Can You Improve Your Cadence? | GCN's Road Cycling Tips

[@elizabethrobertson4890]

I love a standing stand effort. My favourite kind of effort - not moving.

[@johnbouttell5827]

I find it helpful to ride with someone who is stronger than me, so that on an incline I have to change down and spin faster to keep up. I call this 'hyperventilation training.'

[@howheels]

High cadence was the answer for my knee pain. When I first started road cycling I was averaging 60-70 RPM and constantly straining my ITB. Now I average mid-to-high 90's and can ride all day with zero pain.

[@NLS87]

It's normal for newbies, people who aren't used to cycling tend to pedal slower because you don't move your legs as fast in running, for example.

[@DoktorFreon]

Yes, higher cadence moves the load from the legs to the cardio vascular system. But I think people should try som different techniques to find what suits them.

[@DoktorFreon]

It depends on their running technique I'd say. Children up to the age of five usually has brilliant running technique, whereas adults often has a really poor technique taking out the stride forward, and thus breaking every step, instead of only taking it out to the rear. I run with a cadence of about 180, i.e. about the same cadence I ride my bike with, 90 rpm. Remember that running cadence is double the number of cycling cadence.

[@paulhewitt1964]

Exactly the same issue with me solved by increased cadence.

[@tannerslomko]

Yeah I started riding on the peloton and I have big legs and so I’d always turn the resistance to 75+ and just do 55-70 cadence but since I actually started cycling it’s so much better to have a 90-100 cadence for me.

[@mynaamiskaas]

I found that as my core strength increased, so did my cadence... I think it might have something to do with balance (and confidence perhaps). Going up hill, you physically move slower and therefore you naturally decrease your cadence to balance using your legs. And at high speeds, the other way around. Without trying at all, my cadence increased at all speeds after starting core exercises

[@silvervanmanfly]

Get a single speed bike and all these drills will be done in one ride whether you want to or not.

[@NLS87]

LMAO, good, but then, what gearing?

[@silvervanmanfly]

DB 82" is a good starting point. It's what most track bikes are set at. You can still get up reasonable hills on that ratio as well.

[@404nobrakes]

If you're going fixed gear, then you should err on the side of harder gears. This will give you a "goal" to train towards so you don't get complacent. But more importantly, and counter intuitively, it'll save your knees. I could be wrong, but I think there's some literature out there that says that pushing your knees will actually strengthen them and thus improve knee health, and the major cause of knee damage is actually shock from pedaling too fast downhill. Your knees are most vulnerable during the transition from push to pull.

[@dpm9a189]

Can't I just keep my twelve speed and ride on the big cog and small gear all the time?

[@GiArK]

@@404nobrakes epic info!

[@Houseguy2]

I have learned a lot by watching your videos. Even as a 51 year old who has ridden a lot, I never put much thought into it. Even without technology aids though, I have come to understand that the goal of my training rides is to keep up a certain cadence over my ride, not just get from point A to point B. Freewheeling always felt normal to me, especially with older bikes. Now that I have a new road bike with brake lever shifters, things have changed dramatically. Now I keep pedaling and go into a higher gear to keep up the cadence. I only freewheel when I feel like I'm going too fast or the hill I'm descending is too steep.

[@MrFloodey]

I do love some 'Standing Stand Efforts'

[@igotadigger87]

i love lamp

[@SwedishHouseFifa]

5:41 that gear Dan is on is a crime against cycling!!

[@DrSomhairle]

when doing the standing starts is it a good idea to alternate legs which you push off from so you have the heaviest part evenly on each leg.

[@thenerdycyclist4670]

4:46 i love standing stand efforts too. i love to stand while standing. it takes effort.

[@simonrano8072]

Does the middle leg length matter ?

[@literoadie3502]

Some wedging should help with any middle leg issues.

[@GordonMoat]

Lite Roadie That's what she said. ;)

[@AdelaandJude]

Liked this one - My Coach ( USA Cycling Level 1 guy ) - has me doing hi speed cadence drills with the logic of training muscle neurons to recruit more muscle fibers.

[@MK-ng6vb]

Hey GCN I got an idea for video. It would be great if you can do since and test - how much exactly cyclocross bike slower than road bike in similar conditions ( good tarmac, 25 mm tyres, similar rider position and etc.). That would be great video.

[@Ed.R]

There's only one way to really get to know your optimum cadence and that is to use a CVT (continuously variable transmission). This completely removes road speed from the equation. With a CVT its possible to adjust cadence with precision and under full load. This makes it very easy to find and learn your optimum cadence.I'm currently using an automatic shifter with my CVT. I have the ability to select cadence and the shifter will maintain it. I'm data logging my rides in an attempt to find out what cadences I use. The results reveal that it is indeed a complex subject. One thing I have learned from years of having a CVT is that what works for me is keeping the amount of force applied to the pedals constant. This means that cadence is proportional to power output and has nothing to do with gradient. Steeper gradients mean higher power output and higher cadence maybe 80 rpm. Where as a flat road needs less power so 65 - 70 rpm is sufficient. Over a long distance finding and maintaining the sweet spot makes a massive difference. Push to hard at a lower cadence and its tiring. Spin too fast its a waste of energy.

[@LUCYDIAMONDBOXER1]

I peddle with a light kick over the top punting a ball and then scraping back leading with my heel. Saves muscle groups on the straights for the climbs

[@mrlewis152]

I love standing stand efforts. My speciality ;-)

[@Arnkh]

I did what came naturally when I started cycling - kept grinding at highest gear available - and I've messed up my knees (and, I think, my hip joints). Now I keep my eyes glued to cadence on my phone screen, making sure I spin at 90 RPM or more, and nothing hurts.

[@strokenumber3]

Love the way Dan does hIs high cadence drill on a downhill section... He sure can spin fast though!

[@dallamdude232]

Did anyone notice it says "Standing Stand" efforts @ 4:46 not "Standing Start" haha

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

I also caught that

[@xchopp]

yep

[@inn0x]

dallamdude232 Scared me - now THAT's a really low cadence drill!

[@stustjohn]

Clearly in a hurry to get this one out! Also wrote PRM instead of RPM at one point...

[@randombiketrips3296]

Si's CANYON is my dream bike.

[@richardclayton2208]

at 4minutes 47 seconds..... i usually stand for standing stand efforts as i find for a standing stand you do indeed need to be standing

[@Vii_DT]

If anyone's wondering, Simon was mentioning Prof. Louis Passfield of University of Kent at 2:50. I'll admit it though, I heard Louis Pasteur at first too.

[@alessandrodinino5579]

Hi when you are Cycling in a Cycling studio on a stationry bike or out on the road, The Tour de France Riders ride with Cadences from 60-65 on the Hills and, flats cadences range from 80-110. Flat Roads you Never go over 110 Rpm if you are doing 120 to 130 Rpm you don't have enough gear on the bike and going to cause injury to your knees 110 is the Maximum Leg Rpm a tour Rider can maintain on his bike with good form. Alessandro Dinino Spinning Instructor Madd Dogg Trained

[@BillyM213]

Increasing my cadence from 75rpm to 90rpm on average over a ride made a huge difference. Less time spent in higher gears made for a lower perceived power output over the length of the ride.

[@jeremy11542000]

I think I am going to try the Standing Stand Effort shown at 4:47. Sounds more challenging Standing Start Effort.

[@literoadie3502]

''force pattern''...Some big words there Dan.

[@1989srjones]

You forgot to say how long to hold the low cadence effort for (training session #1). You only gave cadence, intensity and rest period

[@scotmarana7299]

Looks like my last ride on my singlespeed!

[@conorverbruggen5133]

5mins at 130rpm!?..... emmmmm best of luck guys

[@bichoroca3462]

Guys! do a training recap of all of your tips

[@BoxCarBoy12]

When sustaining a high power effort, I can easily spin at 90-100 rpm when I'm riding in a group or in a race. However, when I ride by myself, I consistently put out more power grinding at 80-90 rpm, especially when going uphill. It's weird...

[@ToThePointCT]

Soundtallica in Chains 80-90 isn't grinding

[@univision1489]

Aerodynamics

[@ahall3823]

Power = torque x speed Where, broadly speaking you could say that in cycling: Torque = force from your legs x crank length Speed = cadence So there are many cadences at which the same power can be achieved. A slow cadence will require a large force on the pedals to achieve the same cycling power output as a high cadence with less force pushed through the pedals.

[@Ed.R]

So cadence needs to be proportional to power output so as to maximize efficiency. The research Dan referred to is correct, at lower intensities people are using too high a cadence. On a flat road unless you are sprinting anything above 70 - 80 rpm is too high a cadence. Pushing against a high gear will result in higher speeds and increased efficiency. On hills it's better to spin due to the higher power output required.

[@jaydenhakala7210]

5:19 how to break a chain.nice tip!

[@wilv.theeverything9836]

I was so busy this few days, I miss you guys.

[@julosvlassie]

Nice reference to Durianrider: spin to win.

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

Boo boo at 4:46... it says "standing stand efforts

[@kiverrussell8369]

So much is down to your own physiology, as you point out with Quintana/Froome, that, indeed, there isn't one right answer. My personal experience, for what it's worth, is to try a few different things just to see if something feels better and improves performance outside of your natural tendencies. After belatedly getting a cadence sensor, what surprised me is my cadence was lower than I expected on climbs. So I thought I'd give higher cadence climbing a go, going from around 65-70 RPM to generally around 80+. Not only did I find this more comfortable I actually think it helped me go a little faster too (lots of variables here so perhaps feeling better is more important but still). This picture is further complicated by changes in cadence during a climb - so standing at a lower cadence but similar power feels good for short bursts every so often on a climb as it means muscle recruitment is mixed up a little and can almost feel like a "rest". My natural tendecies weren't too far off but it was certainly worth trying something a little different and giving things a nudge, I was pleasantly surprised.

[@HughDavies263]

Dans high cadence style is exactly how I picture a duck in water

[@UnicornBikes]

I actually tend to do the opposite and push a lower cadence on flat stuff while spinning close to 140rpm to get those KOMs on the steep stuff. I guess climb duration matters too though, here in Flanders a climb is never more than 100m up.

[@brekdakbanchamek6454]

Having Durable Cadence at the same Time Fast us the Best thing in cycling you could ever have😊🌄😇💖💯

[@zhoudavi850]

"Standing stand" Nice!

[@han-lin1999]

If you have lower gears, should you do a higher cadence on a climb?

[@MitchVH]

On a flat road with average wind, 100-110 feels the most natural to me. When I go below 100 I feel like I need to shift down to keep my cadence up. Also on a climb I like to keep it as high as possible.

[@DavidHernandez-tz6fc]

Simon rides Rotor NoQ rings with a Rotor 2-in-Power power meter: when will you guys make a video to analyze Rotor Q-Rings to see if they actually save watts and to test for their efficiency/efficacy?

[@Dhungerf60]

Si, your not completely aero until you fill in those pesky internal cable routing holes.

[@MusicStuffSome]

Haha if you mountain bike spend a little time on a singlespeed hardtail you spend your time at like 30-120 rpm when your out riding some trails, its not fast but its pretty fun and you spend your time at all sorts of cadiences

[@Bikejon]

I'm going to practice my spinning spin efforts.

[@janjasiewicz9851]

concept is simple Power (watts) = force (torgue) x velocity (angular velocity). to maximize acceleration its easier for most to increase cadence at lower force,

[@Ed.R]

In a way it is simple. The most efficient state for the legs is to be stationary, therefore cadence needs to be as low as possible. However the amount of force that can be applied to the pedals is limited. So to get useful power there needs to be sufficient angular velocity. The sweet spot is when you can apply a comfortable amount of force at minimal rpm.

[@cooldog2116]

Ed R Well, the angular velocity of the season question is how It goes well with your family. You see if x=∆ should be able to make sure you have any velocity of my leg and foot and ankle surgery and recovery mode?

[@mauricetremblay1324]

I am eager to try the exercises BUT. I am it looking forward to the 120+ cadence one. I seem to get leg confusion at 112. Lol. Thanks for the tips.

[@IGotsBadFeeling]

The more power I putt out, the higher my cadence is. I find it easier to use a higher cadence to create force than to push a larger gear with lower cadence. It's not something I do on purpose. I believe a human body knows what it's doing. When it feels right, it probably is.

[@JustAnotherDayToday]

Jacques Anquetil has one of the smoothest pedal stroke and cadence ever on a bike.

[@brianmoore1164]

A fantastic video men! Really great! Valuable information presented well. I appreciate it.

[@stevelee8426]

This is a really helpful video guys, thank you.

[@danwilliams783]

I think Ulrich was "going well" at that point too. The Lance vs. Jan rivalry was the best duel IMO.

[@andrefouche5834]

Does oxygenated water as can be infused using an ozone generator improve your oxygen base for cycling

[@aleksazdravkovic7943]

i used to usually ride at 50 cadence on a 2% to 5% gradient road then bought a new bike that was a road bike and went at 75 cadence on that same road i am 15 years old and i already drove over 100 km in a single ride with both of the bikes. i didnt feel the change in the bikes looking at fatigue level and the point of this comment is that cadence changes naturally so dont worry about it

[@earthstick]

'Fastest and most powerful riders tend to pedal at higher cadences' Power is roughly speaking cadence multiplied by force increase either and see a power increase, increase both and see a big power increase. Fast powerful riders pedal fast in high gears. Spinning fast in a low gear raises heart rate and leaves you with no gears left when you hit the climbs.

[@yonishor7355]

standing stands are good but I prefer leaning leans

[@joeblogs893]

Mistake @ 4:47 'Standing Stand Effort', presume you meant 'Standing Start Effort'.

[@NiKo-fu9yp]

question: is iced tea an accaptable cycling drink? (I like iced tea)

[@PrimePixelHD]

A little bit of caffeine and a bit of sugar will give you a nice short energy boost. But more importantly, If you like it, drink it my friend.

[@NiKo-fu9yp]

Prime will do ;)

[@radektrembac6598]

There can be one problem with it. It is that ice tea makes you want urinate more than normaly, it is the same effect as with drinking cofee. So i would recomend drink ice tea mixed with water. But try it yourself and you will see.

[@NiKo-fu9yp]

Radek Trembac Im gonna do some testing ,tired of drinking the same things every time i get on my bike. I think its important to have variety in your bike rides so a few more natural breaks shouldnt pose a big threat.

[@NiKo-fu9yp]

Lunch Box Umm didnt think about that I guess I have to look into it

[@leedorney]

Its all about momentum. Pushing hard on pedals tires muscles fast. So, spin :)

[@Ed.R]

But spinning wastes energy so its about finding the sweet spot in between.

[@melcrose]

Exact opposite for me. I run around 60 - max 70. I think it has to do with muscle type: zero fatigue as I press into it at low cadence, but my heart rate spikes and I run out of wind at anything over 75. (doing the same speed on the flats.) If I tried 90? forget it.

[@wigancyclist8913]

yeah spinning on a 10 hour ride messes up your legs.

[@Ed.R]

+Jeff Wulf Same for me below 60 is too slow above 80 too fast. My optimum is turning out to be 65 - 70rpm on a level road and higher on hills but not above 80. Anything above 80 feels like the pedals are going to fast to be able to apply any real power.

[@Ed.R]

I remember a day on the Bristol Bath railway path. I started thinking I would try maintaining a higher cadence than normal but soon began to tire despite it being flat. Dropped my cadence and my speed increased by 1 - 2mph with less effort than before.

[@rossoneill5158]

What I would personally love to see are the lads own private collections of bikes/ what their favorite bikes that they ever had.

[@mikaelwestergaard8356]

Dan why dont you use the Bontrager wheels to your bike, do you feel the Vision is better? And if you do, Why?

[@EK1H]

Climbing ability comes from high cardiovascular capacity not leg strength/force/torque. Same for flat riding. Brute strength only useful for sprinting and even then how many sprinters grind? If fatigue is an issue spinning is so much more effective than grinding you can't even compare. Better for joints too.

[@jimgilbert2340]

I love GCN, but I'm a mountain biker. Should my "optimal" cadence be the same as this video says for road cyclists, or is it different?

[@federicospada1703]

High cadence drills perfectly matches with Piero Umiliani's "mah-na mah-na"

[@chuckfinley3542]

I'm more confused than ever on this topic. Of course confusion visits me daily.

[@wardtimmermans8977]

Does gcn have yellow water bottles? Or is it just the 'DUVEL' in Dan's bidon?

[@pierce9128]

Very interesting but what if you don't have a cadance sensor

[@eoingray8425]

Very useful thanks

[@andreusgordon1404]

Can I ask what their drivetrain specs are? Both please Thank you

[@jasonwoodward5501]

Thanks. This has been an informative video. 8 out of 10. Jason

[@abisenior2718]

Im not great at reading but im pretty sure it says "standing stand efforts"...

[@Indulonman]

Full recovery between sessions. What does it mean? Until your heart rate drops, your legs doesn't burn as hell, or what? Thanks. #torqueback

[@johnbouttell5827]

Full recovery within training sessions usually means reducing your effort and getting your heart rate down to 100 beats/minute

[@jackavle]

standing stand or standing start?

[@steffanh]

2:43 does Dan's bike run on casters or is Simon's bike like a monster truck??

[@zenkigarage]

Standing Stand or Standing Start??

[@danfuerthgillis4483]

Cadence between a 7 kg bike and a 14 kg bike is very different as I train on a 14 kg bike 80% of the time and going to the 7 kg bike it feels like paper pedalling it. If you have bigger legs proper gearing is very important, I have massive track style legs and riding a 48 ring with a 21 cog with 25 km hr head wind I average around 32 km hr on a $290 road bike mind you so basically as crappy hardware as possible. Train on a heavy bike then Race on the light bike.

[@hipstertjuris5331]

มีประโยชน์ๆๆ ขอบคุณมากๆๆ

[@adamfrench1914]

what is the name of the first rider they mention? Couldn't make out the name at all - it sounds like ari contana?

[@HitmanNr47]

Do standing starts (or stands) wear out the chain more quickly or is that effect negligible?

[@milesbowen5282]

0:54 "the father you are, the faster your cadence is" *dan starts pulling 150 rpm out of no where*

[@diogenes1351]

i am father than you

[@Keepinitreal61]

20-22 mph 100-110 rmp for an hour.

[@chriskemp695]

How do you rate that canyon aeroad?

[@johnharvey5412]

#2 sounds like a great way to break your bike... I tore the threads out of my crank arm like that.

[@404nobrakes]

John Harvey No proper bike equipment should fail under any human load unless you're Robert Forstemann. Who isn't human so I guess I didn't need to qualify. Also don't cross chain.

[@fwvanoorschot6507]

what is the chainring size?

[@fignons_missing_8sec4]

I naturally ride at 65 to 75 rpm on the flats and 90 to 95 on the climbs should i try and flip this?

[@Ed.R]

I would say you've got it right.

[@ukaszilasz786]

Hi Simon! How do you find the Canyon Aerod?

[@maxgraman5519]

Surprised they didnt mention anything about muscle lactate

[@TheWaxChainFanClub]

Love these videos.

[@neilbuddo9297]

#1 - How long are the low cadence intervals?

[@Mi7cro]

Neil Buddo 3-8minutes but do them 4-5x on a hill 4-8% so it's not too steep and you can ride in the big ring , i do this 3h 8x5' low-cad 55-60 + 1x15' 110cad to spinout the legs , if you use a powermeter try to be in mid zone 3 .. hope that helps!

[@Jack-cu7rl]

spin to win reduces muscle damage doesnt it

[@Ed.R]

It may do but it will probably reduce muscle strength.

[@no1noone34]

+Ed R It doesnt reduce muscle strength, but you wont develop muscle so much when you spin fast.

[@ALFIE01011]

Standing stand?

[@sampugh1771]

Standing stand efforts?

[@jarvisdajose]

standing stand efforts?

[@Tomas-pr7py]

useful cheers

[@jack2710]

is it RPM or.... PRM as used in the video? :)

[@maxlynn9877]

How do you guys find nice dry weather for your videos? I live in Bath and Can't find shit

[@justincooper6340]

Loving the madone Dan

[@georgebred]

Louis Pasteur? the man who discovered pasteurisation was also a cadence guru?