Official Road Cycling Thread

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by chassis

Agreed, seat too low is uncomfortable, to say the least.

Does the cadence data come from a power meter?

You can get cadence from a power meter, but you can also get just a cadence and speed sensor kit. There are several brands, but here's one from Wahoo.

https://www.amazon.com/Wahoo-Cycling...dp/B01E0YRQIA/

Garmin also has a kit.

[erickonphoenix]

Originally Posted by M_Six

A good bike fitting is crucial if you're going to spend hours in the saddle. So many times I see people struggling along because their seat is way too low. It wreaks havoc on your knees. Your pedaling cadence is also critical. If you're pedaling less than 70rpm, you're taxing your knees. Ideally, your cadence should be around 80rpm and as constant as possible. Higher cadence can be hard to get used to, but it's worth it once you get the hang of it. Of course you also need the gearing required to allow for higher cadence. Here's my cadence from today's 34 mile ride. The dips in the cadence are mostly gear shift changes and road crossings.

Attachment 3571057

Wow, I did not know this. Going to pick up a cadence sensor today. Any you recommend?

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by erickonphoenix

Wow, I did not know this. Going to pick up a cadence sensor today. Any you recommend?

Do you use a bike computer? If so, does that brand have a cadence sensor? You can use either the Garmin sensor or the Wahoo sensor with most programs. Is that Strava you use? Check to see if your phone will connect to a Bluetooth sensor. Both the Garmin and the Wahoo are Bluetooth and ANT+, but iPhones won't connect ANT+. They will connect to Bluetooth, though.

[chassis]

#wahoospeedandcadenceenabled

Thanks for the tip @m_six! Function confirmed. Need to squeeze 40 miles in tomorrow because of a work call in the afternoon.

[M_Six]

Very cool.

[chassis]

32 miles, nice ride. First ride with the Wahoo sensors, they seem to work well. Mid-50s at teh start, low 60s at the finish, mostly sunny. Moderate to heavy trail traffic. I usually do not ride at mid-day and the difference in traffic was noteworthy.

74.1 rpm avg cadence
12.6 mph avg speed

[erickonphoenix]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Do you use a bike computer? If so, does that brand have a cadence sensor? You can use either the Garmin sensor or the Wahoo sensor with most programs. Is that Strava you use? Check to see if your phone will connect to a Bluetooth sensor. Both the Garmin and the Wahoo are Bluetooth and ANT+, but iPhones won't connect ANT+. They will connect to Bluetooth, though.

I do have a bike computer, a cycplus unit which does have a cadence sensory accessory available for $30. Not sure it will help me for this race but I might mix it in for our next one. Thanks for directing me to this.

34 miles this morning in cool weather and virtually no wind. Average speed was exactly what we were targeting. Marfa 100k is next Saturday.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by chassis

32 miles, nice ride. First ride with the Wahoo sensors, they seem to work well. Mid-50s at teh start, low 60s at the finish, mostly sunny. Moderate to heavy trail traffic. I usually do not ride at mid-day and the difference in traffic was noteworthy.

74.1 rpm avg cadence
12.6 mph avg speed

Great start. Try one gear easier and see if you can get your cadence average to 80. Don't worry if it doesn't work. 74 is close enough. But you might find you can get used to 80+ and not have sore knees or legs. The big thing is you don't want your cadence down around 60 or lower, so you're looking good already.