I'm not an expert on cycling. I'm in training myself. My dad & I ride inside our garage & ride to a video. The video does about 80-100 cadence. The trainner is Lance Armstrong trainner. I have been doing it for about a month now? I think & it has helped me so much. Good Luck & have fun riding!

Work on finding YOUR cadence. If your more comfortable at 60, then try it. I agree with others, there is no magic number. Many Americans have jumped on the Lance bandwagon (and ohhh, boy what an awesome wagon it is!!!). Since he's been just slightly successful with a high cadence, "everyone" thinks it will work for them. I disagree. There are VERY few riders (especially among the recreational ranks) who can spin at rates above 100 (for more than a few minutes/miles). Since you asked the question, I assume you're new to spin rates and/or road riding in general. 110 to 120 is FAST! Very fast. Go "play" with your spin rate; just make sure you give yourself enough time and distance to make a good assessment. Good luck!

Which cadence you select is determined by hat you are trying to accomplish in your training session. Higher cadence works on neuromuscular efficiency and places a higher demand on your cardiovascular system. A lower, more forceful cadence works on your ability to push a big gear and places the stress on the muscular system. There is no one size fits all answer, it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are a beginner, or it is early in the season, then do a little bit of both. The end result is hopefully better pedalling mechanics and greater efficiency.

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Let's not forget good pedal mechanics. I think it is very important to start out thinking form 1st. Make sure you are setup properly on the bike. Make sure you are pushing and pulling up and over with constant pressure on the pedal. Do not think piston, think about making nice perfect circles.

I agree with the comment on using heart rate monitor and finding the cadence, but also the right resistance. A few things to make sure you watch out for when finding your cadence. (1) Make sure you are not bouncing on your seat while riding. (2) Make sure your cadence stays above 60 rpm's with resistance, you don't need knee problems.

Recommended cadence for riders is as such: 90-110 rpm's normally; when hills arise cadence 60-80 rpm's. High cadence climbing requires good cardiovascular conditioning and leg training.

Is there a magic number? For each person it is different. Your heart will dictate your cadence and resistance. As you become a stronger rider, you'll be able to increase the resistance and the cadence with the same heart rate.

I see two types of riders out there which concern me. The mashers and the bouncers. The mashers have high resistance and low cadence. The bouncers have high cadence and low resistance. Your strongest muscle in the body is the heart, so get the monitor and find your resistance and cadence that keeps you below 80% heart rate.

Hope this was helpful,
Tom

IMHO form is everything. You will not have that magic number until you learn to spin smoothly. Once that becomes second nature, you will find the right cadence for YOU.

For years I have had different coaches tell me different things. A case in point is the difference between a Lance and a Jan. Jan is much stronger but doesn't have the fast twitch muscles that Lance does, remember lance started out as a one day racer who won the sprints at the end.

The best way to think of it is to imagine yourself as a car engine. It is time to switch gears when the RPM's start to go too high and acceleration slows down. Vice versa when you are hitting the inclines.

You could walk forever but it would take that time to finish a century. The best answer is to set a goal of completing a distance over a set time and attempt to achieve that in the smallest gear possible if you are following Lance's school of thought. But over spinning is going to cause muscle damage faster than over working.

Being stronger Jan can achieve the speed as Lance by pedaling slower on a larger gear. If he tried to pedal the same cadence he would over heat and bonk.

If the goal is to maintain a 18mph time trial pace and you are in the Big ring (53 tooth) and a rear of 18 teeth then a cadence of 90rpm is a good average depending on weight and road conditions.

But remember it is more important to maintain a cadence and change gears to balance watts. Changing your cadence too much and too frequently will prevent a rhythm from developing which makes the long rides possible and enjoyable.

On that note, the more roads traveled means a soul more eased.