General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Bike cadence Rss Feed  
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2015-07-29 12:28 PM

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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Subject: Bike cadence
I am training for a HIM in the next couple months and an IM next year, and I am aware cadence is different for the longer races (ie. over 4 hours). I have previously done multiple oly and sprint distance and I never paid much attention to my cadence. The bike is definitely an area I can improve in and I think that focusing on this may be of help. The little bit of research i have done says to use roughly 90rpm as a standard cadence for longer events, However I have heard that some people stay up in the 120rpm range or go much lower in the 70rpm range. Obviously there is a trade off where higher rpms cause more aerobic stress, and lower cause more muscular fatigue. In these longer races where is the "sweet spot" typically for a triathlete?


2015-07-29 1:18 PM
in reply to: jckcrlln

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Pueblo, Colorado
Subject: RE: Bike cadence
From what I've read, bike cadence is variable for each rider. Regardless of distance, ride at a cadence that feels comfortable and natural for you (I think that the average person is somewhere around 90 rpm and so this becomes the de facto recommendation). I tend to average between 78-85 rpm for longer rides and that works just fine for me. Where cadence comes into play is when climbing. Grinding up a hill in a lower gear can "burn some matches," creating more leg muscle fatigue for the run later on. I tend to increase my cadence on the hills. I spin at a higher rate in a higher gear, and that makes my legs feel less tired.
For HIM and IM, I've focused more on being consistent over longer rides and concentrating more on nutrition and hydration. I'm aware of my cadence, but I don't think it's a high leverage area of focus for improvement.
2015-07-30 12:25 AM
in reply to: tedjohn

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Subject: RE: Bike cadence
I know people like to self select it but I've heard that 90+ is idea for triathletes so you don't burn your legs for the run. Whether or not that's true, I don't know. When I first started biking 4 years ago I was at the 70ish range and then I consciously brought it to the 80-90 range and now that's just where I like to sit naturally. I looked at my IMWI data and I averaged 89. I just did an Olympic and I averaged 96. I paid zero attention to my cadence for my Oly. It's just what I ended up having. I remembered I at least looked at my cadence at IMWI for the hills to make sure I was 80+ (when possible, with 90+ being ideal) so that I don't overcook my muscle.
2015-07-30 8:06 AM
in reply to: jckcrlln

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Subject: RE: Bike cadence
Your body will do a good job of settling into the optimal cadence for given situations.

Having said that, there are a few things you can do to learn to be comfortable at a wide variety of cadences (this will help the your body choose in different situations):

1) ride lots
2) sometimes ride a gear or two harder than feels right at a lower cadence and sometimes ride a gear to two easier than feels right at a higher cadence
3) practice getting power to the pedals and being smooth at high cadences - on a downhill try to push the pedals at cadences of 120rpm+
4) ride lots

Shane
2015-07-30 9:47 AM
in reply to: gsmacleod

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Subject: RE: Bike cadence

The research finds what works for a lot of people, but doesn't mean everyone should do that. One does not "improve" their cadence, but rather their understanding of what works for them. And do so by what Shane described. Higher and lower feels different. What feels best is likely to be what you've been doing, so by becoming more used to a wider range one can take out the strange feelings and make a better assessment.

2015-07-30 12:54 PM
in reply to: brigby1

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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Subject: RE: Bike cadence
Ok Thanks, I appreciate the advice. How about at the end of the bike before the run, should I practice changing up during brick workouts? and if so, which direction?


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