User's Manual

CADENCE FUNDAMENTALS
What Is Cadence?
Cadence is defined as the number of times the pedals revolve per minute, also known as RPM for revolutions
per minute. The safest, most efficient and most realistic cadences are 80–110 RPM for a flat road and 60–80
RPM for a hill. These ranges are based on studying the cadences of elite cyclists as well as understanding how
the muscles work together to turn the pedals in the most efficient manner.
Cadence Range for Flat Roads: 80-110 RPM.
Pedaling faster than 110 RPM is both unrealistic and counterproductive. The resistance knob on a Spinning
®
bike
is used to increase friction on the flywheel in order to simulate realistic external forces one would encounter on
an outdoor bike, such as road surfaces, bike weight and wind resistance.
Pedaling Faster Than 110 RPM Is Unrealistic because:
• It’s like pedaling very fast in a very low gear—there’s a low power to resistance ratio.
• It’s wasted energy. If a person pedaled like this on street bike, he/she wouldn’t generate
much power or speed.
• A skilled cyclist who has worked on her pedal stroke for many years and has trained their nervous
system to react quickly is able to pedal efficiently at 100+ rpm for an extended period. Because of
his/her strength and ability to overcome the higher resistance at faster leg speeds, it is said that he/
she has a high power to resistance ratio.
Pedaling Faster Than 110 RPM Is Counterproductive because:
• No amount of high-cadence/low-resistance pedaling on a Spinning
®
bike will succeed at training
the nervous system properly. The flywheel is doing most of the work.
• One won’t achieve his/her performance and weight loss goals.
• One won’t build leg strength.
27