When triathletes talk about improving their bike leg, the conversation usually jumps straight to power numbers, aerodynamic upgrades, or the perfect bike fit. All important, of course—but there’s a quieter, simpler metric that can transform both your ride and your run: cadence.

Cadence isn’t flashy, it won’t earn you compliments in transition, but if you understand how it works and how to train it, it becomes one of the most effective tools for racing smarter, riding stronger, and running better off the bike.

Cadence is the number of pedal revolutions per minute (rpm). It’s the rhythm of your ride, the tempo your legs naturally fall into. Most cyclists hover somewhere between 70–90 rpm, with some outliers above and below. But triathletes aren’t just cyclists, they’re cyclists who still have to have the energy and ability to run well after the cycle leg

That’s why cadence matters so much in triathlon.

1. It is the driver for how you and your muscles fatigue

Different cadences stress your body in different ways:

• Low cadence (50–75 rpm): High torque, high muscular load, especially on the quads and glutes. Great for building strength, but it can leave your legs feeling heavy for the run.
• High cadence (90–100+ rpm): Lower muscular strain, higher cardiovascular demand. You save your legs, but your heart rate may rise along with energy consumption.

Triathlon is all about managing fatigue throughout and having the energy to finish the run strong. The right cadence helps you spread the workload across your body in a way that preserves your legs for later.

2. It directly affects your bike to run transition

Ask any triathlete about “Jelly legs”: the first kilometre of the run can feel like a different sport entirely. Cadence plays a surprisingly big role in how smooth or painful that transition becomes.

A slightly higher, more consistent cadence on the bike helps:

• Reduce that “Jelly leg” sensation
•  Improve neuromuscular readiness
• Make it easier to hit your target run pace quickly

Think of it as priming your legs for the turnover they’ll need on the run.

3. It Helps You Control Power and Avoid Spikes

Power is a product of torque and cadence. When cadence drops on a climb, into a headwind, or when fatigue sets in torque rises. That means:

• Higher muscular strain
• More “matches” burned
• Greater risk of blowing up late in the day or race

Holding a steady cadence helps you hold steady power, which is the foundation of a well paced triathlon bike leg.

4. It Improves Long Distance Efficiency

Efficiency isn’t just about aero helmets and deep section wheels. It’s also about metabolic cost.

Research shows:

• Elite cyclists often prefer higher cadences to reduce muscular fatigue.
• Age group triathletes often default to lower cadences, which feel comfortable but accumulate fatigue over time.

Training your body to handle a slightly higher cadence—without sending your heart rate through the roof—can make your entire race feel smoother and more sustainable.

How to train cadence like a triathlete

1. Add cadence focused drills to your training - A few effective options:

• High cadence spinning: 100–120 rpm for short intervals – increases ability to spin when needed, such as on a climb with fatigued legs, on a decent when you have run out of gears
• Low cadence strength work: 50–70 rpm at moderate to high resistance – this aids strength training, increasing your torque and power – used when accelerating hard, grinding over that steep climb – ultimately building your cycling strength to hold higher watts.
• Cadence pyramids: gradually increasing and decreasing rpm – giving you great variety and switching ability from grinding to spinning. 

These drills improve neuromuscular coordination and expand your comfortable cadence range. Having a large range of cadence in your pocket is a game changer when it comes to competing in triathlon, giving you greater flexibility in body and in race plan and execution.

2. Use brick sessions to test your race cadence

Your ideal cadence is the one that lets you run well afterward – (this is usually similar to your run cadence). Brick workouts are the most reliable way to discover what actually works for your body.

3. Treat cadence as a pacing anchor

Conditions change on race day, wind, terrain, fatigue but cadence can be your stabiliser. If you keep cadence smooth and consistent, power tends to follow.

There’s no universal magic number, but for most triathletes a steady 80–95 rpm during the bike leg strikes the right balance between muscular preservation and cardiovascular efficiency.

The real goal isn’t hitting a specific number it’s finding a cadence that’s sustainable, efficient, and sets you up for a strong run.

Cadence isn’t just a metric, it’s a strategy and when you use it intentionally, it becomes one of the most powerful tools in your triathlon toolkit.