It’s fairly easy to spot new riders on the road because they usually haven’t found their cadence yet. I don’t want to be that new rider that weebles and wobbles all over the place. I know there will be a bit of that while I am getting used to a road bike, but I would love to not look like a complete newbie if possible! I believe that I have an advantage over most new riders because I am starting with the best saddles made specifically for women and finding the perfect saddle is half the battle. While riding my bike with the Butterfly Saddle I noticed an immediate difference in my cadence. It was almost like my seat bones were glued to the saddle! It felt great. The saddle on my old mountain bike was WAY too big for me and it was very uncomfortable. I have a small frame and I guess you could say that I have a bony butt. Having a good saddle has made a huge difference in my comfort-level on a bike. Riding with a chamois was new to me, but I noticed a huge difference from that as well. I have logged about 40 miles or so over the past couple of weeks on my road bike and I haven’t had any complaints about my Butterfly saddle, but I am a little wobbly at times with my front wheel. I am mostly wobbling when the going gets tough. I feel really good while I am down on my drops. My weight is being more evenly distributed that way and it helps my legs to power along a little easier. I also feel like I am not working as hard when I am down on my drops because my body is compressed and I am not wasting as much energy. I am working on trying to keep my upper body more still when I start to struggle and when I have to really use my leg power. My immediate reaction is to sway from side to side trying to push my legs into over-drive, but I know that’s not right. I know that swaying is taking up too much of my energy and I should try to minimize my effort in my upper body and work my lower half.
I am getting my confidence up while riding on the road. I am finding that I am VERY out of shape and my heart and lungs haven’t worked this hard in a long time, but it feels really good to finish a ride and to be able to go faster and further on the next ride. I have been tracking my progress with an app on my phone, which has been great for bragging rights with my husband who is also taking up cycling.
It is great seeing the world by bike!
What helped you find your cadence? Is it something that comes with miles?
I believe cadence is something that comes with your confidence and your comfort level on the road. Its your rhythm; it will come naturally.
What I think is helpful is listening to music (one ear only in the headphones) and choose music that you can match your cadence to. I’ve found this to be very helpful.
Also – I am wondering – I have a comfortable women’s seat too, but I am never in the drops and don’t see any reason to be (unless you are racing). There are many comfortable and stable positions on the bike without putting your hands in the drops and maybe that’s why you’re wobbly? Comfortable pulling and pushing at the feet is also critical to cadence (no stomping) so good shoes and clip ins are critical too.
There are cadence meters out there too, but I feel they’re just an added expense. Riding with others in a peloton (if you can find a group that is the same speed as you) is also a way to keep up your rhythm as well. Enjoy!
If you can find a good indoor cycling class using bikes with computers that measure cadence, that is a great way to improve your ability to sustain a steady cadence over time, and for you to learn what different cadences feel like. Most beginners start out as “mashers” – they push too big a gear and pedal too slowly which fatigues the leg muscles earlier learning to spin well from the beginning will really help rather than developing bad habits then having to change them. I try to spin between 90 and 100 rpm on flats as a rule (which is probably faster than most people … recommended efficient flat road cadence for most people is between 80 and 100 RPM) … and it takes practice to be able to do that efficiently. Really what you are looking for, if you want to ride you bike longer distances, is the combination of gear and cadence that lets you be as efficient as possible without becoming fatigued on whatever terrain you happen to be on … and this will be different for each person and sometimes different from day to day … with more time on your bike, you will become more aware of what works for you and why, and you’ll learn when you need to shift, and you will become more confident. Another tactic that really helped me a lot just starting out was to find someone recognized as a good steady cyclist with a nice cadence (and you will learn if you ask that these types of cyclists are well known in the locl cycling community and that people will recommend cyclists to you) and follow them on a group ride… watch when they shift, how they shift, how fast they spin when they adjust their cadence, etc … That helped me a lot.
Finally, I ride in my drops all of the time too. If you’ve ridden with groups at all, you’ve probably found that riding in the drops all of the time is very unusual … most people ride “on the hoods” … I feel uncomfortable and like I am sitting straight up when I’m on the hoods …so I don’t do it. It doesn’t so much matter where you are as long as you’re comfortable and can reach your bakes and shifters from that position and you don’t get low back or neck pain.
Good luck!
Liz, I get the feeling that by cadence you mean more than just keeping up good pedalling speed but being smooth and efficient and comfortable while doing so. I believe the major factor IS miles, but lots of other things may affect how much time and how many miles until you really feel one with the bike. Don’t obsess about your form, it will come, just pay attention to what you feel and make the little adjustments to yourself and the bike that help you feel “at home”.
Wobbles when working hard, wanting to push those knees down with your shoulders, will definitely diminish as your fitness improves. Try letting the bike rock a little beneath your hips rather than forcing it with your upper body, and slide back a bit on the saddle when climbing for more leg extension.
Also, though I’ve always felt that feeling at home in the drops is one indicator of good fit, remember that your innards are compressed in that crouch – riding the bar tops when you climb will free your diaphragm and let you breathe much better. But unless you change to more modern brakes with aero levers, stay in the drops when descending, those brakes work much better from there than from the hoods (I’m assuming the UniVega in the photo is your current ride).
You might also think about equipping it with lower gears to help you up the grades. Judging from the picture, your low gear is 42-28; your existing crank and front derailleur could accommodate a 48/34 tooth chainring pair (after the current “compact double” fashion) instead of the current 52/42. The long-cage rear derailleur (can’t remember the last time I saw a Suntour BlueLine!) could also handle a freewheel with something bigger than the 28 tooth. Of course, the more you start changing parts, the more sense it makes to get a newer bike with 8-9-10 speeds in back and a triple or compact double crank and take advantage of 30-odd years of progress. Then go back to that classic and see how nice it feels when you’re in shape!
Good luck, keep the updates coming!
WOW! Love all this technical information!! Might I also suggest that you do a little cross training with Pilates. It will teach you to work from the inside out, creating a better balance, rhythm, and flow. It helps you to understand your body better and working on the Pilates Reformer equipment you will use mostly closed chain exercise, similar to riding a bike. Getting into your core does amazing things for your climb!!!