bike training

As far as HR, I used to have the same problem. I then learned to slowly bring my cadence (pedal rpm) up. I was going 65-50rpm and was basically using muscle more than aerobic fitness. I now focus on cadence and HR is musch higher. I have been told to end up somewhere around 90, but that it takes a while to get there. I am increasing my cadence 5rpm per month. I am currently at 80. What gear are you going in? 10mph is pretty slow. Are you sure your bike computer is setup correctly for your wheels. When I spin in second chainring easy I go 12mph.
As far as sciatica, I have a problem with bursitis of the sciatica. I have done deep massage (structural integration) and use the hot tub regularaly to keep flare ups away.

Thanks Cameron, I think I do need to have my computer checked because I clocked part of the route in my car and I came up with 11 miles in my car at one point and on the bike it was 8. Very frustrating. Yep 10 mph is slow and I was just done. I was riding at my parents in Corpus Christi Tx and the Asphalt there is done with large rocks and the ride was very rough. I am sure that is what was bothering my back. Pretty good blow to the ego though. Thank you for the cadence advice. I am riding in a high gear. I am never sure whether to concentrate on a higher gear and push my legs or a lower gear and spin faster. Any advice as to what is more productive?

Always err on the side of higher cadence. It will save your knees and you will be able to do an 8min/mike 10k after the bike ride. You're legs will get stronger over time and with strength drills and then you can push higer gears.

I would definitely check the settings on your bike computer. There's usually a whole bunch of mumbo-jumbo about rollout and tire length, and I've never read it all. But 8 miles versus 11 is pretty significant. That turns your 10 mph into 14 mph, which is a more reasonable speed.

Another thing to do, particularly if you've had problems with sciatica, is to get your bike professionally fit. Cots anywhere from $20-50, and is very much worth it. If you're doing mostly triathlons, try to find a tri-shop, since there are differences between a "road" fit and a "tri" fit. A good pro will ask you about the type of riding you do, what races/course you're looking at, etc. Biking should definitely not hurt. (If it will be a while before you can get a fitting, a little trick is to turn the nose of your seat so that it makes a small angle with your cross bar. This is supposed to help with your hip angle, which in turn should help the sciatica.)

As for high cadence / low gear (spinning) versus low cadence / high gear, the conventional wisdom is that a higher cadence is better for long distance. I think it might be easier for a novice to learn. But, don't go with too high of a gear (which, I suspect, you might have been doing). It's real hard to churn out 110 RMP for long. And with a real high gear, it takes lots of RPM to get any speed.

Most triathletes tend to churn along at 80-90 RPM, with some devoted "spinners" going up to 100 or 105. I don't know about you, but it's tiring to keep that going for too long.

That said, there are actually some interesting arguments about how low-cadence biking can actually leave your legs fresher for the run. The idea here is that you use slow-twitch muscles for biking and leave faster twitch for running. Plus, they say, you get more speed for a lower heart rate, which is more efficient, which means more endurance on race day, etc. But you can get lost in arguments like that, and it probably only applies to the upper-echelon cyclists. I try to get in an 85-95 rpm groove and stay there.

Now, in training, you should also consider varying your RPMs. For two reasons - 1) to learn what works best for you, and 2) to cross-train your biking techniques. For instance, do some workouts with higher cadence and smaller gears. Even if you plan on racing at 85 rpm, a few workouts at 100 might bump that number up to 90 with the same effort. Then, try some low cadence power workouts. Again, you'll be pushing a bigger gear than you would in a race, but maybe it'll make your "racing" gear just that much easier to push. Also, do some one-legged workouts or intervals - either concentrate all effort in one leg at a time, or actually go ahead and remove one foot from a pedal (I like to balance my "off" leg against the rear of the frame). I've done up to a mile per leg, repeated for 10 or so miles - it's amazing what that does for your techniques.

Good luck!

Becoming a cyclist takes a lot of work. Long hours in the saddle. Lower gears and higher cadence is what most triathletes need to learn. Lance Armstrong became a higher cadence rider and then won the Tour de France 5 times. Start by spinning the lighter gears and then progress to the heavier gears. I tend to hold a cadence of 100-120 rpms, that is how I was taught to ride by a third generation Italian coach. The way Lance Armstrong trains is the way they trained in italy 60 years ago.
Some people can't compete by spinning but they need to train this way especially when they are starting out. Most people will get faster riding at a higher cadence. Track sprinters spin at 140 rpms, this is how go 45 miles an hour.

Wow, thanks for all the information. I am on a vacation to NYC! so my riding outside is nill. I will be doing more spinning at a gym and trying to get a better feel for cadence. I seem to have no problem with it in the gym on a spin bike but put my on my road bike and that is a different story. I feel as though I am going no where if I am in a lower gear. It is so fruatrating to me. I am confused as to how to measure heart rate then as my heart rate drops with my gear. Any suggestions?