Cadence
Cadence is the rate of a repeating movement: revolutions per minute (rpm) of the pedals in cycling, steps per minute (spm) in running and strokes per minute in swimming.
Cycling cadence
Many road cyclists settle between 80 and 100 rpm on the flat, and lower on steep climbs. Higher cadence shifts load from the muscles to the cardiovascular system; lower cadence does the opposite. Low-cadence work at 60–70 rpm is a common strength-endurance drill.
Running cadence
Running cadence rises with speed and varies with height and leg length. The often-quoted 180 steps per minute comes from observations of elite runners at race pace, not a rule for everyone. If you overstride, a small increase of around 5% can reduce braking and impact; change it gradually.
In The Next Race
The Next Race charts cadence for your runs and rides alongside heart rate, pace and power, and shows running dynamics from Garmin and Apple Watch.