What is the ideal cadence you should be riding at on a road bike?
604918
Personally I aim for about 80. Any higher and I'm overdoing it.\n\nHowever, see below for a definitive answer!\n\nYou might want to read it in weekly instalments - its a bit heavy going, but a its a thorough exposition on the subject.
1131125
Forget spinning indoors.  Get a road bike and get a real workout!!! :-)
331105
Personally I would go with the 40c tires. But!!...that's me.  I use the fattest tires I can when off road no matter the trip or whatever. More tire to use,raise and lower tire pressure without pinch flats. I think the fatter tires take more of the dirt road abuse factor out of the ride also. With the tire sizes so close it would only make sense to go with the wider of the two. I wouldn't even notice the difference in effort pedaling on the road between the two I don't think, but would for sure feel the skinnier tire sink into the dirt. Good Luck and have fun
761455
it depends on what kind of stunting you're going to be doing.  If you do slow moving freestyle, keep them at lower psi maybe around 70 or lower to your liking.  If you are doing vert, keep them higher..  80.  I'm not pro but I ride.
488617
this one is good, plus they list results as well:\n\nhttp://www.cyclingnews.com/road/?id=cal06
458981
Always ALWAYS head for the smoother path (obviously). Stay low, and keep your butt about two inches off the seat instead of more. Keep pedaling if you aren't in danger's way, and brake lightly when you are. Coordinate every move 10 seconds before you get there - it's hard not to get wrapped up in the "Oh damn! That's gonna slow me down!" attitude. Let it flow, but make sure the faucet's on full blast. When I rode, I had a knack for downhill, because I didn't worry at all about busting my butt or breaking any bones...I know that can be bad, but it will hinder you to a certain degree. Good luck!
729580
I suppose your talking about High gear or Low gear.\n\nLets say 1-18.\n\nLower gears like 1-10 will be tougher to pedal. And are great for going up hills or getting a leg workout.\n\nHigher gears like 10-18 will be looser and easier to pedal. Great for flat surface or going down hill.\n\nSpeed is only a factor when the amount of force applied meets the momentum required to achieve the speed.\n\nIf your legs are strong enough in low gear you can push hard and move fast. If you've got some good cardio going, that you can really get moving in a high gear too.
1093163
opposite legs of course.\n\nhere's a practice drill: get a safe, empty, open road. pedal along normally. then coast, unclip one foot and let it hang loose. pedal with only one leg for as long as you can (it won't be long). \n\ntry to "pedal circles" which you'll be able to feel - a smooth, even power all the way around the pedal circle.\n\nswitch legs, repeat. be safe. keep your eyes on the road, not your foot.
879410
subscribe to the roadbikerider.com newsletter.. they'll send you lots of tips, news, product reviews, etc.. every thursday.. you won't regret it!!\n\nhere`s a tip 4 U:\n\nTry This on Your Next Ride  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o\n \nLast week we looked at an effective way to make wind work for you by turning it into a "climb." That's an approach that can improve your attitude as well as your training when facing a windy day.\n \nBut let's get real. On many rides you'd rather not "climb" but simply reduce the wind's impact to make the effort a bit easier. So let's look at four riding techniques that can effectively lessen the force of that invisible wall holding you back.\n \nIf you're riding solo:\n \n---Don't overgear.  If you fight the wind in an excessively large gear, you'll soon be down for the count. The ratio that works on a given road when it's calm is guaranteed to be too big in a headwind. Gear down far enough to keep your cadence between 90 and 100 rpm.\n  \n---Don't be a sail.  Headwinds reward a tight, narrow profile. To get low, grip the drops or hold the brake lever hoods with your palms cupped over the rubber with forearms parallel to the ground.\n \nAlso, watch what you wear. On a windy day, choose form-fitting clothes. For example, rather than wearing a blousy jacket that acts like a drogue chute, try a long-sleeve jersey with a layer or two underneath for warmth.\n \nIf you're in a paceline:\n \n---Don't miss the draft.  The area of maximum shelter depends on wind direction. If it's a direct headwind, the best draft is straight behind a rider. If it's a quartering headwind from the left, the "cone" of shelter moves to that rider's right. In crosswinds, you may need to ride almost beside another rider to get maximum draft.\n  \n---Don't dwell at the front.  It's tempting to pull for several minutes to prove your strength. Don't do it. Before long you'll be unable to come through, and you may even get dropped. Trade off at the front every 20-30 seconds and you and your group will go faster with less individual effort.\n \nHeadwinds make riding tough no matter how many tricks you use. So resign yourself to working harder. There's no use bellyaching about it or, worse, calling off rides on windy days. Other roadies handle it and you can too. Like other challenges in cycling, meeting wind head on will make you stronger.
809340
Wider tires have more volume and thus can be run with less pressure, giving you a more comfortable ride and more grip over rough terrain. \nA wider rim will make your tire body bigger = more volume, but that is only recommended with tires from 2.2in. If you run narrow tires on a wide rim, chances of your tire coming off the rim while riding are up, which you don't want to happen\n\nSo if you are only cycling to work, I recommend standard width rim with 2.0 - 2.2 in tires. run those at a pressure of 1.8 to 2.4 bar, depending on how much you weigh.
410
The main advantage is that the compact crankset gearing is much closer to the high cadence riding that is the current trend in modern cycling.  With a standard triple crank you have 30/42/52 chainrings, from which most people use the 42 and 30 rings.  The 30 is a little too short for most hilly rides, and basically you're spinning super fast to get up a hill.  The 42 is   a bit too small for barrelling down a hill, and the 52 is so steep that it's rarely being used.\n\nThe compact crankset has 50 and 34 tooth gears which are theoretically better for the way most cyclists ride today.  The 34 gives you short enough gearing to get up big hills but is not quite as short as the granny gear on the triple, and the 50 gives you the speed in a manageable dose.\n\nA couple things to consider, though.  In order to switch to a double compact, you need to replace a fair number of components, including the bottom bracket, cranks, rear derailleur (optional but highly recommended), front derailleur and possibly your left shifter.  You might be able to get what you want from switching out the cassette on your bike, which is of course a lot cheaper.
652197
just begining?  you can actually use a road bike, but as you get more experienced, you will want a more aerodynamic bike and form.  a tri bike puts you in more of a foward position with your back parelle to the road.  you use your calfs more in this position (like running on a bike) the low position also keeps you aero (wind is the enemy) thus the bike is also designed to cut through the wind too with shaped tube (teardrop shape versus round) the wheels have aero rims but anything less than 44mm profile has no aerodynamic advantage.  tri bikes tend to be heavier than a serious road bike, and is not designed for climbing big hills.  thus the added weight doesnt matter and some say it is more stable and maintains momentum.  \n\ni know this pro triathalete and he uses a standard road bike because he says that tri bikes use more of the running muscles and that just burns you out for the running leg of the race.  but that him.\n\ncannondale makes affordable\nchek out cervelo and orbea too\ngo used  on ebay.  you can get used high end stuff for the same price as new lower end stuff, and believe me, the high end stuff is lighter and will outlast the cheaper stuff eventhough its used.
858097
practice practice practice. my fiance is big into trials. if you want shoot me an email and i know he'll be more than happy to help you get started. the kid was practically born on a bike.\n\njust found a site worth looking into...\n\nhttp://biketrials.com/
895714
Ride Lots.\n-Eddy Merckx\n\nHonestly it sound like you need miles to train you mucsles to be efficient.  I would prescribe 2-3 months of riding slower than you current group rides in a gear that allows for high Rpm pedalling.  Riding 5 days a week would be much better.  Consistency is everything.  Once you have that done your muscles will be more fatigue resistant and more in tune with pedalling circles, effective at moving you forward with very litle wasted energy.  \nThen you can work on raising your muscle strength with intervals and strength training.
874351
riding my bicycle,  I ride 7 miles a day around the town I live in, up and down hills. mostly in 5th gear. I like it because it makes me feel energetic. helps keep my weight down, stregthens my legs and keeps my cardio in good form. I am a pro wrestler breathing is a must. (a certain way of breathing) and riding my bike helps with that breathing process. I am 6'4 and 318 lbs I ride to keep in shape so that desease doesn't set in. diabettes runs on both sides of my family, I have to exercise.
1024421
Get thee to your local bike shop.  Ask for leg warmers.  Otherwise, check performance.com, velowear.com, velogear.com, etc...
9675
The other answers you've received are excellent, but let me add my two cents.  I, like you, ride several miles a day.  I started riding regularly 13 years ago on a $200 hybrid.  I loved the bike but eventually felt like I deserved something a little nicer.  So, a few years ago I purchase a $600 Performance brand bike.  Again, a good (steel frame) bike.  But now I've come to a point where I want to ride more intensely and farther; so last weekend I purchased a Trek Pilot 5.2.\n\nAll of this is a long-winded way of recommending that you get the best bike you can afford up front, because eventually you may want to go farther, longer, and faster!