Exactly! LOL!

When I started riding in 2004 I just did what felt right. I had no clue about cadence or gearing. I just did it.

After 6 months of mashing the pedals in a low gear, my knees were hurting- really bad. To the point that it was all I could do to pedal at 12 mph.

So I switched pedals to Speedplays (to allow float) and I took up high cadence. Got a spiffy bike computer WITH cadence and aimed for 90-100 because I read that was good.

It was weird. Man it was weird. It felt so odd and I practiced at it for a good 2 months before it finally felt good.

Knee pain was gone... and I got faster. Now days I still keep a high cadence of 90-100, works for me.

This is a great thread.  My mentality has been to stay on the big ring as much as possible (go to low ring for the bigger hills).  I have very strong legs but I may be over-taxing them on the majority of my ride. 

Is there an inexpensive cadence counter out there just to use to get an idea as to what I'm doing?  I know I could probably just try to count but I love gadgets and I would like to experiment with how a higher cadence feels. 

Cateye sells a bike computer for $40 with cadence. It will last you for years.

Once you learn about cadence, you then work your gears based on cadence. I shift according to my cadence. It's not about being in the big or small chain ring... it's about keeping my cadence where it needs to be.

The Cateye Strada Cadence can be found on-line for $35 or so.  Also check at least Nashbar.com and Performancebike.com for sales and free shipping deals.

Counting is easy... just count for 15 seconds and then mutilply x4. Not as cool as a gadget, but it works and once you have done this a few times, you will get the feel for your cadence and you won't need to count to know approximately what you are spinning.

Hmm Breckview, thanks for the advice! I have an old second hand bike computer that i'll be installing soon so I'll do some experimenting too

You guys are right this is a very interesting thread and quite an individualized topic...

I've also had knee problems.. maybe from over-training which I struggle to avoid, but maybe also from mashing a lot. I only feel like I'm going fast when I'm working my gears, so I might need to shift my focus..I definitely look forward to experimenting with my bike computer.

Does anyone have some good training drills for good riding technique and/or working on cadence? I might need to start a whole new thread for this question.

agree with whatever works for you, in the last 6 months I have read articles stating opposing views, one saying you should absolutely use a higher cadence for the bike leg of a tri, and the other touting the benefits of mashing in a bigger gear. Both were quite compelling, likely why some people choose one and some the other, claiming they both 'work'.

Personally, I am a much stronger rider than I am swimmer or runner (although the run is coming along nicely!), and typically ride at a lower cadence in a bigger gear...in triathlon this fatigues my legs and my run suffers as a result...trying to find some balance I tried backing off the gears a little and riding with a higher cadence, my bike was significantly slower using this method but I did have much fresher legs for the run. At the end, turns out it was pretty much a wash, although as my run continues to get better I suspect I'll stick with the easier gear/lower cadence on the bike to give me more of an edge on the run where it seems most races are decided.

Thanks for all the great info.  I will definitely be working on my cadence this winter.  I'm sure that it is going to take me a few months to get used to it.