Originally Posted by
fcarpio
Thanks for the replies. I am in Fl, so everything here is pretty much a flat even surface. The only thing that makes a noticeable difference in the ride is the wind direction. I try to stay at around 15mph at the hardest (slowest pedaling but more resistance) gear I can handle, that is usually 3 on the big gears and 5 or 6 on the small gears. Much lower gear when I encounter a draw bridge on my Saturday rides to the beach. I basically want to make sure I don't develop any bad habits that will take away from my progress.
Working a slow cadence against gearing resistance is a different sort of workout than working a higher cadence against speed/wind resistance, kind of like sprints vs. longer runs. I'm an unabashed fan of high cadences - I've been slammed for recommending it here before by people who don't think a 90+rpm pace is achievable by the "average" rider, but if I can do it in my 50's on a hybrid, I see no reason why anyone else can't eventually adapt to it. There's a place for both, but slower cadences are (IMO) harder on individual joints and muscles in a "more likely to sustain damage" way. It's just a more efficient way to do things, and reaching the cardio zone isn't difficult at 120rpm.
