Originally Posted by
xroadcharlie
I think the ideal cadence for recreational cyclists depends largely on the load.
Whether we are climbing a hill, fighting wind, or just normal cruising. The greater the load, Higher up in our candace range seems best if we want to maintain the same speed.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
FWIW, I have posted, including earlier on this thread,
that cadence decreases with increasing work load, as determined by Relative Perceived Exertion:
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
The RPE scale ranges from 6 to 17, with descriptions of the intensity. Multiply the RPE by 10 is the approximate heart rate. Jim's scale is the equivalent on a 0 to 100 scale, easier to think about...:
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
...My basic training is to ride at my RPE of 50% for six miles to warm up, then cruise at an RPE of 60%, and do intervals (on hills) at 70%. I try to change gears to maintain a cadence of about 85-90 rpm on flats and rolling hills, and about 60 to 80 rpm on harder hills, to maintain my RPE. Shift up to higher gears as the cadence rises, and shift down as the RPE increases.
Originally Posted by
terrymorse
Interesting. I've found something different — my
cadence slightly increases with increasing power output.
Originally Posted by
livedarklions
I must be missing something--I don't see how the gearing, power and cadence can possibly be truly independent variables--if you have a higher cadence at the same gearing, you will of course get higher power.
Higher cadence at the same level of resistance [load
] would actually increase muscle fatigue [increased perceived exertion],
however.
Cadence is, however, the point at which we try to balance muscle fatigue against cardiovascular capacity [perceived exertion]
, so I think people vary on this more than commonly believed. Exercise physiology has a lot of facets.
Originally Posted by
livedarklions
I can do math, or I can ride a bike, but I ain't doing both at the same time!
In my description of training using Relative Perceived Exertion (RPE),
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutriti...ce/borg-scale/
when workload increases, e.g., while going up uphill, in order to maintain a constant RPE (or power level) the cadence will decrease, along with the speed.
Obviously to maintain a constant speed going uphill, the gearing must increase at the same cadence, or the cadence must increase at the same gearing, in either case increasing the RPE.
I think of RPE / power as the common currency between cadence, gearing, and speed.
For me, I have described my training pace RPE is 60% at 85-90 rpm, i.e. faster than routine riding of 50%; and intervals on hills at 70% with a cadence of about 60 to 80. Workoad will vary with degree of incline, and wind speed / direction but RPE is my set point. Assigning a number keeps me focused to maintain it.