[Farnsworth]

Is there an average Cadence?

[LarryM]

Originally Posted by Farnsworth

Is there an average Cadence?

If by average you mean suggested, the League of American Bicyclists classes recommend a cadence of 70 to 100 rpm.

[edit: added] Of course, if you're slogging up 10 Mile Hill in the lowest gear available, you just do what you can.

[cvgreg]

I am just starting biking. How long do people take to get to the 76 or 80 RPM cadence? I was just out for a few miles and at 60 RPM I was out of breath really fast.

Thanks,
Greg

[Industry_Hack]

Originally Posted by cvgreg

I am just starting biking. How long do people take to get to the 76 or 80 RPM cadence? I was just out for a few miles and at 60 RPM I was out of breath really fast.

Thanks,
Greg

In which gear?

[cvgreg]

In which gear??? Hell, I'm lucky to stay on the bike let alone to look down and try to figure out where the chain hits the sprockets! I up shift or down shift until I feel the lowest strain on the top of my legs and try to keep it there. All flat ground riding.

[Industry_Hack]

Find that comfortable gear, then push yourself a bit for about a minute. Give yourself maybe 5 minutes to recover, then do it again. Interval training will improve your fitness.

[cvgreg]

OK!!!! Now this I can relate to. Thanks so much; I'll give this a try.

Greg

[Industry_Hack]

If you continue that over time, you'll find that you can maintain the same cadence in a higher gear. If you're really giving it a good effort, be sure to only do it ever other day, with a rest day in between. By the way, light spinning is the best thing to get that soreness out of your muscles, if it's lactic acid buildup.

[flanderscycling]

Pro's used to ride with a cadence between 90-95 RPM.
Untill an American guy, coming back after a serious disease started to work on his first comeback with a lighter gear and higher cadence (because he was to weak to use the heavy gear) dicovered that he could produce a higher powerage (he had and still has a perfect body for the sport).
From that day, every cyclist hopes that he can bike with a cadence of 115 RPM or even higher....
We all know what happened with the american guy (7 TDF victories).
Whats the lesson: use a cadence that's com comfortably and try to train it to a higher level.
As for myself: I started 2 years ago to train my cadence at 90 RPM and now I'm very happy with an everage of 98 on a flat ride. In the Alps I used to ride at 55-65 RPM and now I'm at 70-75 (wich feels better). Sadly enough, I'm not goin faster...(but that could be the age)

[Engyo]

Originally Posted by Grenouille

What sort of cadence do other weekend warrior roadies aim for?

Especially others with a "5" in their age.

I'm 70-75 typically, plus or minus. And watching the young/serious riders pass me.

Agewise, I'm still 50 for another week and a half. I generally try to keep my cadence in the 70-90 range, and 90+ when climbing. Part of this is due to age, and part to the fact I am riding recumbent, which means that I need to spin faster on any significant incline anyway. The crank length (170MM) on my bike means I usually spin out when I get up in the 100s.

My average cadence (per the computer) usually ends up in the mid to high 70s for the ride.