Peg’s Post – Pedal Power

To maximize your efficiency on long training rides or during a race, monitoring your cycling cadence is key. Cadence is measured in revolutions per minute, or rpm. If you’re new to cadence training, start training at a cadence between 88-92 rpm. Pardon the tech talk for a minute, but here’s why cadence training matters: If you pedal for long at a cadence below 85 rpm or so, you’re pushing harder on the pedals and using more fast-twitch muscle fibers. Fast-twitch fibers are fueled by finite supplies of glycogen, they fatigue quickly and they take longer to recover. When you pedal at the higher cadence, you’re using more slow-twitch fibers — the ones that burn fat for fuel and are very resistant to fatigue.

If you’re ready to start pedaling at your peak, Garmin’s Edge 305 cycle computer is available with a speed/cadence option, the GSC 10, which consists of a sensor that mounts to the rear chain stay and two tiny magnets — one for the spoke, one for the pedal. Duathletes and triathletes using the Forerunner® 305 can incorporate cadence into their training by purchasing the GSC 10 as a separate accessory. Once you’ve installed the sensor on your bike, go to the main menu and select settingsgeneralaccessories. Go to cadence sensor listing and select “yes” from the pull-down menu. You may have to select “restart scan” to get the sensor to sync with your Edge or Forerunner the first time out.

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