Originally Posted by
krazyflip
so for those guys who think cadence it important. after awhile my cadence will naturally go up.
As you improve your cadence will naturally go up, whether anyone thinks cadence is important or not.
Originally Posted by
wxmcpo
I find that when I ride at a higher speed, but a lower cadence I tend to wear out quicker and my rides typically end closer to the 40 mile mark. When I ride at a slightly lower speed, but higher cadence I find I can go for a longer period of time and can get in 50 miles.
I want to work on increasing my distance (but I also want to work on increasing my speed as well) so from what I am gathering here it seems that my concentration should be on keeping my cadence higher as I will draw upon my cardio reserves vice my muscular reserves. Am I on the right track with my thinking?
Seems to me you've already figured out what you should be doing: you should be choosing the cadence and effort level that best lets you achieve your goals. If that means raising your cadence there's no reason to do otherwise. However, it's best for the moment not to get into the "why" of it: your "cardio vs. muscular reserves" contrast isn't quite it.
Originally Posted by
CyciumX
I think its all based on personal fitness level. The heart and lungs need to be conditioned before it really matters.
This is what the research appears to show. This is why telling newbies who can only put out low levels of power to spin faster is premature. Their bodies ain't ready for it yet. A lot of newbies are averaging 2 watts/kg. There's no reason they should be mimicking the cadences of pro riders who put out 6 watts/kg, let alone the cadence of the hour record holders. That was pretty amusing, though.