Originally Posted by
chas58
Good point. There are a lot of variables to consider.
It takes a lot of practice to get proficient at high cadence. I may be doing 90-100 on a fast road ride, 130-150 on the velodrome, 50-60 riding with my wife, and much lower climbing hills on a tandem or mountain bike. One thing for sure, 90+ rpm works up quite a sweat.
Do what is comfortable for you; just realize if you are pumping hard it may not be efficient. 70-80rpm at a moderate speed is fine for many people
I can't even conceive being able to spin at 130-150 rpm. My Raleigh sports model is 51-69-92 GI, and even on a downhill I spin out at approximately 27 mph which is around 100 rpm. I have been up 30+ mph with that gearing, but I don't feel in control at that cadence.