Cadence for better pedalling
Getting the right pedalling rate for efficient and enjoyable cycling
Science and experience shows that the right pedalling rate, or cadence, is vital in making cycling easier and more enjoyable.
The evolution of the bicycle has tended towards more and more gears, for the simple reason that legs are most efficient within quite a narrow range of pedalling speeds. The usual term for pedalling speed is cadence.
Research into this has been mostly racing-related, but efficient pedalling is important for any regular cyclist, whether to minimise strain on muscles and joints, to ride further without getting tired, or to get up a hill without climbing off. The more riding you do, the more important it is to think about cadence, which also means being in the right gear.
The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that optimal pedalling speed is significantly faster than natural walking cadence. 60 strides per minute feels brisk when walking, but 60 revs per minute is slow when pedalling. Racers will pedal a lot faster; 90 rpm is a good average. It may drop significantly on steep climbs but can also go a lot higher. In particular, a fast cadence uses less glycogen (the main fuel for the muscles) and therefore favours endurance. In the simplest terms, a faster cadence is less tiring.
A cycle-computer is useful for measuring your own cadence. Some computers will measure pedal cadence directly but the only essential is a timer with seconds display. On a clear road or trail where you can maintain a steady speed, settle into your normal rhythm then count each time your left foot reaches the bottom of its stroke. Count for 30 seconds, then double the figure to get your cadence. An ordinary wristwatch will serve but it’s more awkward to keep watching it; don’t try this in traffic!
The figure of 90 rpm is an average supported by several research studies, but it is only an average. The optimum for any individual can vary significantly for several reasons, such as proportion of fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibres, leg length, crank length, and also the type of riding undertaken.
Getting the cadence right is obviously most critical for riders in competition or those who like to tackle big distances or other tough challenges. Casual riders may well feel comfortable at a slower cadence, but anyone who habitually pedals at 60 (or slower) will almost certainly benefit from raising their cadence, progreeesively, to somewhere nearer 80. If you aren’t used to it, 90 rpm will certainly feel fast!
No-one would recommend changing your habitual cadence overnight. Even counting your cadence may be unnecessary, though interesting. Often all that’s necessary is to be more active with the gear-shifters: in particular aim to change down sooner. By all means get out of the saddle and stamp on the pedals to get over small humps or to make a quick acceleration, but if you regularly feel the need to get out of the saddle when riding steadily on the flat this strongly suggests the cadence is too low and the gear too high.
Personal experience suggests that pedalling at 60 rpm always feels like hard work, however slow the speed, whereas at 80-90 rpm it often (not always, unfortunately!) feels as if the pedals turn virtually without effort. Cycling feels easier, more fluid, and more enjoyable, which is how it's meant to be.
