Is Cadence Work a Waste of Time?

Many pros do it. In fact, they do it a lot. Whether they’re going up a hill or sitting on a trainer, they’re spending tons of time at either higher-than-normal or lower-than-normal cadence. The pros who do it swear by it, claiming that cadence work is critical to their success. In fact, it’s so ingrained in cycling culture that junior cyclists are required to use special gearing to ensure they learn how to ride at higher cadences from the start of their careers. 

There’s just one problem: There isn’t a lot of evidence that cadence work does what we believe it does.

Our guest today, Dr. Ernst Hansen, has studied cycling cadence for over a decade. In 2017, he wrote a review of the existing research on low cadence training with Dr. Bent Rønnestad and was left underwhelmed.

Dr. Hansen is himself an ex-professional cyclist who now works at the University College Absalon in Denmark. His research has shown some surprising results that could improve the performance of even the best cyclists. Yet, our longstanding beliefs about cadence are so ingrained, it’s proved next to impossible to change mindsets.  

We talk with Dr. Hansen about the beliefs and reality of both high- and low-cadence training, why we all naturally choose to ride above our most efficient cadence, the promise of low-cadence sprints, if there is a neuromuscular effect, and ultimately what he recommends.  

We’ll also hear from professional cyclist Alex Howes, ex-World Tour rider turned commentator Brent Bookwalter, legendary physiologist Dr. Bent Rønnestad, and elite coaches Houshang Amiri and Neal Henderson.  

So, find your comfortable cadence—then pedal slower—and let’s make you fast!