In the eight month hiatus of my cadence counter, my ability to perceive how fast I pedaled deteriorated. I know, all you really have to do is count for ten seconds and multiply by six. I do this all the time when riding in the kitchen and my internal counter matches just fine, and I run 90rpm like clockwork. On the bike this morning, my original goal was to stay between 130-135 bpm, or just under the 80% of max heart rate. But I was slightly alarmed that 80rpm felt like racing a time trial, so I made 80rpm my priority, with the heart rate goal secondary.
The multiple windows of the 305 allowed me to have a controlled ride, even in the face of another day of a stiff southwesterly wind. I ended up 31 miles in 15.3 mph and an average rpm of 79 and average heart rate of 122. Since this counted the rest stop of 90 seconds and some downhills against the wind, I felt all goals were met.
Apparently, I have been pounding a bigger gear with less cadence in my rides. While this type of riding has a place in training, spinning faster in a smaller gear is much more gentle to your knees, and what I need to be doing on my long rides. The 305 will help me stay on track.
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