The Bright Side Blog

Tracking cadence gives your cycling a leg up

Tracking cadence gives your cycling a leg up

The MYX approach to fitness has always been science-based. Now that the MYX II bike has arrived and cadence metrics are measured and tracked, you have more data than ever to chart your progress. At the start of every MYXfitness ride, the trainer will recommend parameters for cadence and resistance. But why, right?

We talked to MYX Senior Manager, Content, Mel Melillo, who has been a personal trainer and group fitness instructor for nearly three decades, to get the goods on cadence.

So what is cadence anyway?

The short explanation is that cadence is the speed of your legs while cycling, or the number of revolutions per minute (RPMs) your pedals make. “Cadence is how fast your legs are moving at any given time,” elaborates Mel. “Providing cadence parameters helps to make sure that everyone is using the bike safely and getting the most out of their ride.” The sweet spot is between 60 and 100 RPMs. “That’s where the most quality work is being done on an indoor bike,” she says.

Boost your pedal power

Mel offers these tips for upping your cadence game:

  • Set up your bike properly to optimize your cadence. This includes adjusting the height of the seat and the reach of the handlebars to your body.
  • Try not to tense your shoulders or grip the handlebars too tightly so more of your energy goes into pedaling
  • Think of the pedal stroke as a clock. You generate the most power at the 3 o’clock position, pushing down, so try to maintain that same pressure and use the whole pedal stroke to keep your cadence at higher resistances.

She explains that you can measure your progress by noting how long you can maintain a certain cadence while keeping your heart rate in zone 2, which is where you improve and get closer to your fitness goals.

“If we can train our bodies to pedal faster with a little more resistance,” Mel explains, “we’ll use our bodies more efficiently and get more out of the workout. In order to pedal faster at higher resistances, you have to be stronger, and your mechanics have to be better. So you can use cadence to get better at riding your bike.”

Mel also points out that maintaining proper cadence is important for safe cycling. When your cadence is too fast, she explains, you end up bouncing all over the bike and tiring too quickly.

The takeaway? Measuring cadence gives you more control over your workout, so it’s worth putting in the legwork for safer, faster results.

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