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Cadence (in cycling)
Rating
Cadence in cycling is the pedaling rate in revolutions per minute (rpm). Most recreational riders find 80-95 rpm comfortable, while professionals often ride at a higher cadence.
In detail
A higher cadence at the same pedal effort reduces muscle load but increases cardiovascular load — this is a trade-off between "power" pedaling (low cadence, high effort) and "spinning" (high cadence, low effort per revolution). The optimum is individual and can be trained.
How to use it
If your knees start to hurt on long rides, it often helps to raise your usual cadence by 10-15 rpm and shift to a lower gear, redistributing the load from the joints to the cardiovascular system.