Ideal Cycling Cadence: Advice from an IRONMAN Coach
Know that feeling? On the bike you feel like a king. You shift into the hardest gear, lean into the pedals, and fly through the countryside. You feel the power in your thighs. Your ego tells you: “I’ve got legs today.”
Then comes the second transition (T2). You get off the bike and your legs are… empty. Concrete. Useless. You suffer on the run and ask yourself: “Where did it go wrong? I felt great on the bike!”
As an IRONMAN Certified Coach, I’ll tell you exactly where it went wrong. You may have wrecked your legs with low cadence.
Cyclist vs. triathlete: Two different worlds
Many of my new athletes come from pure cycling. They are used to “grinding” up hills with force (a cadence of 60 to 70 revolutions per minute). For a pure cyclist, that’s fine: at the finish he sits down and has a recovery drink. You are a triathlete. Your goal isn’t at the end of the bike. Your goal is beyond the finish line of the run.
This is where the physiology taught by IRONMAN University comes in:
Low cadence (high force): Tends to load the muscular system and the fast-twitch muscle fibers more. These fibers burn glycogen (sugar), a valuable fuel for the run.
High cadence (less force, 85 to 95 rpm): Tends to shift the load to the cardiovascular system (heart and lungs) and the slow-twitch muscle fibers. These are more resistant to fatigue and can spare your legs.
Put simply: Your heart often recovers within minutes. Your legs may need a day or more. If you want to run fast, you have to ride “through your lungs,” not “through your thighs.”
Why is it hard to change the habit? (The neuromuscular trap)
When I first prescribe a workout with a cadence of 90 to 100 rpm to my clients at Atte ACADEMY, they often call me: “Ivan, I’m bouncing out of the saddle at this pace, my heart rate is 10 beats higher, and it feels like I’m struggling!”
Yes, that’s normal. Your brain and nervous system are used to a slow rhythm. A higher cadence is “stress” for them. Your heart has to pump blood faster, hence the higher heart rate.
But here’s the coaching magic: A higher heart rate on the bike (at the same watts) is the lesser evil compared to destroyed muscles for the run. Heart rate adaptation can take several weeks. Muscle fatigue will wreck you on race day immediately.
Holding a high cadence is much easier if your hips are open. That is the main difference between a road bike and a triathlon bike — the seat tube angle, explained in why your lower back hurts in the aero position.
A higher cadence may mean a higher heart rate, but your power in watts and your FTP threshold values stay stable.
How we train it at Atte ACADEMY
Changing your cadence isn’t about telling yourself “I’ll spin faster.” It’s a systematic process. In the training plans for my athletes, I use specific techniques:
Spin-ups: Short intervals at extremely high cadence (110+ rpm) to improve neuromuscular coordination.
Single-leg drills: Riding with one leg, which exposes the “dead spots” in your pedal stroke and teaches you to pull smoothly instead of stomping.
Cadence under fatigue: I teach you to hold your rhythm even at kilometer 80, when your head wants to slow down and shift into a harder gear.
Don’t let your ego run your race
Riding the “big chainring” looks good in photos. But the winner is the one who runs at the finish, not the one who looked strong on the bike.
As your coach, I’ll watch your data. If I see your cadence dropping below 70 on climbs, we’ll deal with it. Because my job as an IRONMAN Certified Coach is to see the things you don’t notice in the heat of battle.
Want to learn to ride efficiently and save your legs for a personal best on the run?
Stop fighting your bike. Learn to work with it.
Book a consultation. I’ll analyze your riding style and set up technical drills that can improve your performance.