You’ll hear every Bike instructor give a similar speech before a ride, walking you through cadence, resistance and how your output gets calculated. Depending on your fitness goals, it’s a good idea to maneuver those metrics within the suggested range so that you’re pushing yourself to reach your best personal outcome. We talked to Peloton Bike instructor Christine D’Ercole who explained the benefits of turning that red knob, how riding in and out of the saddle can impact your muscles differently and why you need to switch it up in order to increase your strength and endurance for future rides.
How to Conquer Cadence
If you’re a new Member, riding at a higher cadence (between 85 to 100) can make your legs burn, but over time you’ll find this speed causes less fatigue on your muscles because you’re building up endurance. “It may sound counterintuitive, but a faster cadence relies on slow-twitch muscle fibers, which are used in long-distance endurance rides,” Christine says. “Developing the ability to pedal at a higher cadence will also strengthen your cardiovascular system because doing so is dependent on oxygenated muscles. This means you’ll be breathing heavier, but your legs will last longer, and this can help you extend the length of your rides over time to 30 minutes, 45 minutes or even 60 minutes.”