One of the first things I notice when someone begins riding regularly is not their power.
It is their gear choice.
Big gear. Slow pedals. Strong push.
At first, it feels controlled. Solid. Productive.
However, that feeling does not always last.
Fatigue arrives far earlier than expected.
That is usually the first sign that cycling cadence is quietly shaping the ride.
Most recreational cyclists and triathletes assume tired legs mean one thing.
“I must not be fit enough.”
Yet in many cases, it is not fitness.
It is cadence.
What Is Cycling Cadence?
Cycling cadence simply refers to how fast you turn the pedals, usually measured in revolutions per minute (RPM).
It might sound like a small technical detail, but cadence has a surprisingly large influence on how a ride actually feels.
For example, two riders can produce exactly the same power.
They can ride at the same speed, cover the same distance, and finish at the same time.
Even so, the internal experience of that effort can feel completely different.
One rider finishes feeling comfortably aerobic.
Another rider finishes with legs that feel heavy and fatigued.
Often, the difference is cadence.
The Beginner Pattern I See All the Time
When people first start riding, they tend to choose bigger gears and pedal more slowly.
Initially, it feels strong and controlled. Many riders describe it as feeling powerful.
The cadence often sits somewhere around 60-70 RPM.
At first this feels efficient.
In reality, however, each pedal stroke now requires more muscular force.
Over time that force accumulates.
As a result, the ride begins to feel harder than expected. The legs fatigue early. Riders wonder why their endurance seems limited even when the ride itself was not especially demanding.
In many cases, it is not fitness that is limiting them.
Instead, it is simply how the work is being distributed through the body.
My Own Lesson in Spinning
When I first started riding, the advice I heard repeatedly was simple.
Spin. Spin. Spin.
Higher cadence was encouraged almost to the extreme. At one point I even converted my road bike into a fixed gear.
There was no coasting and no ability to change gears.
Instead, the pedals simply kept turning.
Was that the perfect solution? Not necessarily.
However, it taught me something important.
Cadence changes how effort distributes through the body.
Once you feel that difference, it becomes hard to ignore.
What the Science Says About Cadence
Research in cycling physiology shows that cadence changes where the effort shows up in the body.
When cadence is lower, each pedal stroke requires greater muscular force. This increases muscular strain and accelerates fatigue in the working muscles, a pattern observed across both early and more recent cycling physiology research (Marsh & Martin, 1993).
When cadence increases, the force required per pedal stroke decreases. The cardiovascular system works a little harder, but muscular stress per stroke is reduced.
Importantly, the external work can remain the same. The difference is where fatigue appears first.
Research examining cadence selection also shows that riders often choose pedalling rates that feel comfortable rather than those that minimise metabolic cost (Neptune & Hull, 1999).
In real riding situations cadence also changes with intensity. Studies of elite cyclists show that cadence tends to increase as power output rises, particularly during harder efforts and racing situations (Lucía, Hoyos, & Chicharro, 2001).
More recent research has also explored how cadence influences fatigue development during prolonged cycling efforts, suggesting that pedalling rate can shape how quickly muscular fatigue accumulates (Leo, Spragg, & Swart, 2017).
Perceived exertion research from Borg (1998) helps explain why this matters.
Effort is not just mechanical. It is also how the body interprets strain and fatigue.
At lower cadences, riders often report greater muscular discomfort even when heart rate and oxygen demand are similar.
This is why many riders finish a ride thinking their legs are exhausted even though their aerobic system still had capacity.
Ultimately, cadence influences which system reaches fatigue first.
The Cadence Range Most Riders Never Train
Over time, most cyclists develop a default cadence.
It feels comfortable. Familiar. Reliable.
However, many riders rarely move far outside that rhythm.
They do not deliberately train higher cadences to improve neuromuscular efficiency.
Likewise, they rarely practice lower cadence strength work in a controlled way.
Instead, they ride almost every session at the same rhythm.
When conditions change — a climb appears, a headwind builds, fatigue accumulates — the body has fewer options available.
Consequently, the ride begins to feel harder than it should.
Not because of fitness.
But because adaptability has never been trained.
Why Cycling Cadence Matters
Cycling cadence is not about spinning as fast as possible.
It is not about copying professional riders.
Instead, it is about giving your body more ways to manage effort.
When you train across a range of cadences, you can shift the load between muscular force and cardiovascular demand depending on the terrain and the session.
That flexibility often changes how rides feel.
Sometimes the difference between a ride that feels heavy and one that feels controlled is not fitness at all.
Rather, it is simply how fast the pedals are turning.
A Quiet Reframe
If your rides sometimes feel harder than expected, it may be worth paying attention to your natural cadence.
Not judging it.
Just noticing it.
Because that small detail can quietly shape how fatigue builds across an entire ride.
And understanding cycling cadence often brings a little more control and confidence back into training.
If this resonated, I share reflections like this fortnightly in CLIMB — my newsletter for cyclists and triathletes who want steady, sustainable progress without burnout.
You can join here:
References
Borg, G. (1998). Borg’s Perceived Exertion and Pain Scales. Human Kinetics.
Lucía, A., Hoyos, J., & Chicharro, J. L. (2001). Preferred pedalling cadence in professional cycling. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 33(8), 1361–1366
Marsh, A. P., & Martin, P. E. (1997). Effect of cycling cadence on neuromuscular activity and metabolic cost. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
Neptune, R. R., & Hull, M. L. (1999). A theoretical analysis of preferred pedaling rate selection in endurance cycling. Journal of Biomechanics, 32(4), 409–415.
Helpful article! Thanks. So how to get to work out a figure for my natural “spin” cadence?
Great question.
The simplest way is just to notice what cadence you naturally settle into when you are riding comfortably on flat terrain. That tends to be a rider’s “default” rhythm.
Most people find it sits somewhere around the mid-80s to low-90s rpm once they are relaxed and not pushing a big gear.
The interesting part is not trying to force a number, but becoming aware of how cadence changes how the ride feels. If you spin slightly quicker, you’ll usually notice the effort shifts away from the legs and feels a little smoother.
Next time you’re out riding, just glance at your cadence when things feel comfortable. That number is usually a good starting point. I’d be curious to hear what you discover.