F=ma said:When going out for normal, aerobic bike rides what is a good cadence to have? I estimate that I probably was around 90 rpm. Is that a decent cadence for a good ride?
Also, is bike training similiar to running in the sense that you have to build a large aerobic base before beginning any other type of training? Is there a weekly long bike in which you just ride for time and dont worry about speed?
One last one, does your butt get used to the long duration spend riding,
First, since you are using cycling as a running substitute while recovering from a running injury, your first source of advice should be your college track coach. Beyond that, answers to several of your questions:
(1) Especially for a runner, cadence in the 90-100 range is about right, because you want to maintain leg speed for running. Since you are training to be a runner rather than a bike racer, you should "err" on the side of higher cadence, i.e. when in doubt, choose the higher cadence. Besides maintaining leg speed, higher cadences put more stress on heart/lungs (good for what you want) and less on the leg muscles (also good in terms of running, which is not a "power sport" whereas cycling is).
(2) Yes, cycling is definitely a sport requiring a large aerobic base (which you probably have already). My schedule as a cyclist is just an "enlarged" version of what used to be my running schedule (since it takes more cycling time to get the same fitness results as a shorter amount of running time; running is weight-bearing, cycling is not): a mixture of interval days (with intervals of different durations) and at least one long group ride day, which is 3 - 3 1/2 hrs of less intense (although in any group with egos, it has its moments!) miles. Given your motivation and schedule, intervals will give you the most aerobic benefit in the least saddle time. Try for 10-min intervals at the highest speed you can maintain steadily (i.e not start fast and die) for that time, then recover by spinning easily for 10 minutes, and repeat. Since you want to stay aerobic, think of this as similar to doing 1/2 mile track interval, equal time recovery, repeat, etc. There is nothing wrong with long low-intensity rides, they are just a less efficient use of time. You probably don't jog a lot of 9-10min miles either!
(3) Yes, your tail end gets used to the saddle time, although having a saddle that fits you makes a lot of difference. The wrong saddle will never feel comfortable, no matter how long you use it, and unfortunately its largely a game of trying different saddles until you find one you like.
My overall suggestion is to take all of our recommendations and remember that you are using cycling for recovery, not as an end in itself, and many of us who are either bike racers or triathletes will therefore have a "bias" in our responses. Good luck with your running!
