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Will Clarke
Triathlon Cycling

What cadence should I ride at?

Cadence is measured in RPM (revolutions per minute). The amount of times one foot makes a full pedal stroke each minute. An amateur cyclist will probably ride around 60-70rpm, however it’s much more economical to ride somewhere between 85 and 100. Riding a big gear requires a lot of strength to turn the pedals and can end up sapping your legs and make you feel very sluggish when you finally get off the bike.

Spinning your legs is more effective as it’s utilising your cardiovascular system that much more and once you’re used to that type of riding it’ll be much more effective way to get round a triathlon. It’s quite easy to practice, next time you’re out training, just think about gearing up on your training rides and soon it’ll turn into a habit.

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Will is a British triathlete. He's a former U23 World and European Champion, competed at Beijing 2008 and has twice b...