# Cadence, Heart Rate, Switching gears, 2nd week riding ( noob )



## fltekdiver (Aug 1, 2012)

I bought my Trek 2.3 last Friday, and as of this Friday I'll have 4 days in riding out of 7, and all around 6 miles round trip each time, as I'm learning to ride again. I'm using clipless pedals, Trek 2.3 Road bike, Garmin Edge 500 with Heart rate & Cadence

It's been 5 years since outta the hobby, my best then was 63 miles in 4 hours & 13min, when riding

I've forgot some of the basic's since being off the bike

What should I be looking for on my Cadence, I live in Florida, roads are flat

I'm 45 years old, somewhat fit, but sore the first 2-3 miles, then my legs lossen up, and I don't feel sore as I'm riding

Should I switch gears when I feel a strain on my upper legs, to a lower gear, and do a higher candence?

Also what " Zone " should my hear rate be in, I'm guessing from memory, around 135 to 155 BPM ?

What goals should I set for myself when starting off?

I'm mostley using it for excersize, but an occisional every few months club ride, and start off back at the 20 mile ride, then work up from their

Thanks for the help, It's greatley apprecaited


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## AythanNyah09 (Jul 14, 2012)

Im in the same exact boat! Just different bike but with same cycling computer. Very interested in this thread.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

fltekdiver said:


> I bought my Trek 2.3 last Friday, and as of this Friday I'll have 4 days in riding out of 7, and all around 6 miles round trip each time, as I'm learning to ride again. I'm using clipless pedals, Trek 2.3 Road bike, Garmin Edge 500 with Heart rate & Cadence
> 
> It's been 5 years since outta the hobby, my best then was 63 miles in 4 hours & 13min, when riding
> 
> ...


If you're reacquainting yourself with cycling, it'll take some time to build up to what I call an adequate cadence, varying with conditions/ terrain. To some extent, what exactly 'adequate' means varies, but generally speaking, you should try to build up to a range between 90 and 100 +/-. 

In conjunction with developing a good cadence (for conditions) you should also work on smoothing the pedal stroke, which a higher cadence actually promotes. 

Re: that 2-3 mile warm up phase that you reference, for me it sometimes lasts 10-15 minutes into my rides, then I start getting into what I call a rhythm and start getting comfortable on the bike. Pre-ride stretches may help with that, but I just keep a moderate pace for the duration.

I think your shifting gears question needs to be linked with smoothing the pedal stroke and maintaining an 'adequate' cadence, varying with conditions. Similar to cars having a certain power band and transmissions programmed to shift to maximize it, that's what you want to do while riding - anticipate changing conditions (headwind/ descents/ climbs) and shift to maintain a cadence range and smooth pedal stroke. Practicing this will not only help you build endurance, but also save your knees from undue stress.

Re: HR zones, theoretically they should be matched to your goals (fat burning, cardio fitness...), but of late there seems to be an emerging philosophy that exercising at a higher intensity will not only burn fat more efficiently but also build cardio fitness. This doesn't mean someone should go out and do a 20 mile interval so they can max out their HR for an hour. 

That (similar to cadence) has to be developed over time. Just where to start and how quickly to progress would depend on your overall health and starting fitness level, but I'd suggest erring on the side of caution and start slow. This will also minimize chances of overuse injuries. 

Also and JMO, I don't place a lot of value on max HR. I think resting HR and recovery are better gauges of cardio fitness, so that's what I focus on. I suggest reading up on the topic and tailoring your training to your goals. In essence, this answers your 'what goals should I set for myself' question.

Here's a vid that you might find useful:
VIDEO: Pedaling Technique


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## Branflake (Jul 17, 2012)

When I first started ridding my legs would hurt for a good ten miles in my 34 mile daily rides. After the ten miles though I felt like a whole new person haha.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

fltekdiver said:


> I bought my Trek 2.3 last Friday, and as of this Friday I'll have 4 days in riding out of 7, and all around 6 miles round trip each time, as I'm learning to ride again. I'm using clipless pedals, Trek 2.3 Road bike, Garmin Edge 500 with Heart rate & Cadence
> 
> It's been 5 years since outta the hobby, my best then was 63 miles in 4 hours & 13min, when riding
> 
> ...


I'm not trying to be a smart ass but the main goal should be to have fun. Seriously.


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## c_h_i_n_a_m_a_n (Mar 3, 2012)

I find it more interesting when you set goals for yourself that you work towards and eventually achieve ... each his own i guess ...

Not??

I just did my metric century in 4and 1/2 hrs with 1100m+ of climbs in between. I could have done it over 6 hrs, but that would not be of much interest. I come from a MTB background and do not find road riding of much interest unless you have goals that you set for yourself.

My average cadence to date for a 50mile ride is about 80. I have been working to get it up to 90-100???


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## ScooterDobs (Nov 26, 2010)

I started riding again after about 20 years off and had to re-learn things as well. 5 months of riding and I did a double century over two days, realatively flat. I am 49. Here's what I learned to keep myself going:
Cadence - Find what works for you, there's no magic number. My observations are the bigger guys, strong guys, run well at lower cadence, 70 rpm. Me - higher cadence, 90-100 rpm. It works for me and them and we cover the ground at the same pace.
HRM - Glance at the HRM and guage your exertion level. When I started I would go about 13-14 mph on flat ground at 145 beats per minute. Speed is up to about 17 mph at the same heart rate now. I figured out that I could ride all day at about 140 bpm. Above 155 bpm, however, legs would start to burn after a while. I used the heart rate monitor to to control my training so I didn't go all out and die but also so I didn't loaf along thinking I was accomplishing something. On long hills the HRM will hit 160 to about 165 but I can coast down the next one and "catch up".
Goals - I really didn't set any goals other than to get in shape for the Seattle to Portland ride (STP). I did, however, log each ride. I found one loop of 30 miles that I used as my measuring post. I would ride that loop at least once a week and always tried to beat my best time. I also timed myself on the long 4 mile hill as an intermediate test and tried to beat that time each ride. I tracked my miles, average speed, and that hill time and used it to guage how far I had come from when I started. When I didn't feel like riding I would pull up the sheet and decide I didn't want to go backwards so I'd ride. Hope any of this was helpful as I was in the same place as you 6 months ago.


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## fltekdiver (Aug 1, 2012)

Scooter & PJ, Thanks for your help! I read every word, as It's been a while, so I'm asking questions to " learn to ride again " as my legs, knees, heart, everything, is just getting used to being on a bike again, after 5+ years off

As for " Goals " I bought the bike to excersize, and cardio. Also I want to set goals, such as in a few months, be aboe to ride 20 miles again, then 30, and in 6 months able to ride 60 miles with the club

PJ, great video, thanks for the comments also, very helpfull along with Scotters

Here's my first ride tonight with my new Garmin Edge 500, I belive my HRT is ok, but Cadence I have no idea if those numbers are low or high

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/208951083


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

fltekdiver said:


> Scooter & PJ, Thanks for your help! I read every word, as It's been a while, so I'm asking questions to " learn to ride again " as my legs, knees, heart, everything, is just getting used to being on a bike again, after 5+ years off
> 
> As for " Goals " I bought the bike to excersize, and cardio. Also I want to set goals, such as in a few months, be aboe to ride 20 miles again, then 30, and in 6 months able to ride 60 miles with the club
> 
> ...


As to your goals, I think right now you're acclimating/ building base miles (as you should). As you build on that base - _incrementally_ upping your efforts and adding ~10% to your weekly total - assuming you're at a 'reasonable' level of fitness, I think your stated goals/ milestones are easily attainable. Just stay in tune with how you're feeling along the way, and tailor your training regimen accordingly. Remember, just as training makes us stronger, so does recovery. 

Re: your stats, as I mentioned earlier, I think resting and recovery HR are better gauges of cardio fitness than average or max rates, but FWIW yours seem to be in a 'reasonable' range given that you're just starting.

Re: cadence, (again) considering you're just starting it's actually a little better than what many noobs can manage. That said, you should focus on upping that average to the 80's+ range, then continue upping it from there. It'll likely take some time/ effort on your part, and at some point you'll plateau, but you said you wanted goals.


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## fltekdiver (Aug 1, 2012)

Thanks PJ, apprecaite it

What does getting my candence in the 80's mean? Lower gear, and slower peddeling, or higher gear, and spin faster

I can spin alittle faster , but in a higher gear, whats more important, less stress on the legs, ( higher gear , spin alittle faster ) or drop a gear down, more stress in upper legs, lower cadence

Once I understand this cadence thing, I'll know " what zone to be in peddeling "

Thanks the the " adding 10% " per week into it, thats a great goal


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

fltekdiver said:


> Thanks PJ, apprecaite it
> 
> What does getting my candence in the 80's mean? Lower gear, and slower peddeling, or higher gear, and spin faster
> 
> ...


Hmm... let's take a step back and clarify some terminology. Higher gears (smaller cogs/ larger rings) means slower cadence. Lower gears (larger cogs/ smaller rings) means faster cadence. So, the two (gearing and cadence) can't be separated. Keeping cadence in the 80 range (for now) is the goal, with an eye towards upping it to the 90's in the future. 

To answer your question, whenever possible, it's best to keep cadence high(er). This will accomplish three things. It'll help to smooth your pedal stroke, keep your legs feeling fresher, longer and will minimize stress on your knees, so an all-'round win.


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## Donn12 (Apr 10, 2012)

fltekdiver said:


> I bought my Trek 2.3 last Friday, and as of this Friday I'll have 4 days in riding out of 7, and all around 6 miles round trip each time, as I'm learning to ride again. I'm using clipless pedals, Trek 2.3 Road bike, Garmin Edge 500 with Heart rate & Cadence
> 
> It's been 5 years since outta the hobby, my best then was 63 miles in 4 hours & 13min, when riding
> 
> ...


 I use my garmin to keep my cadence at 90 or slightly above. this made the biggest difference of everythng I tried when I first started. I was surprised at how high the cadence I needed was but being in the right gear made everything come together very quickly. I also look at my speed and I added distance every week until now. I can do 70 miles without stopping and my normal ride is 40 miles in just over 2 hours. Using the garmin will help you compete with yourself if you ride the same route over and over.


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## fltekdiver (Aug 1, 2012)

PJ352 said:


> To answer your question, whenever possible, it's best to keep cadence high(er). This will accomplish three things. It'll help to smooth your pedal stroke, keep your legs feeling fresher, longer and will minimize stress on your knees, so an all-'round win.


Thats what I needed to hear, I can keep my legs going longer with my cadence higher

I don't feel the " pain " as when I'm in a lower cadence 

Perfect, I'll try it out this weekend :thumbsup:


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

fltekdiver said:


> Thats what I needed to hear, I can keep my legs going longer with my cadence higher
> 
> I don't feel the " pain " as when I'm in a lower cadence
> 
> Perfect,* I'll try it out this weekend* :thumbsup:


Great! Let us know how it goes....


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## Ajost (May 27, 2012)

To the OP, I'm a new rider myself. Bought a supersix 105 about 2 wks ago and had been riding for the past month. Started off doing 6 miles, now at 10 mile rides. 10 miles is feeling fairly easy now so going to progress it up to 15. I will just keep doing this until I am satisfied with my distance (not sure what that is yet)

Anyway, I would just continue to progress based upon feel on the bike, and what your body tells you, etc. My butt was sore for the first couple rides, but now that is getting better. I had to make a minor adjustment to my cleats because my left foot was getting sore. I think I fixed that. (still doing minor tweaks)

And most important, have fun!

Here is a pic of my 105

v/r

Allen

2012 Cannondale Supersix 105


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## TomH (Oct 6, 2008)

At that mileage, you should be focusing on time in the saddle. Set a goal like an hour or two on the bike. Distance, cadence and HR dont really come into play until you've got some more time and miles in. Especially on the flats, you can turn a bigger gear than whats ideal. When you start climbing, cadence becomes more important. 

For example, your cadence and HR will be drastically different for a short 10 mile sprint ride than it is for a 100 mile grinder. The biggest thing for beginners is just getting time in the saddle. You might need to back it down to get some more miles in.


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## fltekdiver (Aug 1, 2012)

Thanks blackvans

I rode my first 10 mile ride, only had the bike alittle over a week, 4th ride to date

It took 45 min, cadence was an average of 82, My HR Hit 170 once or twice, it was like hitting a wall, it took me 3 or so minutes of getting down below 160 again

I noticed the higher cadence is easyer on my legs, but my HR is higher

It's been 5 years since riding, and I'm glad to hit my 10 mile mark a week into it, but I sweated it doing it, my toung was hanging out like a dog looking for water, LOL

Garmin Connect is giving me issues tonight uploading, but here's the ride on Strava:

Bike Ride Profile | 10miles near Rockledge | Times and Records | Strava


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

fltekdiver said:


> Thanks blackvans
> 
> I rode my first 10 mile ride, only had the bike alittle over a week, 4th ride to date
> 
> ...


These are very good stats, especially considering you're just starting out again. And yes, HR will be a little higher at the beginning, but don't let that dissuade you. You're on the right track with this.

During your future rides, my suggestion is to shift your focus from _average_ cadence to smoothing the pedal stroke, anticipating shifts based on changing road conditions (climbs, wind, descents) keeping cadence in a fairly narrow range. 

Point is, when focusing only on an average cadence of ~80, your high could be in the 90's+, but some of your lows could be in the 60's or lower. By monitoring in real time, you'll be better able to avoid those valley's in cadence and downshift.


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## Wetworks (Aug 10, 2012)

PJ352 said:


> If you're reacquainting yourself with cycling, it'll take some time to build up to what I call an adequate cadence, varying with conditions/ terrain. To some extent, what exactly 'adequate' means varies, but generally speaking, you should try to build up to a range between 90 and 100 +/-.
> 
> In conjunction with developing a good cadence (for conditions) you should also work on smoothing the pedal stroke, which a higher cadence actually promotes.
> 
> ...


Wow, beyond helpful! I'm a n00b, so I'm looking for anything that will help me be comfortable and enjoy my new toy. Thanks for this!:thumbsup:


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## taralon (Sep 1, 2011)

To further illustrate on this, I try to keep my cadence when actually pedalling and applying significant power in the 80+ range. I don't focus on keeping my average in the 80+ range though because every stop, every downhill I coast on, every time I soft pedal for a bit to wait for traffic my cadence dips significantly, and trying to keep an 80+ average cadence with these times factored in mean that I need to keep my "while pedaling" cadence in the 100+ range to average 80, which is higher cadence than I am comfortable at. 



PJ352 said:


> These are very good stats, especially considering you're just starting out again. And yes, HR will be a little higher at the beginning, but don't let that dissuade you. You're on the right track with this.
> 
> During your future rides, my suggestion is to shift your focus from _average_ cadence to smoothing the pedal stroke, anticipating shifts based on changing road conditions (climbs, wind, descents) keeping cadence in a fairly narrow range.
> 
> Point is, when focusing only on an average cadence of ~80, your high could be in the 90's+, but some of your lows could be in the 60's or lower. By monitoring in real time, you'll be better able to avoid those valley's in cadence and downshift.


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## fuzzy (Jul 19, 2011)

Hi PJ, 
nice to see you again, I had to take several months off and got back out of shape, been back at it about month now and have been enjoying it, starting to feel better now too, except my butt still gets a little sore. I won't be taking any long periods of time off the bike anymore if I can help it. I remember you telling me before to work on the cadence. Y'all have me wanting a Garmin 500 with cadence and heart rate now. I hope Santa reads this.  

I did check my cadence just by counting and using the clock on my computer. I was thinking I was going along at a pretty good clip but it it was only 68 rpm. :cryin: So I have been working harder lately on it and I am feeling better. Maintaining 90 is going to be hard for me to do right now but I do think I can get it up close to 80 soon. I have cleets coming and am going to go clipless this week too. Thanks for all the great advice.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

fuzzy said:


> Hi PJ,
> nice to see you again, I had to take several months off and got back out of shape, been back at it about month now and have been enjoying it, starting to feel better now too, except my butt still gets a little sore. I won't be taking any long periods of time off the bike anymore if I can help it. I remember you telling me before to work on the cadence. Y'all have me wanting a Garmin 500 with cadence and heart rate now. I hope Santa reads this.
> 
> I did check my cadence just by counting and using the clock on my computer. I was thinking I was going along at a pretty good clip but it it was only 68 rpm. :cryin: So I have been working harder lately on it and I am feeling better. Maintaining 90 is going to be hard for me to do right now but I do think I can get it up close to 80 soon. I have cleets coming and am going to go clipless this week too. Thanks for all the great advice.


Sorry to read that you had to take a few months off. I know how that can be sometimes, but the important part is that you're back on the bike and determined to stay on it this time.

FWIW, the cadence you mention is pretty average for noobs. Nothing to fret about, just use it as a starting point and from there work on upping it and smoothing your pedal stroke. It's gonna take some (saddle) time to build, but it's good that you ran across this thread for guidance/ pointers.

BTW, if by some chance Santa doesn't pick up on your wish list (or you were bad  ), you could always opt for a $30 wired Cateye Astrale 8 with cadence - all you really need to monitor the function.


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## ewitz (Sep 11, 2002)

New too.

Also using the Garmin 500.

Been at it and for 4 weeks and can't believe how quickly you improve.

49 years old and 195.

Donut by emhorwitz at Garmin Connect - Details


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## G7w7 (Jul 2, 2012)

Another noob here.. I read the posts in this thread and they are helpful. 
Specially the video link with the technique to pedalling. I try to stay away from too much readings and how to videos, and believe it's more about going out and working hard for it.. but this thread/video was definitely great. 
Thanks PJ!
I will start to look out for cadence


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