I've gotten into cycling (very) recently as a fun way to get some exercise, after not having done any consistent fitness routine in a number of years. Note that the below is affected by being a ~300 lb clyde, though weightloss isn't even in my list of goals except in as much as it would make riding the bike less work. Basically I'm saying I'm interested in improving my cadrio fitness and being able to ride longer distancing, rather than anything else.

In the two weeks since I've gotten a bike, I've built up to ~6 km daily but I would like some help with which goals to prioritize vs the others to build my endurance.

My first issue is that while I can do 6 km, I'm still far from the point of being able to maintain an average cadence in the ~90 rpm range. Right now its more like I'll pedal in that range for several seconds and then coast for a bit, and repeat.

My second issue is that no matter how low a gear I choose, spinning at 90 rpm for any length of time will ultimately raise my HR above able to have a conversation rates.

So, my question is this: I want to build up the distances I can ride, but as I understand it, I'd be better off building my ability to pedal constantly over the distance I am already doing before I worry about going longer distances. Also, from searching this forum for endurance questions I've learned that the consensus is that building endurance requires keeping yourself at a lower HR, but I cannot spin 90 rpm and keep that HR.

Does this mean I should prioritize pedaling constantly at a lower (say 60 rpm) cadence over the distance I'm already doing, or should I prioritize going longer distances and not worry about the pedal-pedal-coast issue and maintain 90 rpm when I am pedaling?

Basically I'm asking how to weigh the priorities of HR vs average cadence vs distance in order to build all three as efficiently as possible?

Just a few general comments ...

-- 90 rpm might be a bit too fast for you. Try 80 rpm and see if that works better. I've been cycling for years, and I'm an endurance (long-distance) cyclist ... and my cadence is 85-90 rpm. I don't maintain 90 rpm either.

-- try to get into a comfortable gear where you can pedal at 80 rpm without coasting too often.

-- it's OK to raise your heart rate over conversation rate. You probably don't want to do that for more than a few minutes at this stage, but it's not a bad idea to do it a few times during each ride.

-- keep gradually building up your distance, getting used to being on the bicycle, and getting used to exercise.


-- and regarding the comment, "building endurance requires keeping yourself at a lower HR" ... I'd have to say, "not necessarily". Let me start by saying, I've worn a Heart Rate monitor on numerous rides and have made these observations ...

My HR is affected by several things. If I'm nervous at the beginning of a long ride, my HR can be quite high for the first 50 or 75 km. I did a 200K a few years ago, and my HR sat around 160-170 for the first 75 km. Then I finally settled into the ride, and my HR dropped to 140-150, which was still high but definitely more comfortable.

My HR is usually higher in city traffic situations than in the country. I've seen it around 140-145 in traffic, and then when I got out into the country it has dropped to 125-130.

Hills, even slight inclines, can send my HR sky-rocketing. I can be cycling along nicely on flat ground at 130 or so, then hit an overpass and I'm up around 170.


So, as I mentioned above, it's OK to raise your HR from time to time during your ride. You don't want to blow up, so you can't ride more than 6 km, but it's not a bad thing to push yourself a bit.

I am not an expert on this, but my the first thing that comes to mind when I read your post is that the advice you are reading about here on the forum is for people that are already riding 20 or 30 miles and want to do 50 or 100 miles at speeds of 15-20 mph, while you are doing only 3 or 4 miles at much lower speeds.

These are 2 different worlds, it is all about what is the limiting factor. And for you it is definitely your weight that is holding you back, and your cadence just feels like a minor detail to be worried about. So for you the fastest way to be able to go long distances is to loose weight, that will enable you to go longer and faster.

Get in 500 miles before you even think about speed or endurance.

Takes a while for the legs to adjust to pedaling a bike.

Also make sure your doctor is okay with you doing physical exercise with elevated heart rate.

First thing I'd suggest is leaving the HRM at home. It's not really useful at this point.

Second, ride lots. Every day if possible.

Third, try to keep pedaling. A steady cadence, maintained through the ride, is better than coasting. Downhill, where you can't pedal any faster than you're coasting, is allowed. And lots of fun!

Fourth, after you've been riding for a while, try to extend your trips.

Fifth, find an interesting destination. Bookstore, coffee shop, even ice cream store; ride 6 km there, tarry a while, then ride home.

Finally, keep it fun. Even if riding a bike was triggered by a "ride or die" order from a doctor, most people (very likely including you!) wouldn't keep it up if they didn't enjoy it. Vary your route, destination, speed, time of day. Power through one day, and stop and pick some daisies the next.

Just ride. As your aerobic capacity increases, your ability to maintain the higher cadence will also increase.

I agree with the advice you have been given about putting in time at moderate to low HR. That does not mean you can't go hard form time to time, or enjoy attacking some hills, but to develop your aerobic base there is nothing to beat long, steady rides. Once you've ridden 1000 miles, come back and we'll talk about more specific training.

As it turns out, the above was exactly right. I went for a ride today and tried to keep my cadence at 80rpm instead of 90 and went from being able to peddle maybe 50% of the time to being able to peddle close to 95% of the way round my 6.16 km ride today. This meant I worked up a mild sweat as opposed to getting home drenched and exhausted.

Frankly, I'm stunned at the difference dropping 10 rpm made. My legs were far less exhausted and burning and I was not exhausted when I finished. I can probably already add distance just with that one change.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Nice job, Pedalocity. Keep it up.

That's wonderful! I'm glad that one small change worked for you. As time goes on you may discover that your cadence increases, but don't worry about it ... 80 rpm is good and now you can focus on increasing your endurance.

Thanks! That's exactly what I plan to do.