Trackmen must develop high cadence ability and I suppose that spilled over into road work. Accelerating is part of the game on the track, so you are gear limited. Typically 88" is a good middle point but some people do go higher based on individual leg snap. So from there, you have to be able to do a flying 200 yards in 12 seconds or so as a starting point. That's 3000 ft per minute or 34 miles per hour. With an 88" gear, that requires 136 RPM. In the height of sprints I noted* max speeds for myself (I was mediocre) at 42 MPH, so that is 168 RPM. Anyone who rides track realizes they need an effortlessly fast spin and works at it.
Joe Bender-Zanoni Great Notch, NJ
* This was not easily done and could be inaccurate.
Mark Poore wrote:
>Garth,
> If you don't come from a racing background you might think that high rpm training is making a come back however it never went out. For the recreational set they might be in the process of self discovery of high rpm training after hearing the commentator's comments of Lance and his high rpm cadence. In the early '60's we trained on track bikes and went for very high rpms early season. I still ride for the most part at 80-100rpms at my old age. 70 rpms feels like I am pushing a big gear. Now rpms do drop for me on the big mountain climbs here, but still I like to keep it above 70 if at all possible. Remember what subjective opinion is and ask questions, if someone starts out with I think or I believe you are about to get a dose of it. And for the most part there is no substance in it.
> Mark Poore in beautiful, sunny, warm, no damn snow and cranking out the miles with the local club in
> Lady Lake, FL
>
>Bianca Pratorius <biankita@earthlink.net> wrote:
> It seems that high cadence training is making a comeback in my
>neighborhood with some people deliberately training at or about 95 rpm.
>This is actually an old method, but because Lance Armstrong's reputed
>rpm is 95, others are attempting to match it. I have heard that slow
>cadence is 55-65 and fast is 75-85. My pace is 70-80 in a reasonably
>large gear which puts me directly in the high middle grounds. I feel
>that this is where most non proffesionals seem to find their greatest
>efficiency. Now heros of old are reputed to have used cadences of over
>100 with their fixed bike spring training. What was common in the 60's,
>70's and 80's among Tour De France riders on level ground? I have no
>older movies and a bad memory for determining leg speed from what I saw
>years ago.
>
>Garth Libre in Miami Fl.
>
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