22 Mar Tune-Up Tuesday 20-minute workout:  High Cadence Drills

 

The concept of an ideal cadence in cycling is more complex than it may seem. Although it differs from cyclist to cyclist, for many years 90 rpm was considered the perfect cadence. These days, a wider range (between 80-100 rpm) depending on an athlete’s given strengths, is more generally considered acceptable. Cadence refers to a cyclist’s pedal rate measured in revolutions per minute (rpm) and together with gear size, will determine your ability to generate power. Training at different cadences then is important for becoming a better rider overall. Implementing high cadence drills into your training will help increase your pedal stroke efficiency and increase your cardiovascular fitness. The goal in these workouts should be achieving good form rather than trying to generate high power. Always warm up and cool down as needed but below is a 20-minute high cadence spin-up set that is sure to get your heart pumping!

Workout:
4 x 1min at 100-105rpm, 30 sec easy recovery spin between each

2 min easy recovery spin after the last one

4 x 1min at 110-115rpm, 30 sec easy recovery spin between each

2 min easy recovery spin after the last one

3 x 45 sec at 120rpm, 30 sec easy recovery spin between each

Keep your watts in Zone 3 or up to 90% of FTP max for the high cadence spin-ups, and spin very easy (~40-50% of FTP) at natural rpm for the easy recovery intervals.

 

Happy riding!