High vs Low Cadence in Cycling and Running

Slow and steady for distance has been my way, until I learned more about high cadence. For a while, I enjoyed feeling the muscle recruitment needed to push moderately hard. I ran hills hard and I biked up hard hills in my big gear possible until I gave out and then had to shift under load.

Higher cadence typically offers better performance and sustainability in both cycling and running, though the optimal range varies by individual, sport discipline, and intensity level.

Cycling Cadence

Physiological Differences

Low cadence cycling (60-75 rpm) is more metabolically economical but fatigues leg muscles faster by recruiting Type II fast-twitch muscle fibers and increasing force per pedal stroke.

High cadence (90-100 rpm) has a higher oxygen cost due to more frequent muscle contractions, but spares muscles from fatigue by favoring slow-twitch fibers and reducing force production per stroke.

For longer events, we are trying to reduce muscle fatique. We can keep our effort consistent with high cadence rather than spike our effort in a hard gear and slow with a slow cadence. Slow, sometimes, just one step ahead of stopped! By adopting a high-cadence strategy, we can last longer and save our legs for the rest of the event or for running off the bike, during a triathlon.

Practical Recommendations

Most experienced cyclists gravitate to 75-95 rpm during sustained efforts at recovery and threshold intensities, while high cadences of 95-110 rpm are reserved for high-intensity intervals and sprints. The best cyclists develop "cadence agility"—the ability to rapidly transition between high-force low cadence and lower-force high cadence as conditions demand. For triathletes specifically, lower cadences (80-85 rpm) may conserve energy for the run, though finishing the bike leg at higher cadence may improve running performance.

High cadence helps sustain effort on long hills. Trying to push a hard gear while climbing a hill most of the time doesn't work for me. I then have to down shift under load - which is hard on the bike, sometimes dropping the chain. Down shifting early helps me maintain a steady effort up a big hill.

Training Benefits

Training at both high and low cadences increases the range you can comfortably ride in, allowing you to shift workload between muscular and cardiovascular systems throughout a race. Low cadence builds muscle strength and power, while high cadence improves muscle timing, coordination, and efficiency.

Running Cadence

The 180 SPM Myth

While 180 steps per minute has been promoted as the ideal running cadence since Jack Daniels' 1984 Olympic observations, research shows elite runners actually range from 155 to 203 spm. Most recreational runners fall between 150-170 spm, while elite runners often exceed 180 spm.

Cadence Varies by Pace

Your running cadence should naturally increase as you run faster. Typical ranges include 160-170 spm at easy pace, 168-175 spm at steady pace, 174-180 spm at tempo, and 182-190+ spm during intervals. Maintaining the same cadence across different paces while only changing stride length often leads to over-striding and inefficiency.

Benefits of Higher Cadence

Higher cadence running reduces ground contact time, which decreases pressure on joints and muscles. It also promotes shorter, quicker steps that reduce over-striding. Research shows that increasing cadence by approximately 5% from your self-selected rate can improve running efficiency by 5-8% without using more energy.

Individual Variation

Cadence depends on factors including height, weight, running ability, and even shoe choice—taller runners generally have lower cadences due to longer strides. Rather than forcing a specific number, runners should aim to shift their entire cadence range upward by around 5% for improved efficiency.

Practical Recommendations

High cadence helps with both uphills and downhills. Increasing cadence going up helps reduce the force per step it takes to climb the hill by breaking it up into small increments. It takes a lot of effort to jump a couple of feet up. It takes less effort to jump a few inches. We can jump a few inches repeatedly. We cannot jump a couple of feet high repeatedly.

High cadence also helps running down hill. Instead of taking more pounding due to the additional landing force landing lower and with more momentum, we can break that up with smaller quicker steps. This helps especially when recovering from injuries that needs reduced load.