Cadence snobbery?

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What is your comfortable cadence?

Aussie mate has been saying he tries to train on turbo at 100 rpm to improve his cycling.
Is this really necessary?
My cadence is comfortable in the low to mid 80s.

What is your genuine cadence (not what you think it ought to be)?

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Interesting that there's such a difference between individuals' cadence comfort zones.

IMO ewenm's point about finding ones optimum efficient cadence is a good one. That should be what dictates our cadence...not some cycling magazine expert, or cycling folklore stating that 'high cadence spinning = good'

BTW my Aussie mate who is telling me I need to increase my cadence, is about 5 foot 5 inches in height.
I wonder if leg length is a factor???

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Uriel said:

I'm 6'6"! But then I think those fixed gear decents at 180+ have helped with my spinning somewhat

Bang goes that theory then

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OneDs said:

Going slightly OT anyone else use Heart & Cadence to determine gear selection, over the winter trying to vary the training on the rollers, I've been trying and keep the HR under 180bpm and the cadence at 90-100 and then drop up or down the cogs as required generally around 165-170 on the BPM.

That is what my Aussie mate does, and is telling me to do in order to increase my cadence. (Yes despite being summer in Oz, he is sitting in the garage on his turbo a lot. Too humid outside you see!)

I am disputing the need to increase my cadence, as I feel comfortable and quick with it at 85.
Maybe its because my small chainring is a 42 tooth, and when I last cycled with a club, anyone on not on the big ring was considered a wimp, unless going up a >10% incline.