Originally Posted by
wobrien
I have seen references that cadence should be in the 70s to 90s, some say even higher. - I say "holy smokes" that will be a big move for me. So now I am going to work on riding in lower gears with higher cadence...I am in my mid 50's, 6' 0' and about 230#s. I ride a Cannondale CAAD 8 - 2 rings in the front and 8 cogs in the rear. Thanks for your comments.
O'Brien, cadence is very personal. Everyone has an optimal cadence. I can tell you what works for me. I am 5'10", 160 lbs, and have moved from a cadence of low 90's to 100 RPM over the years. I am not a strong rider, but a high cadence makes it possible for me to conquer any hill, in a suitably low gear. If you have the strength to mash the pedals and it gets you where you want to go, rock on! But be open to pedaling a little easier (faster cadence, lower gear) and see if it works for you.
The other thing that matters for me is that I have a tight cassette with small jumps between gears (8-10%) and this allows me to really tailor my gears to my best cadence. I have a mountain bike with wider steps, and it is harder to keep my best cadence. Good luck.