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Questions tagged [cadence]

In cycling, cadence (or pedaling rate) is the number of revolutions of the crank per minute; roughly speaking, this is the rate at which a cyclist is pedalling/turning the pedals. Cadence is related to wheel speed, but is a distinct measurement.

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Is the gear cycle a sham? [closed]

Why do I think (and based on my personal observation) that gears in cycles are no better? It just slows down the cycle speed. The effort needed to push the cycle is more in a gear cycle. Considering ...
Arun's user avatar
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How to securely attach a single-piece cadence sensor on bikes with steeply-angled chainstays?

With chainstays set so steeply outward to accommodate wider tyres, the gap between the cranks and the chainstays is truly minimal. How do you secure your single-piece (accelerometer-based) cadence ...
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What cadence should you sprint at?

Current knowledge is that riding at a higher cadence is good for long-term aerobic efforts. Does that mean that sprinting at lower cadences would be better? I have certainly experienced myself that I ...
MaplePanda's user avatar
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best rpm for most energy efficiency [duplicate]

What rpm when peddling is the most energy efficient aka least calories burned for the fastest speed?
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How do I get a Garmin Cadence Sensor 2 to pair with an iPhone?

I have bought a Garmin Cadence Sensor 2. After installing it on the bike and rotating the cranks to wake it up, theoretically I should be able to pair it with my iPhone but it doesn’t appear in ...
Robert Atkins's user avatar
8 votes
6 answers
4k views

How can I measure cadence without attaching anything to the bike?

This is prompted by curiosity, so a cheap and cheerful solution is desirable. I'd like to measure my cadence, not just on my own bikes but on the heavy, clunky, undergeared, undersized rental bikes I ...
Chris H's user avatar
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Pendulum motion when riding out of the saddle

When riding out of the saddle, you will often have to rock the bike laterally for stability. My question is: how do most people synchronise this pendulum motion with their pedal stroke? In which ...
ThymeTravel's user avatar
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4 answers
760 views

How can I segment the large market for cyclometers?

I am having trouble navigating the formidable variety of cyclometers on the market. As a commuter I was more than happy with strictly speed + distance on a simple (and, in retrospect, wonderfully ...
Sam7919's user avatar
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Installation of round bike cadence sensor - in the end of crank screw?

I got a "LIVALL® P1 Smart Bicycle/Bike Nano Cadence Sensor", round and flat which appears to have a screw in for the end of the crank. However on all the bicycles I see there is the hexagonal screw ...
NoBugs's user avatar
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3 answers
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Cadence or speed sensor for training

Which is better for training, cadence or speed? With the sufferfest both are displayed does it make sense to use both while training?
Jerome's user avatar
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Relationship between speed and cadence?

I am having a disagreement with a friend. It stems around the scenario of 2 identical bikes on the same gear ratio side by side. If the rate of pedaling is same for both do both bikes travel at the ...
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Lowest rideable gear ratio

What is the lowest rideable gear ratio (chainring/cassette) possible without feeling like having to balance/trackstand? I'm doing some virtual simulations right now and I'm just setting up IRL limits. ...
Gregory Leo's user avatar
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Pushing it to my max on a 7% 2kft climb. I'm cardio limited, but legs never hurt. How do I push it harder?

I have a climb by my house that is about 2,000 ft over 5mi (610 metres in 8 km or 7.6% grade). I ride it a least once a week and I've got a ton faster (at 35min right now). Recently my legs stopped ...
Adam Meyer's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
885 views

Cadence: Belt drives + Nexus 11 hubs

So I'm looking for a bike that has the following: Belt Drive, 11 speed Internal hub, Mudguards and can fit a rack at the back. The Contenders Canyon Commuter 8 BMC Alpenchallenge AC01 Ghost Bikes ...
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Difficulty maintaining power at recommended cadence. Is recommended or preferred cadence better?

I find that it's easier to maintain my power at a lower cadence. For example, 75 RPM versus 95 RPM. I'm using TrainerRoad. Recently, I've experimented with a higher cadence. On one of the workouts, ...
Brian's user avatar
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14 votes
4 answers
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For fitness's sake, is it better to ride with low cadence in high gear or higher cadence in medium gear?

I've started riding to get fit and lose weight. As part of that, I set little challenges for myself, eg: "I'm going to ride these next two blocks as quickly as possible in the highest gear". I'd be ...
MeltingDog's user avatar
42 votes
13 answers
19k views

Why do the majority of people on an ebike ride at a fairly low cadence?

Around the place where I live the electric bicycle is gaining popularity and it's easy to pick those on such bike from far away not just from posture (rather stiff upper body even on steep hills) but ...
stijn's user avatar
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3 answers
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Does effort require to pedal depend on the gear ratio or the gear inches?

I have a 20x1.75" 6-speed folding bike with 52x14-28t drivetrain. Even with the gearing at 52x14, ~3.71 ratio, I can still pedal uphill. I also have a 700x25C fixed gear with 49x17t gearing or ~2.88 ...
dork's user avatar
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Low power while maintaining high cadence

I just started using a Tacx Smart Flow in combination with TrainerRoad to try maintaining and getting up my fitness level over the winter. My problem now is that TrainerRoad tells me to keep a power ...
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Estimating trainer 'effort above the flat' by heart rate + cadence

A question popped into my head after yesterday's trainer ride. First, a long-winded preamble. As I pointed out in this question, I usually set the trainer up so that a 5l cask of wine just moves ...
GT.'s user avatar
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531 views

Does a spinning class fixed wheel bike affect real world form?

I just had my first spinning class and hadn't realised it was going to be a fixed gear bike, when the instructor was asking us to get out of the saddle (or half out) the necessary technique felt very ...
user26491's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
927 views

What cadence saves power when climbing?

I'm doing some amateur climbing with a hybrid bike up on a road and I have the following question: How am I going to save more power - having a lower gear but spinning faster in order to maintain ...
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Does ideal cadence depend on a rider's weight/size at all?

As in the question, do heavier riders tend to have higher/lower cadence and should there be any difference?
user26491's user avatar
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How important is shoe weight?

Please do not confuse this with general weight on your bike or rotating weight. I'm onto about something completely different. Logic tells me that everytime you do a pedal stroke you need to lift ...
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-3 votes
4 answers
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Constant / maximum set load bike? Does it exist?

Does a bike exist such that you can program it with what load you desire and it will shift gears for you based on that load or maybe never exceed that load? For example, suppose an older person has ...
David's user avatar
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4 answers
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Why is a steady cadence so important? Or is it?

I read somewhere that steady cadence is a good thing but why is that? It is analogous to running long distance where it is a good idea to set a reasonable pace and stick to it? I would think that ...
David's user avatar
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6 answers
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Windows Phone as a Bike Computer - What is the current State of the Art?

I have a Windows Lumia 532 phone. I currently use the Cycle Tracks GPS app to track and record trips and then upload to Ride With GPS and/or Strava. There is not a native Strava app. I've recently ...
pdmclean's user avatar
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12 votes
5 answers
6k views

Legs are very weak

So, I've been riding at different levels of difficulty for years now, from a 33lb, one gear bmx to a 21 speed, 44lb mountain bike, and now to a 22lb, 21 speed road bike. Each bike had its own ...
Hellreaver's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
514 views

Unidentified "Sigma Mount Compatible" Bike Computer

Just got this used bike computer, only knew it fits in a Sigma type "Twist Lock System" mounts. No markings on the front or sides only a serial number stamped on the back. Really hope someone can ...
Cog's user avatar
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18 votes
5 answers
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Always cycling in highest gear, why?

For all my life I have noticed that I always cycle in the highest gear (most of my bikes had at least 3x7, so it wasn't a lack of options) whilst most serious cyclists cycle on relatively low gears ...
David Mulder's user avatar
10 votes
5 answers
894 views

Standing vs. high rpm for acceleration

I've been working on my cadence for several months now, and I feel like I've gotten to the point where I'm more comfortable using high cadence instead of standing up when I want to accelerate hard. ...
BSO rider's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
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What is neuromuscular endurance in the world of bicycling?

I read the term neuromuscular endurance perhaps something related to having your brain not accustomed to high speed pedalling. I'm curious as it is related to bicycling cadence and I'm working on that....
munish's user avatar
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0 answers
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Has anyone else had problems with a Stages power meter at high cadence?

I just started using a stages power meter and it works as expected but with one major flaw so far. When I just did some sprint intervals on the trainer as soon as the cadence went above 150 rpm the ...
Anthony's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
813 views

will increasing cadence ability hurt my climbing strength?

I tend to spin rather slow when I am riding. 50rpm is a comfortable rate for me to spin for as long as I want to ride. 90rpm seems to be the rate at which I expend maximum power... I can't spin this ...
Michael's user avatar
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11 votes
6 answers
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What's the lowest safe cadence on a climb?

I recently installed a power meter and just used it to get up some rather steep 15%+ climbs. At my weight and lowest gearing (34f 30r) at a sustainable power level for my fitness (225w) this ...
sjakubowski's user avatar
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5 votes
6 answers
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Is it worth it to get a bike computer with cadence?

I'm looking into purchasing a bike computer, primarily to track distance and speed. Is it worth it to go up a notch and get a computer that also tracks cadence? How accurate are bike computers at ...
Jason's user avatar
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2 answers
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Is the lack of activation in sore calves indicative of a poor stroke technique?

I know this is a funnily named question, but please bear with me. The pain was new. My calves were incredibly sore - it was painful to walk (Likely owing as I had to walk up stairs - I probably did ...
user1833028's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
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Multiple Bluetooth Smart sensors for bike?

I just bought a Sports Tracker Smart heart rate monitor that communicates via Bluetooth. Then I saw the cadence sensor that also measures speed and distance plus it communicates with Bluetooth Smart. ...
MikkoP's user avatar
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1 vote
4 answers
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How long will a battery last in a Garmin GSC 10?

My relatively new Garmin GSC 10 Speed/Cadence unit has started losing connection to my Garmin 500. I'm assuming that the battery is running out, since I'm still using the original that came with it. I ...
kmm's user avatar
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9 votes
3 answers
8k views

Higher cadence or lower cadence for long distance cycling

I am going to ride long distance like 200 km on my hybrid. I am not sure if I should pedal in a higher cadence (a lower gear, pedaling more frequently) or a lower cadence (a higher gear, pedaling less ...
Freakyuser's user avatar
42 votes
3 answers
7k views

What is the optimal cadence?

I have heard that one ought to turn the pedals at 90rpm. However, I do so much slower, especially while standing, and would like to understand the argument behind this number (or any other number). So:...
Vorac's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
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Cadence meter for the Shimano Ultegra Flight Deck 5601?

Is there a cadence meter available for the Shimano Ultegra Flight Deck 5601? Or is there a good alternative option for measuring cadence without changing the flight deck setup?
keflavich's user avatar
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37 votes
13 answers
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Is there such thing as an automatic transmission for bikes?

Has anyone ever designed or manufactured an automatic transmission (or automatic shifter?) for cycling? I imagine such a device would automatically change the gearing to allow the rider to maintain ...
Ken's user avatar
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8 votes
3 answers
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Reducing saddle bounce when increasing cadence

Trying up my cadence, but noticing a fair bit of saddle bounce. Few things that could be contributing. I use toeclips over cleats saddle height (thou I'm at the sweet spot of full leg extension ...
will's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
1k views

Speed and Cadence Bike Sensor Opinions

I'm looking to start tracking my speed and cadence for my iOS app, Cycle Meter. The app works great for distance, time, but is not accurate at all for measuring my speed. So I'm thinking of buying ...
fady's user avatar
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10 votes
5 answers
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How do I calculate the power required to climb a hill at a given cadence?

Suppose I ride at a cadence of 50RPM for 10 minutes with a 39x23 gear ratio on a hill with 10% grade. Is there a simple formula to calculate the power output required?
Rick Ant's user avatar
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8 votes
3 answers
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Techniques to increase average cadence for endurance-riding?

According to the Wikipedia entry here: Recreational and utility cyclists typically cycle around 60–80 rpm. According to cadence measurement of 7 professional cyclists during 3 week races they ...
user avatar
4 votes
6 answers
16k views

To learn fixed gear, better start with high gear and then get lower, or the opposite?

I am wondering if it is better to start to ride a fixie with a relatively low gear, and as experience comes, switch to a higher gear, or if the advised practice would be to start with a higher gear, ...
heltonbiker's user avatar
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6 votes
4 answers
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Correct way to pedal

I've managed to break my bike frame, and after doing some reading, it is possible that I'm not pedaling correctly by putting too much into my power stroke (see the related question I keep breaking my ...
Sasha's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
3k views

How do you measure your cadence?

I see lots of cadence-related questions on here where people cite fairly specific cadence rates. How do you calculate your cadence exactly? Do you just set a one-minute timer on your bike computer ...
Nik Reiman's user avatar
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