intransit1217

I'm betting one of my knee issues is too low rpm. I tend to slide down to 77 rpm, even though my natural cadence is 83.

But to get up to around ninety consistently, I need help.

Has anyone tried this?

1989Pre 

The pacer function on your sports watch is probably safer than putting earphones in your ear and playing music.

canklecat

Club DJs and fitness coaches have long used tools to adjust the tempo of music to get people moving, without messing with the pitch. (Radio DJs used it to squeeze in more songs per hour.)

There are plenty of free and affordable apps. There's probably at least one that lets you adjust tempo on the fly without having to pre-record the speed-shifted music. Try 'em on your favorite riding music.

Personally I wouldn't use 'em while riding in traffic, and usually prefer the ambient sounds around me while I'm riding. But I'll admit I usually have favorite music playing in my head and find myself almost subconsciously matching my cadence to the rhythm of remembered music.

GerryinHouston

You can use one of the many free metronome apps on your phone, but play it over the speakers, not with earbuds. It works better at double beat (i.e. for 80 cadence you set it at 160 and beat down alternating your legs).

Scares pedestrians out of the way too...

Cychologist

I would be surprised if a 6 rpm difference would cause knee problems. But I strongly recommend cyclists ride with a computer that measures cadence. Cadence is even more important than speed.

texaspandj

But not nearly as pleasurable.
I wouldn't recommend wearing earbuds in commuter /city traffic. However where I ride and considering my love of music I don't ride without them unless I'm riding with someone else or a club ride. I can listen to slow paced or faster tempo songs and still maintain the same pace or effort And although I don't use music to motivate me, I can see how fast paced music could make you have a faster cadence. I say use it if it, if you think it could help.

tcarl

Years back when I was suffering from similar issues and knew I needed to increase my cadence, I trained myself to shift down one gear whenever I realized my pedaling was starting to get too comfortable.

jefnvk

I've got runner friends that swear by it, and refuse to have anything less than a certain BPM on their playlist.

Me personally? I listen to everything from nothing at all to 128BPM dance music to baseball to alt rock while biking, can't say I've noticed any measurable difference in how I bike while listening to any particular (or lack of) noise. My best ride this year was while listening to Leicester City play Manchester United, if that gives you any indication as to how important I find it.

exmechanic89

I think music helps a lot, I use it when I'm doing the stationary bike at the gym, which I do for at least an hour. I dont use it riding on a bike outdoors though, too dangerous, imo.

jefnvk

I should also mention my music is always on a reasonable volume, with only the right earbud in, leaving my trafic ear free. Still gives you plenty of audible cues as to traffic around you, and still kills the monotony of 15MPH winds running past my ears.

Bmach

I listen to music whenever I ride alone. I use a stereo to mono ear bud in my right ear. Leaves my left ear free for road noises.

Jaywalk3r

When my bike was configured as a singlespeed, the music I was listening to was the greatest contributing factor of my average speed (on regular routes).

I ride with IEMs nearly all the time. They are a non-factor in terms of safety. Since I don't listen to music at excessive volumes, I still hear traffic sound, such as vehicles approaching from the rear, assuming traffic is light enough to distinguish a single approaching vehicle. Wind noise drowns out far more traffic sound than my IEMs block. I've never been one to rely on my ears to do the jobs better suited for my eyes.

Of course, I ride in the city, so I pretty much assume there's always a vehicle approaching from behind.

If you use earbuds instead of IEMs, they'll block out zero external noise, due to their pass through design. But the frequency response sucks, relatively speaking.

gregf83 

I need music on a trainer but have never or felt the need tried outdoors. Either way I don't think it's going to help with cadence. Just try riding between 90-100RPM for a while and you'll get used to it. You shouldn't need music for motivation to pedal at a particular speed.

canklecat

But only while collating, and only from 9-11.

No idea whether that's A.M., MPH, or the mile marker.

Homebrew01

Downshift

Ajkollme

I do the same thing. I am always baffled by these earphone arguments. There is a way to safely listen to music while still being aware of road noise.

Regarding the OP's question, yes I have playlists on my phone that have beats that more or less match the cadence I am aiming for. They are especially helpful on days I am tired.

caloso

Playlists? Heck, I still have a shoebox full of mixtapes.

jefnvk

To be fair, a large number of the people listening to music I see on the MUP trails do not listen in a manner that allows ease of hearing traffic. Plenty of runners and bikers oblivious to my bell and yelling when I come up behind them at a faster pace. It is another of those situations where you can easily pick out the ones doing it wrong, but rarely notice the ones doing it right.

GerryinHouston

The only consolation is that if one is pedaling at 100 RPM cadence, I won't be overtaking him/her to have to face problems!

More seriously, I've been overtaken a couple of times by fast roadies carrying a veritable boombox (small in size to be on the handlebar but with that deep throated boom boom). They do raise the volume as they approach and lower it after they pass!

ColaJacket

I listen to music when I'm on the trainer. It's helping me increase my cadence, and keeping me from going mad on the trainer. This site does songs by BPM/RPM.

GH

timtak

That could be my answer to being heard on the road.

I used to use music, and it did make a 1mph or more difference (especially up beat disco, and "Chasing Cars" and other stuff by Snow Patrol), but it does reduce safety, and it became illegal to wear headphones here in Japan. The beatbox really could be the answer!

texaspandj

As I've stated before,where I ride it is absolutely safe to wear ear buds. I wouldn't wear them in heavy traffic, mup, or in a group ride. Where I ride , if I hear or don't hear traffic behind me it will not make one bit of difference if I get hit from behind. I cannot and will not turn to look at every single car the comes up behind me and if I did, it would make cycling so unenjoyable. I ride to the right as close and safely as I can, at all times.
When riding on our mup, we ride as a family, so no training speeds and I'm usually pulling a baby trailer. No one ever trains on there. Its runners walkers,strollers and occasional bike riders (not cyclist). And when I'm on the mup with family I plug my music in to a cylinder amplifier that fits in the water bottle cage. I'm a music lover before I'm anything else. And most importantly I only listen to good music.
And as to OP question, it would probably help, but me personally I can ride a time trial listening to the slowest tempo song ever recorded and still have a high cadence, ymmv.

caloso

4'33" by John Cage.