In cycling

Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

, cadence is the number of revolutions of the crank

Crankset

The crankset or chainset , is the component of a bicycle drivetrain that converts the reciprocating motion of the rider's legs into rotational motion used to drive the chain, which in turn drives the rear wheel...

 per minute; roughly speaking, this is the rate at which a cyclist is pedalling/turning the pedals. Cadence is similar in some ways to wheel speed

Speedometer

A speedometer is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a land vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the 1900s, and as standard equipment from about 1910 onwards. Speedometers for other vehicles have specific names...

, but is a distinct measurement.

Cyclists typically have a preferred cadence at which they feel most comfortable, and on bicycle

Bicycle

A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

s with many gears it is possible to stick to a favourite cadence at a wide range of speeds. Recreational and utility cyclists typically cycle around 60–80 rpm

Revolutions per minute

Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...

. According to cadence measurement of 7 professional cyclists during 3 week races they cycle about 90 rpm during flat and long (~190 km) group stages and individual time trials of ∼50 km. During ∼15 km uphill cycling on high mountain passes they cycle about 70 rpm. Sprinter

Cycling sprinter

A cycling sprinter is a road bicycle racer or track racer who can finish a race very explosively by accelerating quickly to a high speed, often using the slipstream of another cyclist or group of cyclists tactically to conserve energy.-The road sprinter:...

s can cycle up to 170 rpm for short periods of time.. The professional racing cyclist and Tour de France

Tour de France

The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...

 champion Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong

Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...

 is known for his technique of keeping up high cadences of around 110 rpm for hours on end to improve efficiency.

An important point is that any particular cyclist has only a narrow range of preferred cadences,
often smaller than the general ranges listed above.
This in turn influences the number and range of gears which are appropriate for any particular cycling conditions.

Certain cyclocomputer

Cyclocomputer

A cyclocomputer or cyclometer is a device mounted on a bicycle that calculates and displays trip information, similar to the instruments in the dashboard of a car. The computer with display, or head unit, usually is attached to the handlebar for easy viewing.-History:In 1895 Curtis Hussey Veeder...

s are able to measure cadence, and relay the reading to the cyclist via a display, typically mounted on the bicycle's handlebars.

See also

• Cycling power meter
  Cycling power meter
  A cycling power meter is a device on a bicycle that allows measuring of the power output of the rider. Most cycling power meters use strain gauges to measure torque applied, and, combined with angular velocity, calculate power...
  
  
• Bicycle gearing
  Bicycle gearing
  A bicycle gear or gear ratio refers to the rate at which the rider's legs turn compared to the rate at which the wheels turn. Bicycle gearing refers to how the gear ratio is set or changed. On some bicycles, there is only one gear so the ratio is fixed. Most modern bicycles have multiple gears,...
  
  
• Tachometer
  Tachometer
  A tachometer is an instrument measuring the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine. The device usually displays the revolutions per minute on a calibrated analogue dial, but digital displays are increasingly common...
  
   — a motor vehicle's tachometer is analogous to a bicycle's cadence; they are both measurements of the drivetrain's
  Bicycle drivetrain systems
  Bicycle drivetrain systems are used to transmit power on bicycles, tricycles, quadracycles, unicycles, or other human-powered vehicles from the riders to the drive wheels. Most also include some type of a mechanism to convert speed and torque via gear ratios....
  
   rotational speed prior to the "transmission" (derailleur)

External links

Marsh, Anthony P. (Summer 1996). What Determines The Optimal Cadence?. Cycling Science. Retrieved 20 May 2011.

CR Abbiss, JJ Peiffer, PB Laursen, 2009 Optimal cadence selection during cycling. International SportMed Journal Retrieved 21 May 2011