I know it mainly depends on your body type and what you are comfortable with, but is there a general cadence that is beneficial for a 45min crit-type race? I am lean and I do not have the leg strength to mash, so should I race with a relatively high cadence?

I know it mainly depends on your body type and what you are comfortable with, but is there a general cadence that is beneficial for a 45min crit-type race? I am lean and I do not have the leg strength to mash, so should I race with a relatively high cadence?

One of the best reasons I've heard to maintain a high cadence in racing is that it's easier to increase speed quickly to close a gap if you've got a fairly fast cadence going.

I don't know what number would be ideal, but 100-115 works well for me. 100 is pretty fast, so I think that would be sufficient.

One of the best reasons I've heard to maintain a high cadence in racing is that it's easier to increase speed quickly to close a gap if you've got a fairly fast cadence going.

I don't know what number would be ideal, but 100-115 works well for me. 100 is pretty fast, so I think that would be sufficient.
so should I warm-up for the race using that cadence? I apologize if these are newbie questions.

so should I warm-up for the race using that cadence? I apologize if these are newbie questions.

warm up at that cadence. It is different for everyone. I try not to drop below 90, I can tell when I'm approaching 110 by body swaying and will shift up at that point.

The preferred cadence in a crit in whatever doesn't get you blown out the back.

ride in a lower gear than you normally would in a crit to keep a higher cadence so you can spin up faster to close gaps. A high gear might make you bog down, leaving a gap that three or four of your closest friends will close for you. Figure all of this out before the race starts. If you think about it too much, you will have an excellent view of the sprint as you are coming out of the last turn. I have ridden entire criteriums in two gears (53x16,15).

I know it mainly depends on your body type and what you are comfortable with, but is there a general cadence that is beneficial for a 45min crit-type race? I am lean and I do not have the leg strength to mash, so should I race with a relatively high cadence?

Pick the gear that you think is "comfortable" and then go one up from that. That'll keep your cadence up without taking it too extreme.

The big thing is to actually SHIFT during the race so that you don't get bogged down. If you are going into a slow corner, shift up while braking and then shift down as you get your speed back up on the exit. By lap 3, you should have a consistent pattern unless you change position in the group drastically (ie. front to back of group).