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New Cyclist
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 2005-10-01 5:15 PM |
 London |  Subject: New CyclistWell, I guess I'm not a new cyclist having done my first sprint tri this summer. (10.5 mi in 40:30... not what I was hoping for) I'm just bad at biking. Which is sad since I learned when I was a kid which makes me feel like I should have some clue about this. I've been reading articles about it here and all of them say that 90rmp is about right for triathletes. Every time I try this though I'm panting and on the verge of a heart attack, and the meter tells me I'm only doing 13mph. So I do this for 5 miles and then switch to 66rpms at a higher difficulty level and it gets easier and the meter says 20mph. So what do I do? I'm trying for my first olympic length next spring. Any thoughts? I get lost in the lingo so I need simple guidelines. |
| 2005-10-01 7:27 PM in reply to: #257564 |
Elite  3088   Austin, TX Gold member | Subject: RE: New Cyclist Are you doing this on a stationary bike? If so, forget what it's telling you. Your best bet is to get a cycle computer and actually check out the results on the road. |
| 2005-10-02 9:09 AM in reply to: #257564 |
Champion 19812   MA | Subject: RE: New Cyclist Try to alternate say 5 minutes at higher cadence with 5 minutes at what feels comfortable. In time you will feel more comfortable at a higher cadence. If you can't do five minutes try 2-3 minutes. In the beginning you may want to do shorter intervals at higher cadence with longer intervals like you normally do. Say 2-3 minutes higher cadence and 10 minutes your normal. Work towards doing equal time at higher and regular cadence. Do you have a bike computer with cadence? I switch mine and only look at cadence when I work on this not mph or distance. I went from liking to ride 60-70 rpmat the start of the season to over 90 this summer. I focoused on it and worked on it this summer. I used to be like you riding with higher cadence made me feel like I was going slower and my HR went up. It has made a difference for me this year. I'd encourage you work on a faster cadence it will help you be a better cyclist who goes faster! |
| 2005-10-02 9:25 AM in reply to: #257564 |
| Regular 138 | Subject: RE: New Cyclist On gym bikes I have found that the effort you put in and the 'speed' you are going have no relation. Look at the power output. See if the power output at 90 RPM is higher, lower or the same as the slower 66 RPM. Hopefully it’ll be higher at 90, which is why you are getting tired quickly. Like dgunthert says you should try cycling on the roads, as it's a lot different to the gym. The cycling computer will help but, unless you are rich, this will only tell you your speed and this doesn't really match up to the effort you need. Today I was cycling and at one point I was doing 35mph without too much effort and another point I was going all out just to get to 12mph! So don’t worry too much about trying to train at a target speed. Cycling at a high cadence won’t make you faster there was a great post here recently about this. It just means you have a little more energy for the run but over 40km Edited by John_0026 2005-10-02 9:26 AM |
| 2005-10-02 5:31 PM in reply to: #257564 |
Elite 2863 | Subject: RE: New Cyclist mbeckert: The others are right. If you're getting these results from a stationary bike in a gym ignore them. This does not compare to real world cycling. When you're cycling on the road you should be putting the same amount of effort, same amount of power on the pedals no matter if you're going up or down. Shifting your gears allows you to keep a steady cadence and a steady amount of power to the pedals. If you want to go faster, pedaling faster isn't the answer. Shifting to a harder gear and keeping your cadence at a constant is the goal. |
| 2005-10-02 5:48 PM in reply to: #257564 |
Coach 9167 Stairway to Seven | Subject: RE: New Cyclist If you are getting that out of breath at 90 rpm, put it in the easiest gear your bike has. Even spinning pedals with no resistance at all (imaging the chain unattached) takes effort, and your body has to get used to that. You may find that you're more comfortable at a slower cadence, but being "new", I think you should practice the art of spinning before you decide that you are a slower cadence cycler. |
| 2005-10-04 9:38 AM in reply to: #257851 |
| Veteran 407 Dallas, Texas | Subject: RE: New Cyclist AdventureBear - 2005-10-02 5:48 PM If you are getting that out of breath at 90 rpm, put it in the easiest gear your bike has. Even spinning pedals with no resistance at all (imaging the chain unattached) takes effort, and your body has to get used to that. You may find that you're more comfortable at a slower cadence, but being "new", I think you should practice the art of spinning before you decide that you are a slower cadence cycler. First, are you wearing/using cycling shoes and cleats? If not, you'll have trouble maintaining 90 rpm. Platfrom pedals, toe cages, etc. don't allow you to get power from the full pedal rotation. If you are using cycling shoes and cleats, exactly what AdventureBear said. Keep gearing down until you can comfortably maintain 90 rpm. Don't worry about keeping it at exactly 90 rpm, I usually range from 91-94 rpm. Another trick is to spin at above 100 rpm for intervals. This will help train you to utilize the full circular stroke. I find that it helps to focus on "suffling" your feet backward and forward than trying to push down and pull up. May be just an individual oddity... A consistent ~90 rpm will prove hugely beneficial in the long run. |
| 2005-10-04 1:44 PM in reply to: #257564 |
| London | Subject: RE: New Cyclist Thank you everyone. It is indoors but I'm buying my bike this month, so that should help. I guess I'm not really sure why 90 rpm is the best cadance. If it isn't to make me go faster and I feel like I'm dying, what's a reason to keep me motivated to do it? |
| 2005-10-04 2:09 PM in reply to: #259254 |
| Veteran 407 Dallas, Texas | Subject: RE: New Cyclist mbeckert - 2005-10-04 1:44 PM Thank you everyone. It is indoors but I'm buying my bike this month, so that should help. I guess I'm not really sure why 90 rpm is the best cadance. If it isn't to make me go faster and I feel like I'm dying, what's a reason to keep me motivated to do it? There are a couple of reasons to aim for 90 rpms. First, spinning is more efficient. Spinning allows you to ride for hours with little (or at least less) difficulty. Mashing requires more enegry and tires your muscles more quickly. Second (and probably more importantly), mashing is "hard" on your knees. Be careful comparing indoor "cycling" with the real thing. I do 3-5 spin/studio cycling classes each week, but they are nothing like real road cycling. You may very well find that you can easily maintain 90 rpms on the road. Also, bear in mind that even though the indoor machine reads 90 rpms, you may actually be pedaling at a much faster rate. Try to aim for 90 rpms on the road. Using cycling shoes and cleats on a bike that fits you, you will probably find 90 rpms to be comfortable. Gear down as much as necessary to comfortably maintain 90 rpms. As your muscles strengthen, you will be able to use harder gears. Your goal at this point is to get consistent cycling time and work on endurance. Speed will come (if only I could keep telling myself this regarding my running...). Also, don't despair if you find road cycling more difficult and taxing than indoors. Indoor "cycling" doesn't really compare to the real thing (it is a useful tool, though). If 90 rpms doesn't work for you after a few weeks of dedicated cycling, try something else. I suspect that it will, though. Bill P.S. Don't get too married to 90 rpms. Anything between 85 rpms and 100 rpms should be fine. Edited by SMUJD 2005-10-04 2:12 PM |
| 2005-10-04 2:14 PM in reply to: #259254 |
Elite 2863 | Subject: RE: New Cyclist mbeckert - 2005-10-04 1:44 PM Thank you everyone. It is indoors but I'm buying my bike this month, so that should help. I guess I'm not really sure why 90 rpm is the best cadance. If it isn't to make me go faster and I feel like I'm dying, what's a reason to keep me motivated to do it? A overly simple answer is this: A proper cadence uses your muscles correctly. Too slow and you're mashing and pedaling in square. Too fast and you're not providing enough power and just spinning. Its all about efficiency. 85-95 RPM just happens to be where most cyclists benefit. Example: Engine RPM's. If you were to drive 10 miles per hour with a 7,000 rpm, or 10 mph with a 100 rpm you wouldn't be using your engine efficiently and somethings going to break. Or at least your legs will get bad gas mileage...wait...I'm getting confused. |
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