Neverpedia
Pace & effort
Cadence
How many times your legs complete a full pedal stroke per minute (cycling) or steps per minute (running).
Cadence is the rate at which your legs cycle through full strokes — pedal revolutions per minute (rpm) for cyclists, steps per minute (spm) for runners.
How it is measured
- Cycling: Most modern power meters and bike computers report cadence directly.
- Running: Watches measure cadence via wrist accelerometer or a foot pod.
Typical ranges:
- Cycling endurance: 85–95 rpm.
- Cycling climbing: 70–80 rpm (when grade forces it).
- Running easy: 170–180 spm.
- Running fast: 180–195 spm.
Why it matters
Cadence affects the mix between aerobic and muscular load. Lower cadence at the same power = more force per pedal stroke = more muscular fatigue. Higher cadence at the same power = more cardiovascular cost, less muscle damage.
Common misconceptions
- There is no universal "optimal" cadence. Tour pros race at everything from 80 to 105 rpm in long efforts.
- Running cadence is not magically optimized at 180 spm — that number was a misreading of a single observation.
- Forcing a high cadence on the bike when grades demand low cadence wastes oxygen.
Related concepts
FTP, Zone 2.