Why cycling cadence matters more than speed (and how music helps)

Most cyclists track speed. Fewer track cadence. That is a problem, because speed is an outcome you cannot directly control, while cadence is the input you can.

Your speed on a bike depends on power output, wind resistance, gradient, rolling resistance, bike weight, and body position. Change any one of those variables and your speed changes, even if your effort stays identical. Cadence, the number of complete pedal revolutions per minute, is different. It reflects how you are producing power, not how fast the resulting power moves you forward. And how you produce power determines how efficiently you ride, how long you last, and how your body recovers.

If you are chasing speed on your bike computer, you are watching the wrong number.

Cadence vs speed vs power: what each one tells you

Speed (km/h or mph): How fast you are moving over the ground. Affected by gradient, wind, road surface, aerodynamic position, and mechanical efficiency. Two riders producing the same power can travel at very different speeds depending on conditions. Speed is a useful result, but a poor training metric.

Power (watts): How much work you are doing. Power meters measure the force you apply to the pedals multiplied by how fast you turn them. It is the most objective measure of effort, unaffected by wind or gradient. But power alone does not tell you how you are producing it.

Cadence (RPM): How many times your pedals complete a full revolution per minute. This is where the efficiency conversation begins. Power equals force times cadence. You can produce 200 watts by pushing hard at 60 RPM (high force, low cadence) or by spinning lighter at 100 RPM (low force, high cadence). The same power, delivered two completely different ways, with very different consequences for your body.

Why cadence consistency matters for efficiency

The relationship between cadence and efficiency is well studied in cycling science. Here are the key findings.

Higher cadences shift load to your cardiovascular system. When you pedal at 60 RPM, each pedal stroke requires significant muscular force. Your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings do heavy work on every revolution. When you pedal at 90-95 RPM, the force per stroke drops because you are turning the pedals more frequently. The total work stays the same, but the load shifts from your muscles to your heart and lungs.

For most riders, this trade-off favours a higher cadence. Your cardiovascular system recovers faster than your muscles. After a hard effort at 60 RPM, your legs may feel heavy for hours. After the same effort at 95 RPM, the muscular fatigue is often less pronounced.

Steady cadence reduces energy waste. Every time your cadence fluctuates, your body must recruit and de-recruit muscle fibres to adjust. Acceleration costs energy. Deceleration wastes momentum. A cadence that bounces between 80 and 95 RPM is less efficient than one that holds 88 RPM, even if the average is the same.

Professional cyclists are remarkably consistent in their cadence. Studies analysing pedalling data from Grand Tour riders show cadence standard deviations of just 2-3 RPM during sustained efforts. That level of consistency is a trained skill, and it directly contributes to their efficiency.

The optimal range for most riders is 80-100 RPM. Research on cycling economy (the oxygen cost of producing a given power) consistently finds that self-selected cadence tends to fall in the 80-100 RPM range for trained cyclists. Recreational riders often default to lower cadences (60-75 RPM), which feels easier in the moment but causes faster muscular fatigue and less efficient power delivery.

The takeaway is straightforward: find a cadence in the 80-100 RPM range that feels sustainable, and hold it there as steadily as possible. The consistency matters as much as the number itself.

Why your cadence drifts (and why that costs you)

Knowing your target cadence is one thing. Holding it is another.

Cadence drift is universal. Over a 45-minute ride, most cyclists experience gradual cadence decay as fatigue sets in. What started at 90 RPM quietly drops to 85, then 82, then 78. The rider does not notice because the change is incremental. But the cumulative effect is real: the load shifts progressively onto the muscles, fatigue accelerates, and efficiency degrades.

External factors compound the problem. Distraction, discomfort, boredom (especially indoors), and the natural variability of human motor patterns all push cadence away from its target. Without a consistent external cue to anchor your pedal speed, drift is the default.

This is where most cyclists stop the analysis. "I need to focus harder on holding my cadence." That works for about five minutes before your attention drifts to something else.

The auditory-motor synchronization effect

Your brain has a built-in mechanism for maintaining a consistent movement tempo, and it is activated by sound.

Auditory-motor synchronization is the phenomenon where rhythmic auditory stimuli (a beat) automatically entrain motor patterns (your pedal stroke). When you hear a steady beat at 90 BPM, your motor cortex activates in time with that rhythm. Your legs naturally want to match it. This happens below conscious awareness; you do not have to think about matching the beat. Your nervous system does it automatically.

Research led by Dr. Costas Karageorghis at Brunel University has demonstrated that cyclists who pedal in synchrony with tempo-matched music maintain more consistent cadences, report lower perceived exertion, and sustain high-intensity efforts for longer compared to those riding with mismatched music or no music at all.

The key word is "synchrony." The music must match your target cadence. A track at 128 BPM does not help you hold 90 RPM. It either pulls your cadence upward toward 128, or your brain disengages from the rhythm entirely. In either case, the synchronization benefit is lost.

When the BPM matches the RPM, three things happen:

1. Your cadence locks in. The external rhythm acts as a pacemaker. Instead of your legs drifting freely between 85 and 95 RPM, they anchor to the beat at 90. The variability narrows.

2. You notice drift immediately. When your cadence drops below the beat, you feel it. The mismatch between your pedal stroke and the music creates a subtle discomfort that prompts you to speed back up. The music functions as a real-time feedback loop.

3. The effort feels easier. When your motor system is synchronised to an external rhythm, perceived exertion decreases. The same wattage feels more manageable. Your brain is not spending resources on pace regulation because the music handles that.

Why generic playlists do not solve the cadence problem

If auditory-motor synchronization requires tempo matching, then the music needs to be at the right BPM for your target cadence. This is where generic cycling playlists fall apart.

A typical "indoor cycling" playlist on any streaming service contains songs ranging from 90 to 150 BPM, shuffled without regard for what cadence you are targeting. One track locks you in at 92 RPM. The next pulls you to 128. The one after that sits at 105. Your cadence bounces around following whichever beat is playing, which is the opposite of the consistency that improves efficiency.

Even carefully curated playlists have the gap problem. Between tracks, there is a moment of silence where your rhythmic anchor disappears. Your cadence wobbles for a few seconds until the next beat establishes itself. Over a 45-minute ride, those micro-disruptions add up.

How BPM-matched music naturally locks in cadence

The solution is music that matches your target cadence precisely and transitions between tracks without breaking the rhythm.

When you ride with BPM-matched music, the beat becomes an external metronome for your legs. You do not have to think about holding 90 RPM. You pedal with the beat, and the beat holds at 90. Your conscious attention is freed to focus on effort, form, and breathing rather than pace regulation.

During interval workouts, the BPM shifts to match each new target cadence. When you move from a 100 RPM tempo block to a 130 RPM threshold interval, the music accelerates to 130 BPM and your legs follow. When the recovery comes and the music drops to 75 BPM, you decelerate naturally. Each transition is guided by the beat rather than forced by willpower.

This is the practical application of decades of auditory-motor synchronization research: music as a cadence regulation tool, not just entertainment.

Putting it into practice

If cadence consistency is the goal (and it should be), here is what to prioritise:

Track your cadence. A basic cadence sensor costs $30-50 CAD and pairs with most cycling apps. You cannot improve what you do not measure.

Pick a target range. For most riders, 85-95 RPM is a good starting point for endurance work. Adjust based on feel and power data if you have it.

Match your music. Whatever cadence you target, your music should be at the same BPM. This is the simplest and most effective way to hold your cadence steady without constant mental effort.

Minimise gaps. Silence between tracks breaks the synchronization loop. Crossfaded or gapless playback preserves the rhythmic anchor.

Cycling Beats automates all of this. AI-generated tracks at precise BPMs across the full 60-160 spectrum, real-time cadence sync that follows your actual pedalling speed, and crossfade streaming that maintains rhythmic continuity from start to finish. Your cadence sensor reports RPM. The app delivers the matching BPM. Your legs stay locked in.

Speed is an outcome. Cadence is the lever. Music is what keeps your hand on it.