Is There an Optimal Cycling Cadence? The Science

[@AlexPeka]

Don't know if you sat on this video for the prime moment but releasing just after another questionable GCN video on cadence was perfect 😁 Love that (for me at least) your videos have become satisfying validation of the (literally) days of research and information I've chosen to take on board and plan my training around. Keep em coming!

[@jordosimplythebest]

Which video?

[@RossTheNinja]

The low cadence training one was timed perfectly.

[@chrisko6439]

Backward hat Dylan is pure art. He probably is responsible for more than half of the 137k subscribers this channel has at the moment. And faster than you, for sure.

[@jozefbaselogik4077]

imho backward hat Dylan is like telling a joke but nobody laughs

[@123overthehill]

Actually his point today at about a minute in was truth.

[@brachiosaurus6541]

he's the true entertainer

[@Skaughtto]

Vylan rules 🤘

[@mlafleurhua]

Chris Miller just posted a video of a casual ride with Jay Vine. Jay mentions that his new coach has de-emphasized weights - especially heavy weights - and emphasizes high torque, low rev intervals. At around the 2:20 mark in the video, Jay mentions doing 4 min intervals at 400w and 50 rpm. Sounds like this coach is taking Jay back to some aspects of old school training

[@ricf9592]

It works. I'm proving it right now. 60 rpm big gear. VO2 Max now 83.0 up from 56.0 one year ago.

[@waynecameron8253]

Couldn't agree with you more since nothing replaces old school on the bike specific strength training.

[@joshuakoch3510]

Hey Dylan, I have a video suggestion for you. How does body fat percentage affect cycling performance? Maybe you could answer questions like what is the most optimal body fat% range for training and racing, how does being in a negative energy balance affect training and power output, how significant of a difference will it make to cut to lower body fat in the long term, what is the average body fat of Tour de France cyclists and other elite endurance athletes, and what part of the season/year is best to cut to lower body fat so it doesn’t interfere with training and racing, or is it fine to cut during hard training and racing.

[@durianriders]

Be lean like we are all year long. It’s SO easy bro.

[@joshuakoch3510]

@@durianriders how

[@danielakerman8241]

Interesting vid - especially the way it highlights subjective perception vs objective results. A lot of the findings reflect my empirical experience. On flat road, I personally like to be pedaling at 92-102 rpm. Below 92, it subjectively FEELS like power delivery is less smooth and like too much force through the pedal is required, and above 102 my cardiovascular system seems to get overly taxed as perceived through my breathing and heart rate (and my pedal-stroke also begins to get rougher). When climbing, I like to be between 65 and 75 rpm, primarily to make it smoother getting out of the saddle, and I can’t comfortably pedal above 75 rpm out of the saddle.

[@roadbike1014]

In the TRI bike world, Dan Empfield invented the first TRI specific frame to position the rider forward to isolate slow twitch muscle on the bike leg to save the fast twitch muscle for the run leg. A happy biproduct was the aerodynamics. So rider position might be a factor in the rpm comfort preference.

[@MiddleAgedMike]

I “naturally” like to pedal at 90-95 rpm. When I force myself to “slow down” to 85rpm but maintain my speed and relative watts I have a tendency to set new PRs for speed and power. I’m a sample size of 1 but some times what you’re comfortable doing is not where you perform at your best.

[@philadams9254]

When I'm on the final interval and right near the point of failure, sometimes it's impossible to hit the power at my preferred high cadence and lower cadences magically allow me to get there. At the start of the session when I'm fresh, the opposite is true.

[@elonif4125]

Same for me.

[@fastasasloth]

Doesn't that just infer that you have a "preferred cadence" for when fresh and when fatigued? I don't believe the term "preferred cadence" implies only one choice of rpm but the cadence that you self select under whatever conditions you are riding at that moment?

[@philadams9254]

@@fastasasloth Yeah probably. It doesn't really answer the questions in the video though. If my preferred cadence is in a constant fluctuation, it means there is no one optimal cadence, except there is, but it changes moment to moment. So, yes and no are both valid answers. Depends on how we want to look at the question.

[@fastasasloth]

@@philadams9254 true, though i guess one could view it (well i do anyway) that optimal cadence is one's preferred cadence if that cadence is what allows them to finish (or get further into) their workout, as you alluded to in your opening statement...?

[@sugxi]

​@@philadams9254it might imply that you use up certain types of muscle fibers or groups and then swapping to using less fatigued ones makes you be able to keep up the power and your body just intuitively does it.

[@ferventheat]

It's a fascinating topic, especially the study 3:08 to 5 mins . From my personal anecdotal experience, when racing at my max sustainable output, heart rate does indeed increase with a higher cadence (swapping between two gears multiple times on flat road) and is slightly faster. The higher cadence was more comfortable probably due to lactate being taken away easier with higher blood flow. I do think the cadence you chose is very much dependent on what you are able to achieve: big power output or big cardiovascular 'output' i.e. are you more aerobic and less muscular or vice versa. I find it interesting that longer cranks and slower cadence is my preference off road. The best speed is a combination of many factors and I'm sure the next generation of performance testing will give us a better picture (on bike live CDA measurements, live blood tests etc, the first few are out there.) Cadence, crank length, bike position (in terms of toe- knee- hip torso angles and relative position to vertical), lactate tolerance, FTP etc will all be a big blend of very interesting findings. I also think nerve tiredness will be a factor as spinning at very high cadence is difficult for a prolonged time, I think due to the nervous system rather than the muscular skeletal system.

[@richardfile4001]

Brilliant stuff from Dylan - as usual. Excellent Channel, excellent presenter.

[@pjgalligan]

Remember that power is basically torque x revs. So of course power will be higher if your cadence is higher as perceived effort is more about how much force (ie. torque) you put into the pedals. We all have a comfortable range of cadence (eg. mine is ~75-115), not just a preferred cadence so within that comfortable range we will put out more power for the higher cadence, with the same perceived effort and change gears to stay within that comfortable range of cadence. Hope that makes sense 😂

[@Bultish]

Think of the mechanics, we have two power pulses and two reload pulses, the reload is weak, the power is well, powerful. Inclines makes the weak part more visible.

[@Rajesh-cg5pz]

This video confirms most of my findings since I got a cadence sensor. Except one, low cadence benefit. I did two weeks worth of riding strictly at 50×11 in endurance zone, where I live it's hard to find a flat section of road, so it's monstly rolling. Post this I attempted a PR on a climb that's 2kms @ 4.5% (max reaching to 7%). I could churn lower gear at clocked a time of 5'42", that's 22.5kph... and I was holding back 5-10% - this was a PR. While the power required for this speed may not be a lot for majority of people here, but it's a lot for me. It's a time I never imagined clocking for atleast another 1 year. Post that, I got COVID and which lowered my fitness levels by good amount. So, don't know🤷🏻‍♂️

[@xanthoptica]

It would be helpful to add to the empirical evidence a bit of theory (basically, physics). For a given power output, low cadence means more force on the pedal, while higher cadence means less force (work = force X distance, and power is work over time). I think this explains why lots of riders like to spin when they are not working too hard, as you get low forces and good venous return from your leg muscles contracting. Alternately, I bet lots of trained riders have noticed that they tend to run a lower cadence when riding with a friend who is quite a bit slower. When you're not near maximal effort, you can pedal slower without developing too much force, and lower cadences tend to be more (bio)mechanically efficient (mostly because you're not accelerating and decelerating the mass of your legs as often). The other things to think about are leg length and crank length; as cranks get longer, you get more torque from the longer lever at a given force into the pedal, and can push a bigger gear with the same pedal force. How long a crank you can run scales with leg length, as most riders find that too much knee bend in the top of the stroke means they aren't getting that much force due to leverage in the knee. While there is lots of room there for individual variation, particular riders will likely find that as they drop crank length they need to spin faster (and that they can push bigger gears at a lower cadence as cranks get longer).

[@massimoserafini8115]

I was told by a well known cycling coach years ago that your cadence should be natural and you shouldn’t force high or low cadence, just let your body do what it does naturally.

[@yishaithegift9953]

This is true. I used to run track, so once I started road cycling, my body naturally had a cadence that it felt comfortable at. I didn't know what cadence I was doing because i didn't have a meter. But my comfortable cruising speed was 25-27 mph. Without much effort. Now I have a meter and I see I'm riding at 95-110 comfortably. Sometimes too much science is a bad thing. Just do what your body naturally wants to do, and then train to go past it.

[@becausewin]

most of my rides i tend towards 90-110 but on certain bikes grinding at 70-80 while flying along a flattish road feels really good...

[@competerecoaching6877]

I’d be interested in your thoughts on cadence for tactical reasons; ie higher cadence allowing a quicker response to speed changes, whether a surging pace line or an attack. This seems a more important factor for group racing, than efficiency or max power. Whatever power you do have, is applied faster. Also, allowing riders to choose their own, seems like more of an argument for habituation, than an ideal for that person. I know twins, one who does tri, and another road. The tri guy pushes, and is noticeably slower to react to speed changes in a pace line, while the roadie twin is excellent in a paceline, and spins more.

[@danmartin9086]

Isn't it obvious high cadence would improve speed sensitivity? Surely you don't need to be told this

[@competerecoaching6877]

@@danmartin9086 If you meant me, I mentioned it because I know it, but was surprised Dylan didn’t mention it; he’s pretty thorough.

[@watermydriedupsoul]

Low cadence on the flat helped me climb better. I now need lesser gears to climb. Well you did mention that there's a sort correlation between climbing and low cadence.

[@simonalexandercritchley439]

20, 30 and 40 years ago we use to do low cadence/big gear drills mostly up moderate to steep climbs (road bike) but I always thought the weight training was more effective. These days I use the weights and mtb on local steep climbs and just use the "optimal" method on the road bike.What I have noticed is the steeper the climb the more glutes, lower back and core muscles are involved especially on the mtb.

[@jayobannon5359]

Loved the mauna loa clip!

[@Bultish]

5:05 that would be valid if they did not have any gear ratio left when powering away, which i dont think is the case.. inclines are more gear ratio limited, thus lower cadence..

[@SuccessfulOzzie]

If I do slow cadence for a very long time, I end up having cramps.... if I use fast cadence, I finish my water bottle quickly.... Best to alternate... fast when ascending, slow when descending or on flats

[@francisdayon]

I will take what Dr Ferrari says over any study.

[@powerwindpro]

Well yes you need higher cadence with higher output, and this is as simple as if you need yo carry 2 bags is more efficient to carry twice than to carry 2 that you can support, we develop a zones cadence based algorithm based on power

[@gregcavanaugh6259]

If training is about adaptation, does it stand to reason that low cadence/high tension will produce adaptations that high cadence/low tension does not? (not in comparison to strength training in the weight room). If variety keeps you from plateaus (in the same way varying intensity and volume does) it seems that there would be a place for low cadence/high tension.

[@youarehere1325]

Why do you think people are afraid to just ride their bike?

[@alexande94]

I believe the higher power requiring higher RPM otherwise you're putting unnecessary peak forces on your connective tissues/joints. After being injured for a while , getting on the bike doing 60watts at 55 rpm feels normal and higher rpm than that feels weird although my usual cadence is 80-85 (at 200w for example). It's like you're wasting more energy to moving your legs up and down when you're not actually pushing down very hard, that makes you subconsciously choose a lower cadance.

[@yozimerio]

Let's say you get your body used to grind a high gear during training at 60 rpms for 3 hrs. When it comes to the speed of a race you would need to use a 68 x 12 to go at 27.3 mph at 60 rpms. It only makes sense to adapt the body to high cadences that later will translate into gears that are realistic and corresponding power outputs while in the pack, a solo break and a sprint.

[@ricf9592]

Do both. Train on a big gear, slow rpm. Then gear down and up the cadence for competition.

[@augenmaugen]

When I grind at 60 rpm, the wind is faster in my ears. When I spin at 90 rpm, the wind is slower in my ears. Science. I’ve always muscled my way through everything I do (and have no speed in anything I do) so maybe that’s part of it.

[@bobfoster687]

Euro racer once told me that when you are tired you lose leg speed but not power. Slower cadence when tired.

[@Murderbot2000]

No one seems to compare pedal torque. I suspect there is a ceiling on seated torque, after which increasing power would require increasing cadence.

[@ai314159]

I believe the low-cadence equivalent of "spin to win" is "mash for cash"

[@browar2008]

Hi, thinking about high cadence=high power output. Even in this video You say, that going uphill the cadence lowers, but we all know that going uphill more power is needed... So these two statements don't match. I constantly observe my cadence going lower when doing high power intervals 🤔🤔

[@mastaJaber]

When will you put Big Sugar recap?

[@hibachibbq405]

I recall this 20th century school of thought, your leg muscles pump blood when they contract so you want a cadence that 'complements' your heart rate

[@JDRELGOR]

I'm new to road cycling and played around with cadence and my personal opinion is everyone is different so stick to your strengths.

[@Chreeeys]

The durianrider smash :D

[@Bluesman2509]

Mash for Cash Dylan!!!

[@kivriel2660]

I´m 60 and been riding my whole life. On really long rides (120-300km) I´m getting knee pain if the cadence drops. I ´m trying to hold 90rpm but when i´m tired the cadence drops so I need to stay alert. I also find it easier to stay with faster riders if my cadence is high. Riding fast gives high cadence automatically??? And not vice versa…

[@gregleman6592]

I only watched your videos while riding the trainer. Checkmate backwards hat Dylan

[@MrBongo1111]

The problem with this video is it starts out with the assumption that cadence is not relevant . It uses studies in which cadence is tested in small groups of athletes that are not looking for a particular outcome from training , rather an outcome from a short observation . Anyone who has spun out a gear on the track knows that the ability to spin a high cadence is tantamount to winning . In Johnsons narrow minded approach to training his inexperience shows . He passes on pseudo knowledge relative to his experience as it pertains to him . Surely a new rider to bike racing will benefit from cadence drills in that the ability to ride at different cadences effectively will help that rider succeed in different situations . Training your body to be comfortable at a higher cadence than you are used to raises that cadence and is just another arrow in the quiver of success . Low cadence drills can help to build strength and give the rider an ability to understand how effective they are at lower cadences , say when climbing .It’s not that there is an optimal cadence for cycling but training your cadence is an effective way to make yourself efficient wether you are grinding up a hill or hitting forty mph in a sprint . This video ignores that and cites studies o that have nothing to do with actually training your cadence to become a better all round cyclist . Just watch the last series of zwift academy and see how concerned the pro coaches were at one of the riders low cadence . For me I’m still training my cadence having started this sometime around the point when Dylans parents were in high school 😂

[@jordanmiller42]

Nobody says "grind to win" because the saying is actually "mash for cash" ;)

[@BingoBangoBabyInc]

Dylan said "Cadence" 871,642 times over the course of this video.

[@angelag5708]

Great video!

[@turbo_rossi]

Yeah, as if BHD would ride butyl - get your facts straight, Dylan!

[@clintmichigan9112]

Want to ride faster, learn how to relax

[@nickninoladroma8492]

83 rpm is not low cadence for me. Hahaha

[@ukaszszapa2440]

Slower cadence seems to be faster from aero reasons kzbin.info/www/bejne/jp21l6pnaqqbiMU

[@christophercox9471]

What about single leg drills?

[@fastasasloth]

Yep definitely, if you're an amputee..... ;)

[@christophercox9471]

@@fastasasloth I am :(

[@fastasasloth]

@@christophercox9471 then by default all your riding is a single leg "drill", so not sure what your question is??

[@christophercox9471]

@@fastasasloth I don't see why you feel the need to comment on my question, when you have nothing productive, relevant, or informative to say apparently. Especially when single leg drills have also long been prescribed by coaches similar to low and high cadence drills, just because you're on the internet, doesn't mean you have to act like it. Don't be that guy.

[@fastasasloth]

@@christophercox9471 I'm sorry, i didn't notice the *excludes fastasasloth condition applied to your opening question.... Maybe just send him a private message if you don't want people offering answers or clarifications to your questions posted in open.... Bad sloth, don't try and help people in the future, got it CC... 👍 And my answer is productive, relevant and informative. If you have 2 well functioning legs don't bother with single leg drills, if you have one ( functioning) leg then you will by default be doing them.....

[@super9super9super]

Omw to do 15lb kettlebell swings to get that 1900w sprint 😤😤

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

I am the first person to ever create intervals and structured training in cycling. Cadence is extremely important. Different cadences is for different training. When the power meters came out, that's when cadence was thrown to the side. This is why I've always said that power meters are dumbing down cycling.. I can sit here and explain to you exactly why cadence is the most important part of cycling.

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

There's a sequence to low cadence and hi cadence training to balance The two. I have been doing this since 1998 .

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

All I do is experiment and my experiments are foolproof.. I've been doing these experiments now for many years and I can see the The negative effects and the positive effects.. Learning to balance ⚖️ your training is the key 🗝️

[@gwatson7124]

I agree that there are many more important aspects of racing to consider before playing around with cadence. But if you're chasing marginal gains, the data do support playing around with it (much like you would to optimize gearing). Now go ride your bike. P.S., thanks for quoting our study (first).

[@Aeroskiii]

Slower is more aero

[@jayobannon5359]

Peak Torque!

[@Aeroskiii]

@@jayobannon5359 yup yup

[@FrankMOrtiz]

As usual researchers ask the wrong questions. Given that the existing body of research values high resistance training over cadence training, the question instead ought to be: "How the addition of cadence training can be employed to better relay strength training's benefits towards increased power outputs across the power curve?"

[@benfinesilver2250]

Correct. Pros and their coaches train and advocate both at the sane time

[@mikexhotmail]

popcorn ready!

[@dropatrain]

My cadence is so low it gives my legs time to recovery between each pedal stroke!

[@ninjaxd9050]

🤣🤣🤣

[@ShadowzKiller]

I think that practicing or trying out different cadences may be good to understand how your body responds. For instance, I found that on the flats in a group, I can save energy and quickly catch up to someone if I set my gears heavy and pedal at a lower RPM. Likewise, I spin going up hill because I feel the momentum of my legs provides a rhythm to push myself up the hill. So, if anything, psychological understanding of yourself.

[@ShadowzKiller]

@King Of Crunk Yes, I have also used that strategy. Sometimes I feel that lower cadence can help me relax while maintaining power.

[@YannickLB]

@King Of Crunk Same!

[@durianriders]

Disc for dirt rim for road! ❤

[@ihzbc]

Wow, this video blow my mind, i raced many times on 110-115rpm avg on more than 3 hours races ( which is natural for me ) and my maximum was 117 for more than 2hours and a half, now i understand why my training cadences never came even close to my race cadence, on training i can do 95rpm if i really go high cadence for 3h but it's a record and i generally ride more at 75-85rpm. The reason is just that i didn't go as fast, same thing for the climbs... I Always tryed to go full cadence on climbs and never achived to do so, now after i saw this video it's like an evidence to me. I think it's like a car, you can't go 5000rpm at 50km/h but at 200km/h you should ! 🤯

[@ucdcrush]

I'd like to see a video on saddle setback. Particularly wondering why your is always slammed all the way forward. :)

[@MaxRothFitness]

He’s explained why before

[@The_Normalised_Cyclist]

To compensate for a long reach of a longer stem, or just to be biomechanically in the right position relative to the bottom bracket, ergo pedals. Just try it yourself on your bike. Put back your saddle and suddenly your groin is going to hate you. Been there done that. Too far forward and your knees, torso/hands will suffer for having to cope with more weight. But if your knees are ok, that means that you are in the right position relative to the BB and you have to go with longer stem or slamming it. Just my experience. Too lazy and lack of knowledge to explain it like a bike fitter would.

[@bugabutu]

@@The_Normalised_Cyclist I went from a 25mm setback seapost with saddle slammed all the way forward until I got myself a straight seatpost. Now my saddle is no longer slammed forward, but nicely centered. I feel like I'm comfortably right over the bike but could use more reach again. Would lowering my stem achieve this? I'm getting fitted on this particular bike soon and I'm looking forward to seeing if my fitter would do it

[@The_Normalised_Cyclist]

@@bugabutu sure give it a go. Costs nothing, longer stem even used would be around 10-20 euros. If you are due for a bike fit also you can just wait for it :D Personally I wish bike fitters offered a two time bike fit for a fraction of price compared to one time thing. It’s steh entirely different to ride stationary and then in the real world. Especially for a longer time.

[@bugabutu]

@@The_Normalised_Cyclist I currently run a 120mm stem. My bike fitter actually built the bike but didn't have an appointment to fit me cause he has been booked and travelling. He specced it to the other bike I had fitted by him but I've also been working on my flexibility for around 4 months now so maybe it's time I can finally slam dat stem lol

[@clas683]

I think common sense is to ride with your prefered cadence if it’s not extremely odd (belove 70 or above 110). Your prefered cadence is probably where you are most efficient. However adding some high cadence efforts into your training seems wise as it trains your neurological system. Everything what the legs do originates from the brain 😁 If you race you know pace and effort can vary alot, especially in crit-style races so being used to high cadence bursts can be a good thing.

[@drouleau]

I find my legs/body/zone I'm riding in/terrain dictate my cadence. Generally speaking, if I'm going easy (Z1/Z2) my cadence is typically in the low 70's to low/mid 80's. Tempo (Z3) and threshold (Z4) and I'm in the low to mid 80's. VO2 and anaerobic (Z5/Z6) and I'm in the mid to upper 80's, maybe into the low 90's if I'm going really hard. Sprints are over 100. I've tried spinning in the 90's in every zone (although this was long before power meters were commercially available) as 20+ years ago, that was all the rage, but doesn't work for me.....especially at lower power.

[@willjones7132]

From an physics perspective the higher the cadence with the same weight on the pedals is better, as you are moving the same weight further in the same time, plain fact, it is not a chicken and egg scenario as it is a product of physics: more rpm will produce more power with equal torque approx: 10% power increase per 10% speed increase. 5:52 and on is the real balancing act when dealing with the physics and the physiology of the individual and their goals.

[@whitneypost5590]

I bet none of these studies controlled for height/cranklength and the resulting foot speed and that's going to be a huge thing, because ultimately "cadence" and foot speed are not the same, longer cranks =higher foot speed at the same cadence, also longer cranks relative to a person's height requires force through a wider range of motion

[@andreassiegenthaler9545]

Choosing a self selected cadence does not work for juniors. Juniors have gear restrictions (at least in road racing) My son is a 14 year old competitive cyclist with a max gearing in the U15 category of 46x16 (U17 have 46x14, U19 have 52x14). His average cadence in his last flat TT was 120, with a max cadence of 160 during the descents. He has to train at ridiculously high cadences, just to keep up with the others…

[@notreally2406]

Gear restriction for Jrs ends in 40 days. No more Jr gear restrictions in 2023.

[@competerecoaching6877]

That’s u19, not younger categories.

[@markmlinar1511]

Without trying, 84 is my sweet spot as well. We were told to do thousands of 100 rpm miles back in the day. Fast legs helps when you need to use it, but for cruising and TT, 84 is perfect for me.

[@JonFairhurst]

I think that a small amount of cadence training is helpful for novice cyclists. If we don’t experience too low and too high, our comfortable rpm might just be what we thought we were supposed to do. I see many recreational cyclists use very low cadences because they’re just puttering around. I’m sure that some just aren’t comfortable with shifting. And some probably think that, because they are slow cyclists, they should pedal slowly. But as we know, if they gain the skills to pedal closer to 80 rpm, their riding will get easier. For me, when I’ve been off the bike for a while, I’ll tend to pedal more slowly. After a week of renewed training, my comfort zone is faster. So we might not need hours of training at extreme rpms, but a few minutes high and low can help us rewire our expectations. Now… regarding strength training… big weights or high reps? Grizzly bear power or jack rabbit explosiveness? How about plyos? In general, it’s fast up and slow down, but I wonder what style is best for cycling.

[@francisdayon]

Yes but those cyclist don't need the training anyway as most of the time they don't want to improve/train and the ones that want to go faster will naturaly just improve their cadence.

[@JonFairhurst]

@@francisdayon - I don’t think we should generalize. When I first started cycling, 80 rpm seemed ridiculously fast. I like the idea of pushing the limits. Pedal uncomfortably fast for a while, then see if the comfort zone is a bit faster. And if one can’t do low cadence, they probably can’t do steep hills. But I wouldn’t spend significant time training for cadence. Just enough to find the real comfort zone.

[@sepg5084]

Recreational cyclists do it for recreation, not sports. So they don't necessarily need specific training. I consider myself a recreational cyclist, but i do like riding faster so i don't just "putter" around. I don't and won't spend money on power meters, heart rate sensors, high end cycling gear, no Strava subscription. I don't even ride on clipless pedals (flat pedals only). The best that i'll do is free Strava and besting my own segment times for fun. I only watch this channel out of curiosity.

[@JonFairhurst]

@@sepg5084 - Again, we shouldn’t generalize. I first shopped for a “fitness bike” with flat bars and I didn’t wear Lycra. But I wanted to get fit and not be too slow. Some commute. Some are riding for who knows what reason. Clearly, if we’re talking about training, we’re not talking about the most casual rider. We’re at least talking about people riding for fitness, even if they’re in Nike gear with a flat bar bike.

[@JonFairhurst]

Hey Dylan, we‘ve got a scammer. Hey, You Tube, the comment above is from an impersonator trying to commit fraud.

[@JBuchmann]

You can easily see how cadence affects your heart rate by going in ERG mode on your trainer. For me I find my HR is the lowest at the rpm that is most comfortable to me most of the time... 75-80 rpm

[@LucasCanDrum]

Thanks for writing this. I thought I was crazy having an average cadence of around 75 indoors and 80 outdoors. When I've tried to ride at higher cadences it feels awful.

[@SuperYobo]

@@LucasCanDrumfor me 80+ is fast indoors😂 average always around 70

[@stevek8829]

I haven't figured out how to put my kickr in erg mode. It does it automatically in works, but not just riding.

[@JBuchmann]

​@@stevek8829 For me I use a Wahoo Kickr and the Wahoo app. I think it may depend on the type of workout you're doing in the app. For me I choose "indoor cycling". Then its available in one of the "screens". For me it's on the third screen labeled Kickr Target Power. That screen has about 5 tabs in it. The 3rd tab is ERG. If you don't see this screen then somewhere in settings you can customize what screens to show in each workout type. Hope this helps!

[@stevek8829]

@@JBuchmann thank you. I guess I went to the Zwift app in two days. The Wahoo app, RGT, crashed a couple times.

[@JNorth87]

The idea that there is one optimal cadence for all situations is idiotic. Thinking that life is a 1hr time trial is idiotic. We operate in a highly dynamic space. Crits are not road races are not time trials are not multi-day stage races.

[@CyclingChefDiane]

As a track racer, "preferred" cadence is kind of a cruel joke.

[@JonathanFisherS]

83rpm is an average cadence????? sheeeit. I'm like 65-75. If I'm pedaling about 75, I know "something" is wrong

[@johnlowkey359]

I honestly just use cadence to remind me shift gears. If I drop below 90, I shift down. I go above 100. I shift up. Hopefully, I've shifted before I notice my cadence on the computer. Occaisionally, I notice the screen before I react to how my legs feel.

[@Mu51q]

Durianrider part killed me 😂😂

[@TalleyrandsPuppet]

Yeah don’t like Dylan giving that bro any oxygen. If we all ignore him he’ll go away.

[@volkerliedtke1557]

Hey Dylan, what about the impact of high and low cadences on the joints and tendons especially in the knees and feet? Isn’t that equally important than the power output? Bests from Frankfurt/Germany, Volker

[@xanthoptica]

Adding to some comments below, everybody should learn to spin smoothly at at least 100 rpm (especially newer riders), just from a technique standpoint. If your personal optimal cadence (based on leg length, crank length, fiber composition, power output, etc.) is higher than you can smoothly pedal, then you're not going to find it. And it does take some neuromuscular practice to get smooth at higher cadences, especially when applying a decent amount of power. I guess you could just take a spin class... ;)

[@TheSteinbitt]

Man, this AND the disc brakes, I’m not sure durianrider will recover from this. Only sugar left now, and bamboo frames😂

[@yozimerio]

If one looks at the gears necessary to reach certain speeds and the cadence necessary for that, it's easy to see why professionals need a cadence of 90+ on flat terrain. How you're going to train for 5 hrs of racing at average speed of 45 kph? With a gear of 53 x15 you need to move it at ~100 rpms. 53 x 14, ~92 rpms. 53 x 13, 85 rpms. That's for the bike racer. For the guy next door, just find the most comfortable cadence and ride. Who cares?

[@geemy9675]

there are limits to how fast or how slow you can go. for a given speed/gradient too slow will require too much torque if the rider is not strong enough. too fast at some point your limited just by how fast you legs can spin even with no load. intuitively I would say the extremes are both bad, for different reasons. pedalling as hard/slow as you can physically can will drain you like doing a 1 rep squat or pushing a wall . lot of energy used not converted into motion. pedalling like a squirrel in a cage will waste. a lot of useless energy just to move the legs, so the optimum has to be somewhere in between , and a combination of mechanical and biomechanical factors, but that leaves a very wide interval. most probably depending on your physique (fast muscles vs slow muscles, pure strength vs cardio, and also you level of fatigue, the level of effort you are putting in. a constant cadence is probably not the best solution An analogy with combustion engines is probably not 100% accurate, but someone with strong legs but weak cardio and slow cadence would be the equivalent of a slow revving high torque engine not making a. lot of horsepower, while a lightweight cyclist like TDF climber body type, with less strength, but high cadence , strong cardio more like a fast revving small displacement , low inertia race engine. both will have different optimal cruising and top speed rpms. enhancing drugs would be like a turbo charger 😂 of course there are more than 2 kind of cyclist and pros outperform hobbyists in every metric,strength cardio etc.. and some gearing difference as the car too gear is always the best for cruising at highway speeds. you don't add more gears in a car that would be useful only downhill..

[@charlesdonly776]

Power is work over time. So, let’s look at pros and cycling…. Key is power output vs. aerodynamics and a secondary consideration is power vs. weight. So.. if watts/kg is a success factor then more muscle is not effective to generate more power. Then you are left with people with similar muscle using their CV system to generate more work in the same time or power. Otherwise you just have weightlifting and generating more power with more muscle.

[@thomaso6579]

Jokes on you, my power is so low that anything above 3% I have to grind at low cadence.

[@_PhinneyWood_]

I'll keep riding 50-70 miles at 60-65rpm and be happy. Even if folks make fun of me for being so slow on the cranks.

[@roadbike1014]

IMHO, Higher cadence easier gear less muscle fatigue and cardio recovery can be done on the bike, lower cadence harder gear more muscle use, muscle fatigue recovery is done while sleeping. On a fixed gear, a higher cadence forces the legs to be more relaxed and supple, one needs to let the pedal come up to keep from getting bucked off, training the off leg to lift the pedal. The up stroke leg doesn't add resistance to the down stroke leg. After many conversations with other riders, the comfortable rpm is arbitrarily personal preference. What about rider weight? The heavy guys seem to have low cadence, light guys seem to have a faster cadence. Hilly or flat I tend to average 93 rpm, less taxing on the knees. I weigh 140lbs.

[@SkeetSystem]

I...okay I love your content, the whole citing research, etc. But god can people stop making this video.

[@BenAroundo]

It's obvious from the first time I saw you you did not have a coach and you don't know the difference between learned truths from old school, cycling myths and today's rider's self taught guess work. What you want to do is reinvent the wheel. I see things and comment but guess few true pro coaches with UCI licenses with the real knowledge care to contribute anything.

[@BenAroundo]

For the ITT it depends on the distance. The old hour records were around 105 rpm. A lower cadence means less muscle fatigue. You can permanently increase your cadence thus your efficiency via a spinning training method. Your confusion and conclusions shows your lack of old school coaching and of trial and error experience in the matter.

[@deanbutler1467]

I would like you to investicgate whether training at a higher cadence can change your preferred cadence. I can accept that preferred cadence is best in any one event, but is training to change that preference worthwhile?

[@GravelRacer1]

Dinosaurs laid eggs, and Dinosaurs came before chickens. Therefore the egg came first. 🥚

[@teqai]

Low cadence work doesn't strain my back as weight training does! I'm old :(

[@markusseppala6547]

How about the increased amount of muscle contraptions with higher cadence driving more adaptations to the mitochondria? Let's say 90rpm vs 60rpm zone 2 ride, that's 50% more muscle contraptions. I've been wondering about this for a long time.

[@trajtemberg]

If higher cadence means less depletion, it could be useful if you have to carry your own fuel.

[@lrelre3076]

Could you bias your cadence slightly when training in favour of a particular adaptation? Higher for VO2 max training, lower for muscle endurance

[@lesterroberts1628]

i still cannot figure out why i am so much faster at a lower cadence. for context i began cycling out of the saddle as a novice because my first three bikes had terrible seats.

[@SergioCristancho]

if you ride like 110 km and make like 1500 m of positive gain, and your cadence end over 80 rpm, and your speed goes over 30km ... well in my experience is TRUE that your climbing is gonna be in the low curve of the cadence, you probably go fast cadence up only in short sections not in longer climbing and is not a efficience thing... I found TRUE that not all of us have the 'genes' to spin over 90 rpm for hours... cadence sometimes is built in our comfort zone and optimal is the one that flow better for you ... obviously can be worked and improved but some natural cadences are high and some are low and yes is part of how you are build muscular talking and also how your inner struggle in the saddle flow.

[@fradd4045]

spinners are winners crankers are wankers (old bmx proverb from the 80s)

[@ToOldToTurnProcycling]

Basically what suits one won't necessarily suit another, we all have our own natural cadence.

[@ΘάνατοςΧορτοφάγος]

Huh, cycling and tradition, not a great combo for finding what is true 👌

[@stevestreeter217]

Not addressed here is the issue of injury. Does high cadence training reduce the risk of injury, as I have heard some claim? Maybe not enough research has been done on this question but it would be nice to know.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Long time runner here who had to give it up because of knee issues starting to crop up (not real bad but was getting uncomfortable). Long stretches of lower cadence with high torque will definitely cause issues with my knee caps after I get off the bike. No issues with higher cadence at the same equivalent power output (less torque).

[@janeblogs324]

When my ligaments hurt I have to spin. When lactic acid /swelling glues my knees I have to grind

[@gregmorrison7320]

Until a few years ago I used to do quite a bit of low cadence work on climbs (repeats) around 50rpm. If I did too much over the weeks I would develop a sore lower back strain. I haven't done them for a few years but I was definitely a stronger climber for doing them, maybe not as much as doing weights but I don't do weights now either. I would rather spend my time riding although as I get older I realise that weights should be part of my routine. I spend a good part of my season riding single speed, this gives me great variation in cadence and I quite enjoy it.

[@Bluesman2509]

I like 65-70 rpm, feels just right

[@James-zu1ij]

My take on it is that if you need to produce lots of power (track), spinning is best, i.e, if you do something more times in the same time = more energy. To limit muscle fatigue, spinning is best, even though it is less efficient. I think when spinning, you need to throw your legs around rather than push or pull. Therefore, all the little muscles in your hips and abdomen are engaged. (I.e. more muscles joining the party) Similar to the difference between throwing a baseball and a dart. The sprinter can push hard and throw hard. I think if you need to preserve legs on a fast chain gang, it is advisable to up your cadence just a little bit (105 instead of 95) when power is needed. Then at the final competitive push at the end you are a bit fresher. Similarly with leg destroying hills where you are 99% fit again, just moderately spin up the hills. If you are fully fit on the other hand, and don't need to preserve anything, you go at what's optimal for you. That's just the way I see it; not a scientist or a good cyclist. Strangely, not being good at something provides a better insight to how to preserve one's self ...maybe.

[@kenallen4662]

"'Mash for Cash" buddy - Rohin Dennis