Do you want to be faster in the saddle? Then you need to work on your cycling cadence. It's the number of revolutions your pedals make per minute while you ride. In other words, it's how fast you pedal. The ideal cadence is typically 80 to 100 RPM (revolutions per minute). Most beginners will start at 60 to 85 RPM, then work their way up to the higher range.
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Your cadence is the number of times your legs go up and down while you pedal for a minute, multiplied by two. You can also track it with an electronic cadence sensor. Then you can gauge your training and improvement over time. Here's how to bump up your RPMs for the best speed in the saddle.
3 Drills to Improve Your Cycling Cadence
Fast Pedal - It's exactly as it sounds. Use a light gear to keep low resistance, but not so light that you don't have any resistance. Pedal as fast as you can without bouncing in your saddle. Do three to five one-minute efforts, then two minutes of moderate cadence recovery. Then to progress to three-minute efforts and five minutes of recovery.
Seated High-Speed Sprints - You'll have to find a downhill road to ride. Put your bike in medium gear and get moving about 15-20 MPH. You want to move fast enough to pedal around 90 RPM with light resistance. Stay on your seat and sprint for 20 seconds. You might spin out of your gear. Then start again in a higher one. Rest for five minutes between springs. Then repeat five to 10 times.
Power Start - Accelerating against a heavy resistance helps you smooth out your high-cadence pedaling. It also helps you develop high power, so you can accelerate from slow speeds. Roll to 2-3 MPH in a big gear. Keep your core stable and prevent your back from rounding. Then accelerate as powerfully as you can without changing your gear. Do this for 10 seconds, or until your gear spins out. Then rest for five minutes. Repeat this five to ten times.
More Ways to Increase Your Bike Speed
Ride in a Neutral Position - Keep your legs straight, elbows bent, heels down, and head up. Whenever you're feeling out of control or threatened, just snap into this position. Then you'll have full range of motion to handle anything.
Pretend You're Doing a Deadlift - Retract your neck and chin into a straight, neutral position to engage your back muscles and outer obliques when lifting. Transfer this to your bike for ultimate force production and absorption.
Pedal More and Brake Less - Unnecessary braking slows your momentum. Read the road ahead and pedal hard on straight paths with little to no obstacles. Practice steering, bending, and using drops to lower your center of gravity.
Use Your Gears - If you're spinning before you change a gear or grinding as you hit a climb, you're using too much effort. Learn how to use the gears to your advantage. Read the road and prepare for what's ahead.
Ride in a Group - You'll be motivated to keep up with the other cyclists, and faster riders will naturally push you beyond your normal, comfortable speed.
