Most cyclists spend significant money on lighter bikes, better wheels, and aerodynamic kit.
Almost none of them spend 10 minutes optimising the thing that determines how efficiently their drivetrain converts effort into forward motion.
Gear selection.
---
The Cadence-Power Relationship
Optimal cycling cadence is one of the most studied questions in exercise physiology — and the findings consistently point to a narrower range than most recreational riders use.
For sustained efforts (>20 minutes), research indicates that trained cyclists produce peak power efficiency at 80–100 RPM. Below this range:
- Muscular demand increases (force per pedal stroke rises)
- Fatigue accumulates faster in fast-twitch fibres
- Joint stress on knees and hips increases
- Cardiovascular demand increases disproportionately
- Neurological efficiency drops (energy wasted on rapid leg cycling rather than power transfer)
---
What "Grinding" Is Actually Costing You
Grinding — pushing a large gear at low cadence (55–65 RPM) — *feels* powerful. The resistance is high. The legs feel loaded.
But the neuromuscular cost is disproportionate to the power output.
At low cadences, you're recruiting high-threshold motor units — the same fibres used for sprinting — to sustain what should be an aerobic, submaximal effort. These fibres fatigue rapidly and do not recover during the same ride.
The result: you feel strong for 20 minutes, then fall apart for the remaining 60.
Recreational cyclists chronically ride in gears 2–3 teeth harder than the research supports for their cadence target. This compounds over multi-hour rides into significant accumulated fatigue that has nothing to do with fitness level.
---
The Gear Ratio Math Most Cyclists Never Do
Every drivetrain combination produces a specific gear ratio — the number of wheel rotations per pedal revolution.
For example:
- 50-tooth chainring × 17-tooth cassette = 2.94 ratio
- 34-tooth chainring × 28-tooth cassette = 1.21 ratio
Most amateur cyclists do not know their gear ratios. They shift by feel.
Shifting by feel means optimising for perceived effort — not for power output, cadence target, or physiological efficiency.
---
The Climbing Mistake That Compounds Over Altitude
On climbs, the most common error is maintaining the same gear used on flat terrain — or only downshifting when the legs are already burning.
The correct approach, supported by biomechanics research:
Shift early, maintain cadence, preserve muscle.
Aim for 70–80 RPM on gradients above 6%. Most amateur riders are at 50–60 RPM on climbs — grinding their way through quadriceps depletion while watching trained climbers appear to "float" at the same speed.
The trained climbers are not fitter by a factor of 2. They are spinning 25–30 RPM faster, using gears that allow them to stay in the aerobic system while the grinders have already recruited their glycolytic fibres.
---
The Practical Protocol
- Set a cadence target before you ride: 85–95 RPM for flat and rolling terrain, 70–80 RPM for sustained climbs
- Shift *before* you need to, not when the legs protest
- Use the small chainring more than feels natural: most recreational riders are embarrassed to use the smallest gears — this is a cultural artefact, not a physiology recommendation
- Test your natural cadence: count pedal strokes for 30 seconds on a flat road at comfortable effort. Multiply by 2. If under 80, you are almost certainly over-geared
- Calculate your gear ratios for your common terrain: knowing that your 50×19 gets you to 30 km/h at 85 RPM helps you plan gear selection before a climb rather than reacting to it
What cadence do you naturally ride at? Have you ever measured it?