The ideal cadence for cycling explained: are you pedalling too fast or slow?

We all have our natural pedalling speed - but what is actually optimal?

Male cyclist riding at the ideal cycling cadence on a smart bike
(Image credit: Future)

It might be something you haven’t really thought about – along with balancing and steering – since you first learnt to ride a bike, but the cycling cadence you ride at can have a significant effect on your cycling performance.

From peak power production to longer endurance efforts – even injury prevention – there are a lot of reasons to pay attention to the rate at which you turn the pedals. Plus, the training benefits of mixing up the RPM in your sessions might well surprise you. 

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