go much slower at times. So, coincidence? I don't think you can have a too fast of a cadence, assuming you're comfortable at that spin; however, I've read various studies that suggest 80-100 is most efficient. But pros will sometimes do upwards of 130. Bottomline, if you can occassionally do 100+ comfortably, that'll only help you in the 80-100 range.

So you move to easier gearing on the climbs? You freak! Seriously, why would you think that's anything but normal?

Overdoing it... you should give up the golf. Cuz, I mean, it's golf ;) You get stronger during resting/recovery phases... so make sure you work those into your routine. You can go for a very easy bike ride instead of resting on any given day. Make sure you're eating proper nutrition and replacing electrolytes.

Congrats on the weight loss so far. I'm in the same bike, err, boat.

Thanks for the support. I want to get a computer with cadance here shortly...I want my road bike very shortly. :D I am a little worried about my diet. Since I am trying to loose weight I am pretty low on cal throughout the day (slimfast for breakfast, lowfat yogurt around 10:30, Special K breakfast bar and then a good dinner. but also take in a Endurox R4 after my run or after a big ride) so I wonder if I need more intake.

When I say I am shifting down I mean rather quickly, it seems like I don't spend much time in each gear as I go down until I get to a pretty large cog and then I just spin up the hill.

As for quitting golf that wont be until next year as I have a club membership that I have invested in, let alone the $2500 in clubs in my bag. :rolleyes: I think next year I will focus on riding and VB as my main recreation and run over lunch 2 or 3 days a week just to mix it up. One day I want to be able to hang with my dad who rode from San Fran to VA beach last fall. :eek: Did I mention he is 61. Seeing him do this is really what is getting me back into biking.

some riders (myself included) have a hard time keeping a high cadance. sounds like you already have a good habit forming. i really doubt you're spinning too fast - as long as your hips are not rocking back and forth and the pedaling motion is smooth, you probably don't have anything to worry about.

some riders (myself included) have a hard time keeping a high cadance.
what's "high"?


GH: downshifting quickly... perhaps the slope changes quickly? I dunno. Many hills around here, I do the same thing. Good for your dad! I wanna tour too, but I don't a big one will happen until I retire :(

"slimfast for breakfast, lowfat yogurt around 10:30, Special K breakfast bar and then a good dinner"
-- yikes! If that was my diet, I'd passout! Are you eating enough fat and protein? remember, "fat" in food != fat on body. You do need fat, preferably good fat like from fish. But you do need it.

I eat a bowl of "real" whole grain oatmeal with nuts and fruits for breakfast, along with a glass of skim milk. ABout the best I have ever found to keep my biking energy up.

My cadence is about 90-110. Everyone does their own thing. Whatever works for you.

Strange, but it seems we all gear down for hills! So, I guess you are not a freak. It will get easier as you get more used to hills.

I have one hill on my ride where I used to gear down and hit the top at 4 mph. Now (just this past 2 months), I keep in the same gear and go over it at 13 mph. Just takes awhile.

dude....ur strong! u'll definately loose ALOT of weight training the way u say u do....especially w/the running part of ur exercise.i would suggest that u monitor ur dieting real closely(eating habit's)bec/ur exercising regimen makes u burn alot of calories and tears at ur muscle fiber's(is why ur sore),but u need to allow for some recovery time as well!it sound's like ur cadence is right for u bec/it sound's like ur comfortable w/the way u ride and keep in mind that posture is importantant also.....so keep it at around 110rpm's maintainable. i congladulate u on ur motivation and the weight u've already lost bro! take care,david

Strange, but it seems we all gear down for hills! So, I guess you are not a freak. It will get easier as you get more used to hills.

I have one hill on my ride where I used to gear down and hit the top at 4 mph. Now (just this past 2 months), I keep in the same gear and go over it at 13 mph. Just takes awhile.

I hear ya...I just started cycling about 3 months ago and hills still kill me but little by little and ride after ride I can see that I am a little less winded by the time I get to the tops of them...I still have to gear down a couple of times on the larger hills to make it through but I'm using the innermost gear less and less...

what's "high"?

GH: downshifting quickly... perhaps the slope changes quickly? I dunno. Many hills around here, I do the same thing. Good for your dad! I wanna tour too, but I don't a big one will happen until I retire :(

"slimfast for breakfast, lowfat yogurt around 10:30, Special K breakfast bar and then a good dinner"
-- yikes! If that was my diet, I'd passout! Are you eating enough fat and protein? remember, "fat" in food != fat on body. You do need fat, preferably good fat like from fish. But you do need it.

I am trying to cut cut cut fat at the moment, thus my issue. I want my running and biking to burn as much stored fat as possible, current body fat is roughly 23% which is way too high, I want to be around 10%-15% when I get to my target weight. I am struggling with this balance of enough intake to perform and not too much so that I am loosing weight as fast as possible. I am probably doing it all wrong. Once I get to my target weight I will readjust my diet to help me perform better. Also can't eat fish as I am alergic.

I am trying to cut cut cut fat at the moment, thus my issue.
*WHICH* fat are you talking about? Fat on your body or in your food. I am NOT a nutritionist or a doctor or even that smart, but if you're messing with your diet severly, you might want to talk to someone knowledgable. You do need fat in your food.

*WHICH* fat are you talking about? Fat on your body or in your food. I am NOT a nutritionist or a doctor or even that smart, but if you're messing with your diet severly, you might want to talk to someone knowledgable. You do need fat in your food.

Cutting fat on my body, I do take in some fat in my diet but not a lot. Hmm maybe I need to get to a nutritionist. :rolleyes: Honestly all in all I really feel very good...much better than last year and before but I do run out of steam on my runs and rides.

get a computer with cadence reading. normally i cant spin lower than 95... it just feels unnatural. my body and legs prefer the faster rhythm. on long hills, what i used to do was gradually downshift to keep my cadence more or less the same (im a lightweight so i spin)... it works in keeping me on the bike but wasnt too fast.

i had my most succesful ride yesterday after reading these tips: good climbers upshift, not downshift. that is, when the going gets tough, push yourself tougher. kinda mentally kicks you into overdrive instead of slowing fading... build up some speed before the slope, if you meet some resistance push yourself towards the back of the bike/seat and mash, then slide forward and spin faster like youre running away from the bike, and then sit and pedal normal... alternating between those positions uses your legs more efficiently. i rarely ever stand up on climbs because it takes up way too much strength.

most important of all tho... get yourself well fed and hydrated!!