Can You Improve Your Cadence? | GCN's Road Cycling Tips

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7 жыл бұрын

Can you change your cadence and ride faster?
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Yes, cadence is a difficult topic, and, there is no 'ideal' cadence. You only have to look at the differences between Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana to see that. But, does thinking about your cadence, and working on it as a skill help you to go faster?
Let us know your ideal cadence down in the comments and don't forget to LIKE and SHARE this video!
This video includes 3 training sessions that are based around cadence. Let us know how you get on!
Watch more on GCN...
GCN Does Science: Cadence 📹
How to pedal like a pro 📹
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Leave us a comment below!

Пікірлер: 235

@elizabethrobertson4890 7 жыл бұрын

I love a standing stand effort. My favourite kind of effort - not moving.

@silvervanmanfly 7 жыл бұрын

Get a single speed bike and all these drills will be done in one ride whether you want to or not.

@NLS87 7 жыл бұрын

LMAO, good, but then, what gearing?

@silvervanmanfly 7 жыл бұрын

DB 82" is a good starting point. It's what most track bikes are set at. You can still get up reasonable hills on that ratio as well.

@404nobrakes 7 жыл бұрын

If you're going fixed gear, then you should err on the side of harder gears. This will give you a "goal" to train towards so you don't get complacent. But more importantly, and counter intuitively, it'll save your knees. I could be wrong, but I think there's some literature out there that says that pushing your knees will actually strengthen them and thus improve knee health, and the major cause of knee damage is actually shock from pedaling too fast downhill. Your knees are most vulnerable during the transition from push to pull.

@dpm9a189 7 жыл бұрын

Can't I just keep my twelve speed and ride on the big cog and small gear all the time?

@GiArK 3 жыл бұрын

@@404nobrakes epic info!

@johnbouttell5827 7 жыл бұрын

I find it helpful to ride with someone who is stronger than me, so that on an incline I have to change down and spin faster to keep up. I call this 'hyperventilation training.'

@SwedishHouseFifa 7 жыл бұрын

5:41 that gear Dan is on is a crime against cycling!!

@mynaamiskaas 7 жыл бұрын

I found that as my core strength increased, so did my cadence... I think it might have something to do with balance (and confidence perhaps). Going up hill, you physically move slower and therefore you naturally decrease your cadence to balance using your legs. And at high speeds, the other way around. Without trying at all, my cadence increased at all speeds after starting core exercises

@howheels 7 жыл бұрын

High cadence was the answer for my knee pain. When I first started road cycling I was averaging 60-70 RPM and constantly straining my ITB. Now I average mid-to-high 90's and can ride all day with zero pain.

@NLS87 7 жыл бұрын

It's normal for newbies, people who aren't used to cycling tend to pedal slower because you don't move your legs as fast in running, for example.

@DoktorFreon 7 жыл бұрын

Yes, higher cadence moves the load from the legs to the cardio vascular system. But I think people should try som different techniques to find what suits them.

@DoktorFreon 7 жыл бұрын

It depends on their running technique I'd say. Children up to the age of five usually has brilliant running technique, whereas adults often has a really poor technique taking out the stride forward, and thus breaking every step, instead of only taking it out to the rear. I run with a cadence of about 180, i.e. about the same cadence I ride my bike with, 90 rpm. Remember that running cadence is double the number of cycling cadence.

@paulhewitt1964 3 жыл бұрын

Exactly the same issue with me solved by increased cadence.

@tannerslomko 10 ай бұрын

Yeah I started riding on the peloton and I have big legs and so I’d always turn the resistance to 75+ and just do 55-70 cadence but since I actually started cycling it’s so much better to have a 90-100 cadence for me.

@Houseguy2 7 жыл бұрын

I have learned a lot by watching your videos. Even as a 51 year old who has ridden a lot, I never put much thought into it. Even without technology aids though, I have come to understand that the goal of my training rides is to keep up a certain cadence over my ride, not just get from point A to point B. Freewheeling always felt normal to me, especially with older bikes. Now that I have a new road bike with brake lever shifters, things have changed dramatically. Now I keep pedaling and go into a higher gear to keep up the cadence. I only freewheel when I feel like I'm going too fast or the hill I'm descending is too steep.

@MrFloodey 7 жыл бұрын

I do love some 'Standing Stand Efforts'

@igotadigger87 7 жыл бұрын

i love lamp

@brianmoore1164 7 жыл бұрын

A fantastic video men! Really great! Valuable information presented well. I appreciate it.

@stevelee8426 7 жыл бұрын

This is a really helpful video guys, thank you.

@TheWaxChainFanClub 7 жыл бұрын

Love these videos.

@DrSomhairle 7 жыл бұрын

when doing the standing starts is it a good idea to alternate legs which you push off from so you have the heaviest part evenly on each leg.

@AdelaandJude 7 жыл бұрын

Liked this one - My Coach ( USA Cycling Level 1 guy ) - has me doing hi speed cadence drills with the logic of training muscle neurons to recruit more muscle fibers.

@thenerdycyclist4670 7 жыл бұрын

4:46 i love standing stand efforts too. i love to stand while standing. it takes effort.

@dallamdude232 7 жыл бұрын

Did anyone notice it says "Standing Stand" efforts @ 4:46 not "Standing Start" haha

@VegasCyclingFreak 7 жыл бұрын

I also caught that

@xchopp 7 жыл бұрын

yep

@inn0x 7 жыл бұрын

dallamdude232 Scared me - now THAT's a really low cadence drill!

@stustjohn 7 жыл бұрын

Clearly in a hurry to get this one out! Also wrote PRM instead of RPM at one point...

@eoingray8425 7 жыл бұрын

Very useful thanks

@Arnkh 7 жыл бұрын

I did what came naturally when I started cycling - kept grinding at highest gear available - and I've messed up my knees (and, I think, my hip joints). Now I keep my eyes glued to cadence on my phone screen, making sure I spin at 90 RPM or more, and nothing hurts.

@strokenumber3 7 жыл бұрын

Love the way Dan does hIs high cadence drill on a downhill section... He sure can spin fast though!

@LUCYDIAMONDBOXER1 7 жыл бұрын

I peddle with a light kick over the top punting a ball and then scraping back leading with my heel. Saves muscle groups on the straights for the climbs

@conorverbruggen5133 7 жыл бұрын

5mins at 130rpm!?..... emmmmm best of luck guys

@MK-ng6vb 7 жыл бұрын

Hey GCN I got an idea for video. It would be great if you can do since and test - how much exactly cyclocross bike slower than road bike in similar conditions ( good tarmac, 25 mm tyres, similar rider position and etc.). That would be great video.

@HughDavies263 7 жыл бұрын

Dans high cadence style is exactly how I picture a duck in water

@hipstertjuris5331 7 жыл бұрын

มีประโยชน์ๆๆ ขอบคุณมากๆๆ

@richardclayton2208 7 жыл бұрын

at 4minutes 47 seconds..... i usually stand for standing stand efforts as i find for a standing stand you do indeed need to be standing

@randombiketrips3296 7 жыл бұрын

Si's CANYON is my dream bike.

@simonrano8072 7 жыл бұрын

Does the middle leg length matter ?

@literoadie3502 7 жыл бұрын

Some wedging should help with any middle leg issues.

@GordonMoat 7 жыл бұрын

Lite Roadie That's what she said. ;)

@BillyM213 7 жыл бұрын

Increasing my cadence from 75rpm to 90rpm on average over a ride made a huge difference. Less time spent in higher gears made for a lower perceived power output over the length of the ride.

@mrlewis152 7 жыл бұрын

I love standing stand efforts. My speciality ;-)

@milesbowen5282 7 жыл бұрын

0:54 "the father you are, the faster your cadence is" *dan starts pulling 150 rpm out of no where*

@diogenes1351 2 жыл бұрын

i am father than you

@Tomas-pr7py 7 жыл бұрын

useful cheers

@Ed.R 7 жыл бұрын

There's only one way to really get to know your optimum cadence and that is to use a CVT (continuously variable transmission). This completely removes road speed from the equation. With a CVT its possible to adjust cadence with precision and under full load. This makes it very easy to find and learn your optimum cadence.I'm currently using an automatic shifter with my CVT. I have the ability to select cadence and the shifter will maintain it. I'm data logging my rides in an attempt to find out what cadences I use. The results reveal that it is indeed a complex subject. One thing I have learned from years of having a CVT is that what works for me is keeping the amount of force applied to the pedals constant. This means that cadence is proportional to power output and has nothing to do with gradient. Steeper gradients mean higher power output and higher cadence maybe 80 rpm. Where as a flat road needs less power so 65 - 70 rpm is sufficient. Over a long distance finding and maintaining the sweet spot makes a massive difference. Push to hard at a lower cadence and its tiring. Spin too fast its a waste of energy.

@zhoudavi850 7 жыл бұрын

"Standing stand" Nice!

@1989srjones 7 жыл бұрын

You forgot to say how long to hold the low cadence effort for (training session #1). You only gave cadence, intensity and rest period

@Vii_DT 7 жыл бұрын

If anyone's wondering, Simon was mentioning Prof. Louis Passfield of University of Kent at 2:50. I'll admit it though, I heard Louis Pasteur at first too.

@jasonwoodward5501 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks. This has been an informative video. 8 out of 10. Jason

@wilv.theeverything9836 7 жыл бұрын

I was so busy this few days, I miss you guys.

@UnicornBikes 7 жыл бұрын

I actually tend to do the opposite and push a lower cadence on flat stuff while spinning close to 140rpm to get those KOMs on the steep stuff. I guess climb duration matters too though, here in Flanders a climb is never more than 100m up.

@jeremy11542000 7 жыл бұрын

I think I am going to try the Standing Stand Effort shown at 4:47. Sounds more challenging Standing Start Effort.

@Bikejon 7 жыл бұрын

I'm going to practice my spinning spin efforts.

@kiverrussell8369 7 жыл бұрын

So much is down to your own physiology, as you point out with Quintana/Froome, that, indeed, there isn't one right answer. My personal experience, for what it's worth, is to try a few different things just to see if something feels better and improves performance outside of your natural tendencies. After belatedly getting a cadence sensor, what surprised me is my cadence was lower than I expected on climbs. So I thought I'd give higher cadence climbing a go, going from around 65-70 RPM to generally around 80+. Not only did I find this more comfortable I actually think it helped me go a little faster too (lots of variables here so perhaps feeling better is more important but still). This picture is further complicated by changes in cadence during a climb - so standing at a lower cadence but similar power feels good for short bursts every so often on a climb as it means muscle recruitment is mixed up a little and can almost feel like a "rest". My natural tendecies weren't too far off but it was certainly worth trying something a little different and giving things a nudge, I was pleasantly surprised.

@julosvlassie 7 жыл бұрын

Nice reference to Durianrider: spin to win.

@VegasCyclingFreak 7 жыл бұрын

Boo boo at 4:46... it says "standing stand efforts

@alessandrodinino5579 6 жыл бұрын

Hi when you are Cycling in a Cycling studio on a stationry bike or out on the road, The Tour de France Riders ride with Cadences from 60-65 on the Hills and, flats cadences range from 80-110. Flat Roads you Never go over 110 Rpm if you are doing 120 to 130 Rpm you don't have enough gear on the bike and going to cause injury to your knees 110 is the Maximum Leg Rpm a tour Rider can maintain on his bike with good form. Alessandro Dinino Spinning Instructor Madd Dogg Trained

@IGotsBadFeeling 7 жыл бұрын

The more power I putt out, the higher my cadence is. I find it easier to use a higher cadence to create force than to push a larger gear with lower cadence. It's not something I do on purpose. I believe a human body knows what it's doing. When it feels right, it probably is.

@mauricetremblay1324 3 жыл бұрын

I am eager to try the exercises BUT. I am it looking forward to the 120+ cadence one. I seem to get leg confusion at 112. Lol. Thanks for the tips.

@scotmarana7299 7 жыл бұрын

Looks like my last ride on my singlespeed!

@jaydenhakala7210 7 жыл бұрын

5:19 how to break a chain.nice tip!

@Dhungerf60 7 жыл бұрын

Si, your not completely aero until you fill in those pesky internal cable routing holes.

@MitchVH 7 жыл бұрын

On a flat road with average wind, 100-110 feels the most natural to me. When I go below 100 I feel like I need to shift down to keep my cadence up. Also on a climb I like to keep it as high as possible.

@bichoroca3462 7 жыл бұрын

Guys! do a training recap of all of your tips

@literoadie3502 7 жыл бұрын

''force pattern''...Some big words there Dan.

@ahall3823 7 жыл бұрын

Power = torque x speed Where, broadly speaking you could say that in cycling: Torque = force from your legs x crank length Speed = cadence So there are many cadences at which the same power can be achieved. A slow cadence will require a large force on the pedals to achieve the same cycling power output as a high cadence with less force pushed through the pedals.

@Ed.R 7 жыл бұрын

So cadence needs to be proportional to power output so as to maximize efficiency. The research Dan referred to is correct, at lower intensities people are using too high a cadence. On a flat road unless you are sprinting anything above 70 - 80 rpm is too high a cadence. Pushing against a high gear will result in higher speeds and increased efficiency. On hills it's better to spin due to the higher power output required.

@andrefouche5834 7 жыл бұрын

Does oxygenated water as can be infused using an ozone generator improve your oxygen base for cycling

@han-lin1999 7 жыл бұрын

If you have lower gears, should you do a higher cadence on a climb?

@DavidHernandez-tz6fc 7 жыл бұрын

Simon rides Rotor NoQ rings with a Rotor 2-in-Power power meter: when will you guys make a video to analyze Rotor Q-Rings to see if they actually save watts and to test for their efficiency/efficacy?

@HitmanNr47 7 жыл бұрын

Do standing starts (or stands) wear out the chain more quickly or is that effect negligible?

@andreusgordon1404 7 жыл бұрын

Can I ask what their drivetrain specs are? Both please Thank you

@brekdakbanchamek6454 2 жыл бұрын

Having Durable Cadence at the same Time Fast us the Best thing in cycling you could ever have😊🌄😇💖💯

@danwilliams783 7 жыл бұрын

I think Ulrich was "going well" at that point too. The Lance vs. Jan rivalry was the best duel IMO.

@MusicStuffSome 7 жыл бұрын

Haha if you mountain bike spend a little time on a singlespeed hardtail you spend your time at like 30-120 rpm when your out riding some trails, its not fast but its pretty fun and you spend your time at all sorts of cadiences

@mikaelwestergaard8356 6 жыл бұрын

Dan why dont you use the Bontrager wheels to your bike, do you feel the Vision is better? And if you do, Why?

@jimgilbert2340 7 жыл бұрын

I love GCN, but I'm a mountain biker. Should my "optimal" cadence be the same as this video says for road cyclists, or is it different?

@earthstick 7 жыл бұрын

'Fastest and most powerful riders tend to pedal at higher cadences' Power is roughly speaking cadence multiplied by force increase either and see a power increase, increase both and see a big power increase. Fast powerful riders pedal fast in high gears. Spinning fast in a low gear raises heart rate and leaves you with no gears left when you hit the climbs.

@aleksazdravkovic7943 6 жыл бұрын

i used to usually ride at 50 cadence on a 2% to 5% gradient road then bought a new bike that was a road bike and went at 75 cadence on that same road i am 15 years old and i already drove over 100 km in a single ride with both of the bikes. i didnt feel the change in the bikes looking at fatigue level and the point of this comment is that cadence changes naturally so dont worry about it

@justincooper6340 7 жыл бұрын

Loving the madone Dan

@chuckfinley3542 7 жыл бұрын

I'm more confused than ever on this topic. Of course confusion visits me daily.

@adamfrench1914 7 жыл бұрын

what is the name of the first rider they mention? Couldn't make out the name at all - it sounds like ari contana?

@steffanh 7 жыл бұрын

2:43 does Dan's bike run on casters or is Simon's bike like a monster truck??

@ukaszilasz786 7 жыл бұрын

Hi Simon! How do you find the Canyon Aerod?

@JustAnotherDayToday 7 жыл бұрын

Jacques Anquetil has one of the smoothest pedal stroke and cadence ever on a bike.

@rossoneill5158 7 жыл бұрын

What I would personally love to see are the lads own private collections of bikes/ what their favorite bikes that they ever had.

@BoxCarBoy12 7 жыл бұрын

When sustaining a high power effort, I can easily spin at 90-100 rpm when I'm riding in a group or in a race. However, when I ride by myself, I consistently put out more power grinding at 80-90 rpm, especially when going uphill. It's weird...

@ToThePointCT 6 жыл бұрын

Soundtallica in Chains 80-90 isn't grinding

@univision1489 3 жыл бұрын

Aerodynamics

@tommysegoro 7 жыл бұрын

How do you train so when you stand, you're as powerful as seated? Few days ago I rode with a friend and whenever the road undulates, I'm used to stand while he remained seated. On flat we were cruising at 160-170w but when it undulated, I had to go at 300-350w just to keep up with him. He chose 80-90rpm seated while I did 70rpm standing. My question is, did he also do 300-350w seated to produce the speed or do I actually have to produce more because I was standing? How then do you train so your seated and standing power/speed is the same? I feel that people tend to push a lot more when the road undulates. Or is it just me just because I'm standing? #torqueback

@chriskemp695 7 жыл бұрын

How do you rate that canyon aeroad?

@wardtimmermans8977 7 жыл бұрын

Does gcn have yellow water bottles? Or is it just the 'DUVEL' in Dan's bidon?

@yonishor7355 7 жыл бұрын

standing stands are good but I prefer leaning leans

@fwvanoorschot6507 Жыл бұрын

what is the chainring size?

@pierce9128 3 жыл бұрын

Very interesting but what if you don't have a cadance sensor

@jackavle 7 жыл бұрын

standing stand or standing start?

@federicospada1703 7 жыл бұрын

High cadence drills perfectly matches with Piero Umiliani's "mah-na mah-na"

@maxlynn9877 7 жыл бұрын

How do you guys find nice dry weather for your videos? I live in Bath and Can't find shit

@TommyTurbo1 7 жыл бұрын

Standing Stand or Standing Start??

@janjasiewicz9851 7 жыл бұрын

concept is simple Power (watts) = force (torgue) x velocity (angular velocity). to maximize acceleration its easier for most to increase cadence at lower force,

@Ed.R 7 жыл бұрын

In a way it is simple. The most efficient state for the legs is to be stationary, therefore cadence needs to be as low as possible. However the amount of force that can be applied to the pedals is limited. So to get useful power there needs to be sufficient angular velocity. The sweet spot is when you can apply a comfortable amount of force at minimal rpm.

@cooldog2116 7 жыл бұрын

Ed R Well, the angular velocity of the season question is how It goes well with your family. You see if x=∆ should be able to make sure you have any velocity of my leg and foot and ankle surgery and recovery mode?

@ALFIE01011 7 жыл бұрын

Standing stand?

@abisenior2718 7 жыл бұрын

Im not great at reading but im pretty sure it says "standing stand efforts"...

@joeblogs893 7 жыл бұрын

Mistake @ 4:47 'Standing Stand Effort', presume you meant 'Standing Start Effort'.

@ClarkyXPH 7 жыл бұрын

#torqueback. What gloves do you use for 6-15 degrees? Are they the Krios and do they still make them? I get cold hands, do you rate them. Think I need craft Siberian for

@dankgrandma6377 7 жыл бұрын

Use disposable latex gloves under your normal gloves. On one winter night MTB ride our brakes started to freeze but my hands were warm. They're great and cost little.

@takenoko2298 7 жыл бұрын

how do you guys film ｔｈｉｓ？

@jarvisdajose 7 жыл бұрын

standing stand efforts?

@sampugh1771 7 жыл бұрын

Standing stand efforts?

@jack2710 7 жыл бұрын

is it RPM or.... PRM as used in the video? :)

@fuksy 7 жыл бұрын

Is it just me, or did they just speed up the fps for the 3rd drill ? Seems like Dan's voice is not synchrozied with the video whatsoever.

@allbunsglazing 7 жыл бұрын

I'm not going to standing stand for these typing typos.

@Keepinitreal61 7 жыл бұрын

sometimes it's like listening to university challenge. Goes right over my older bold head

@leedorney 7 жыл бұрын

Its all about momentum. Pushing hard on pedals tires muscles fast. So, spin :)

@Ed.R 7 жыл бұрын

But spinning wastes energy so its about finding the sweet spot in between.

@melcrose 7 жыл бұрын

Exact opposite for me. I run around 60 - max 70. I think it has to do with muscle type: zero fatigue as I press into it at low cadence, but my heart rate spikes and I run out of wind at anything over 75. (doing the same speed on the flats.) If I tried 90? forget it.

@wigancyclist8913 7 жыл бұрын

yeah spinning on a 10 hour ride messes up your legs.

@Ed.R 7 жыл бұрын

+Jeff Wulf Same for me below 60 is too slow above 80 too fast. My optimum is turning out to be 65 - 70rpm on a level road and higher on hills but not above 80. Anything above 80 feels like the pedals are going to fast to be able to apply any real power.

@Ed.R 7 жыл бұрын

I remember a day on the Bristol Bath railway path. I started thinking I would try maintaining a higher cadence than normal but soon began to tire despite it being flat. Dropped my cadence and my speed increased by 1 - 2mph with less effort than before.

@EK1H 7 жыл бұрын

Climbing ability comes from high cardiovascular capacity not leg strength/force/torque. Same for flat riding. Brute strength only useful for sprinting and even then how many sprinters grind? If fatigue is an issue spinning is so much more effective than grinding you can't even compare. Better for joints too.