CADENCE

Cadence is your pedalling rate in revolutions per minute (rpm). For a given wattage, cadence and pedal force trade off against each other: spin faster and each stroke needs less force, grind slower and each stroke needs more.

Most trained road cyclists self-select somewhere around 85-95rpm on the flat. Climbing usually drops to 70-85rpm, and track sprinters can exceed 120rpm.

Note the important detail: your metabolic cost usually rises with cadence even when the power is identical. That is why forcing an unnaturally high cadence can make a workout feel harder without producing any more training benefit.

Mechanically, most riders are most efficient somewhere in the 60s to 70s. In practice nobody rides there, because muscular fatigue and neuromuscular comfort push the self-selected rate up into the 80s and 90s. The genuinely optimal cadence is the one that lets you produce your target power for the required duration with the least total strain — and your body is surprisingly good at finding it on its own.

The practical rule: leave your natural cadence alone for most riding, and train the extremes deliberately so you have them when the terrain demands them.

Low-cadence torque intervals

4-6 x 5 minutes at 85-95% of FTP at 50-60rpm, seated, 5 minutes easy between. Builds strength-endurance and the ability to push a big gear up a climb. Avoid these if you have knee problems, and never do them cold.

High-cadence spin-ups

6 x 1 minute building from 100 to 120rpm at low power, a minute easy between. Improves neuromuscular coordination and smooths out your stroke.

Cadence-blind riding

Cover the cadence readout for a whole zone 2 ride and hold a steady wattage. Most riders find they settle naturally into the range they were trying to force.

Single-leg drills

30 seconds per leg at very low power, unclipping the resting foot. Genuinely uncomfortable, and useful mostly for exposing dead spots in your stroke.

• In ERG mode, the trainer holds the power whatever you do — so cadence becomes a free variable you can train deliberately.
• Dropping your cadence in ERG mode makes the trainer's resistance climb, which is a useful way to add torque work without changing the target.
• A separate cadence sensor is worth having even with a smart trainer, since some trainers estimate rpm rather than measuring it.
• Watch for cadence sagging late in an interval. It is usually the first visible sign you are losing the effort.