What is Cadence?

When cyclists talk about cadence they are referring tois completely different. Yet with racing cyclists the
the number of revolutions that they crank makes eachdifferences in their preferred cadences are very small
minute as the pedals are turned. This in layman's termscompared to those people who just enjoy cycling for
simply is the speed at which the cyclist pedals or turnspleasure rather than as a competitive sport.
the pedals on the bike as they ride.What is important to note that each cyclist will have his
Most cyclists will have a certain cadence speed whichown particular range of cadences that he prefers and
they feel comfortable with when they are out riding.are much smaller than the general ranges which have
Today a lot of bicycles come with a large number ofbeen previously listed above? But what their preferred
gears so it makes it possible for a cyclist to stick to acadences are will actually influence the number as well
cadence that they prefer through a wide range ofas the range of gears that they have on their bicycle
different speeds at which they are traveling. Normallyand which they feel are appropriate for the conditions
a typical cyclist will look at having a cadence ofin which they ride.
between 60 and 80 revs per minute (rpm), whilstToday there are many company's who produce
professional (racing) cyclists will look at theirs beingdevices for measuring the cadence on a person's
between 80 and 120 rpm. However sprint cyclists willbicycle such as the Vetta V100 wireless cadence kit.
normally be able to manage 170 rpm for very shortThese small computers are mounted on to the
distances. Lance Armstrong one of the worlds wellhandlebars of the users bicycle and then a small
known professional cyclists is able to produce amagnet is placed close to the pedal sprocket. Then as
cadence of 120 rpm.the rider is out cycling or competing in a race they will
However there are many cyclists that believe onesee on the small computer screen (which is mounted
form of cadence is much more efficient than another.to the handlebars) displays their cadence information.
But the actual cadence that is preferred by each rider