Cadence Question

Bob said:

jj said:

Bob said:

H M Leary wrote:
> 130RPM!
>
> Thats fast, Bobby, especially in a 53/11.
>
> Last week up in Sargeantville, Maine a small group of us were surprised
> by a very horny moose.
>
> WHOA NELLIE!
>
> I think I hit somewhere around 4 gazillion rpm in a 53/ something.
> Anyone know how fast that might be?
>
> Sheldown Browns gear calculator doesn't go that high.
>
> HAND

I think you misunderstood what I was saying. When my legs are sore or
just plain tired I find I can get a breather by *downshifting* and
increasing my cadence. Is that any clearer now? BTW, 130 rpm is really
not all that fast. Many people spin much faster.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

So you're riding in what, the 52x26 gear at 130rpm?

jj

Huh? The gearing I'm in varies- a *lot*. I mean, what's the point of
having 18 gear combinations available to you and then restricting
yourself to just one? I can't recall ever *intentionally* being in a
52x26 or, on the flip side, 39x12 though. Whenever I shift that far
down or up on the rear I usually (excepting instances of brain lock)
shift my chainring first.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

So you have a normal cadence of 130, but just not in any particular gear?

How about 'what gear are you in when you're riding this cadence of 130rpm?'
is that better?

jj

rooman said:

I have spoken with former European pro riders and been coached by
several on cadence ...they fully support 100 rpm as a base cadence for
training and racing, and a capability to surge to 120 for firm
prerssure and above that for attacks....track cadence can easily exceed
that and often ranges from 100 to 220 rpm.

I think the 220 is overstated. A pro-type track gear of 48/14 will mean
a 26.6mph at 100rpm, in order to spin at 220 you would be going 58.5mph,
way beyond the capabilities of even the best.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | "Business!" cried the Ghost. "Mankind was my business. The
_`\(,_ | common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance,
(_)/ (_) | and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my
trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my
business!" --Dickens, "A Christmas Carol"

jj said:

So you have a normal cadence of 130, but just not in any particular gear?

How about 'what gear are you in when you're riding this cadence of 130rpm?'
is that better?

jj

Don't you understand the concept of an ideal cadence? Which of course
varies for different people. And of course an ideal cadence is usually
a range, not an exact number.

Once you have found a comfortable cadence, you continuely shift gears
to maintain it. For example, he could be in 39-21 at 130rpm, he would
be going just under 19mph, in 53-21 at 130, speed would be about
25.8mph.

A program that would help you visualize cadence, speed, and gear
combinations is GearCalc. Here check it out:
http://www.income-software.com/index.htm?GearCalc/gc_index.asp

Life is Good!
Jeff

jj said:

So you have a normal cadence of 130, but just not in any particular gear?

How about 'what gear are you in when you're riding this cadence of 130rpm?'
is that better?

jj

When I downshift and increase cadence I usually end up riding something
in the 60 to 70 gear inch range. I have to ask though, did you read my
post or are you basing your question on a snipped version that another
poster may have quoted? What I said was that my *usual* cadence is in
the 95 to 110 rpm range but when my legs are tired or sore (and I want
to maintain my pace) I find it easier for me to downshift and increase
my cadence than to continue to grind in a higher gear. In that
situation I've found 130 or so rpm is best for me.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

P.S.- In my original post I didn't add that I shift to a lower gear
when I increase cadence only because I thought that would be as obvious
as my desire to maintain my pace. I mean, if my legs are sore and I
don't care about maintaining my pace I simply slow down. <g>

Jeff Starr said:

jj said:

So you have a normal cadence of 130, but just not in any particular gear?

How about 'what gear are you in when you're riding this cadence of 130rpm?'
is that better?

Don't you understand the concept of an ideal cadence? Which of course
varies for different people. And of course an ideal cadence is usually
a range, not an exact number.

Yes I do have some idea of 'ideal cadence'. I simply wanted a rough idea of
what gears Bob was pushing in this high cadence. His answer was 60-70 gear
inches.

jj

Bob said:

jj said:

So you have a normal cadence of 130, but just not in any particular gear?

How about 'what gear are you in when you're riding this cadence of 130rpm?'
is that better?

jj

When I downshift and increase cadence I usually end up riding something
in the 60 to 70 gear inch range.

So, 52x23, (60 GI) @22mph, and 52x21, (66 GI) @24mph.

Quoted message said:

I have to ask though, did you read my
post or are you basing your question on a snipped version that another
poster may have quoted?

Ok, my bad not your 'normal cadence'.

22 and 24mph still seems rather fast for 'sore legs, downshifting', but if
you say so. ;-)

Quoted message said:

What I said was that my *usual* cadence is in
the 95 to 110 rpm range but when my legs are tired or sore (and I want
to maintain my pace) I find it easier for me to downshift and increase
my cadence than to continue to grind in a higher gear. In that
situation I've found 130 or so rpm is best for me.

Thanks for the clarification.

jj

Quoted message said:

Regards,
Bob Hunt

P.S.- In my original post I didn't add that I shift to a lower gear
when I increase cadence only because I thought that would be as obvious
as my desire to maintain my pace. I mean, if my legs are sore and I
don't care about maintaining my pace I simply slow down. <g>

Bob said:

Perhaps it's just me and maybe it's even all psychological but in that
circumstance when I shift to a much lower gear- like from around 90
gear inches to something in the 60 - 70 gear inch range- the noticeably
easier pedaling is rejuvenating. If I've been riding hard enough to
feel the burn in my quads it almost feels as if I'm coasting... at
least until I go into oxygen debt. <g>

It's not just you. I feel the same way, although I have no idea
what "gear inches" I'm running at. Typically I shift so as to
keep my cadence between 90 and 110 rpm, usually about 100 rpm.
If my cadence drops to the bottom of that range and I'm feeling
winded, downshifting to bring my cadence back above 100 makes
everything seem easier. Occasionally I'll even downshift far
enough and pedal frantically enough to bring my cadence above 150
rpm, usually for a brief rise such as a freeway overpass, but I
get tired of that within 30 seconds or so.
--
Ben Pfaff
email: [email hidden]
web: http://benpfaff.org