Hello,

I have a question in regards to speed, cadence and wind.

Yesterday I rode ~24 miles in ~5 mph winds (all weather stations and apps stated 15 mph winds but i doubt thats at ground level).

The ride was on the outskirts of town and I had farms on both sides a majority of the time the remainder of the time there would be houses or buildings on one side, not both. So not much obstructions to provide cover from the wind.

According to Strava my average was 17.9 MPH (peak of 24.7 MPH - cadence 114), i dont have a cycling computer but i'm fixed so i can figure out cadence by speed. Im riding 71 gear inches so i know ~18 MPH is a cadence of ~85.

My goal is to be at 90-95 (~19-20 MPH) in regards to cadence.

Question(s):
Cadence in the same gear should always result in the same speed?
If so, the wind affects load as you have to create more power to maintain the same speed?

Just wondering if i've got the right understanding of the concept.

Thanks for reading.

You have it all correct.

In cycling there are three main factors that go into "skill". Speed, cadence, and power. We measure speed with MPH and KmPH. We measure cadence by counting how many times the crank arms turn. We measure power in a silly way, which is expensive. I Think the only way is to have one of those power reading hubs.

Anyway, yes, and yes. But don't pay attention to that stuff. Just look at your speed if you want to do better.

i did 18 cadences once

I don't know that you want to up your gearing any. The 90 - 95 cadence is a nice aim when you can change gears to ease the load. The load of a headwind can easily stress your legs on a long ride and the higher cadence helps this. On the other hand, drop bars work like a lower gear i.e. if you normally ride on the hoods, dropping into the drops lowers your wind resistance and has the effect of changing down a gear. Trouble is, you need to be flexible and strong to maintain that position, not a problem for a young body, more of an issue for us older wombats.

You're on the right track mate. It's just a matter of experimenting and, if you're keen enough, working on whatever fitness, flexibility or strength you need which, if you're that way inclined, is half the fun of cycling.

Were they a single malt or some anonymous blend

You missed one, endurance. In my case, my commute has a long, steep hill to climb on the way home. I just rode my bike and built up some powerful leg muscles, but they're all slow twitch fibres. I can pull a 'high' gear up a hill but can't keep it up - that's just the way I'm built, I'm a sprinter not a time trialist. Planning some long, steady rides at a moderate heart rate has helped a lot

It's like the blind, leading the blind

You're like... Nevermind. I'll get in trouble again.

Don't get butt hurt. He has a very strong point.

Thanks for the replies.

I just wanted to confirm i understood the effects of wind in regards to what i am trying to accomplish.

Given Miami is flat i would not like to lower the gear any; however, i am not sure raising the gear would result in better times. I am more interested in training my body and legs to maintain the desired cadence first. Once i get there, ill have to either stay there or experiment with higher gears.

I've also made it a habit to ride on the drops as much as i can but seem to only remember when the wind starts to push back, otherwise im on the hoods (out of habit).

The next issue will be that i want to go faster and am seriously thinking about a road bike (never owned one and this is my first fixed gear as well).

Thanks again for the replies.

Also, may i ask what the discrepancy is about power and monitoring power, etc... I haven' touched on it as i dont have a means to measure it.

What are you even talking about? I think the OP knows how to measure cadence and speed... neither of which has anything to do with 'skill'.

ColtJ, your understanding is 100% correct.

Power is a measure of the torque exerted on either the crank or the rear hub combined with angular velocity. Strava makes a crude attempt at measuring this by noting your weight, elevation, and speed. It works reasonably well up long, steady climbs, but fails miserably on flat ground as it doesn't take into account wind, rolling resistance, etc. If you have a premium membership and get the power numbers, take them with a grain of salt.

This thread is going places.