What is an appropriate cadence for cycling?

For a smooth ride most riders feel comfortable between 80 and 100 revolutions per minute (rpm), while many experienced riders maintain a steady power output at around 90 rpm. On climbs the cadence is often lower, on sprints it's higher. The right number is the cadence that allows you to maintain a constant power output.

How do you calculate speed from cadence?

Multiply the gear ratio by the wheel circumference and then convert the result to your desired unit. When you input the gear ratio, wheel size, and cadence, this calculator will perform these calculations for you and display the result in either km/h, mph, or meters per second.

What is the difference between translation, customs translation and mileage?

The gear ratio tells you how many times the wheel turns for each revolution of the pedals. The inch gear is the product of the gear ratio and the diameter of the wheel in inches. The distance traveled is the actual distance covered with each pedal stroke. All three values represent the same gear ratio at different scales.

Does speed change with wheel or tire size?

Yes it does. Bigger wheels and wider tires cover more distance per revolution which will result in a slightly higher speed for the same cadence and gear ratio. This is why the calculator asks both wheel size and tire width, as the actual measured circumference provides the most accurate results.

Can you calculate the required pedal frequency for a specific target speed?

Leave the cadence field blank, enter your desired speed and leave the gear ratio and wheel size fields as they are. The calculator will then determine what cadence is required to achieve that speed with the selected gear ratio.

Bike Cadence Calculator

Your bike and cadence

Chainring teeth (front)

Rear cog teeth

Enter a measured wheel circumference instead

Roll the wheel one turn and measure the distance for the most exact result.

Wheel size

Tyre width (mm)

Cadence (rpm)

Speed

Add gain ratio (needs crank length)

Sheldon Brown's gain ratio factors in your crank length.

That is an efficient endurance cadence, the band most trained cyclists settle into.

Speed

km/h

Gear ratio
Gear inches
Development per stroke: m

A gear ratio of 3.33 means the rear wheel turns 3.33 times for every turn of the pedals.

One pedal stroke rolls you 7.04 m down the road in this gear.

Speed and gearing analysis

Show the speed-at-cadence table

A row for every cadence from 40 to 130 rpm in this gear.

Show the speed-by-cog chart

Compare your speed across a range of rear cogs at this cadence.

Speed at each cadence in this gear
Cadence (rpm)	Speed (km/h)	Speed (mph)
40	16.9	10.5
50	21.1	13.1
60	25.3	15.7
70	29.6	18.4
80	33.8	21
90	38	23.6
100	42.2	26.2
110	46.4	28.9
120	50.7	31.5
130	54.9	34.1

A bike cadence calculator can convert pedal frequency to speed or vice versa. After entering the gear ratio and wheel specifications, you can input your cadence to determine your speed. Alternatively, you can enter a speed to calculate the required cadence for that speed.

The same inputs can also be used to determine the characteristics of the gear ratio being used: the gear ratio itself, the translation in inches, the distance traveled per pedal revolution and the mechanical advantage. These four values allow you to compare gear ratios between different bikes and wheel sizes.

What is cadence?

Cadence is the number of revolutions a pedal makes per minute and is expressed as revolutions per minute (rpm). Like speed and power, it's an important metric for cyclists to know.

Two cyclists can be pedaling at the same speed but with very different cadences. One may pedal slowly in a heavy gear while another pedals quickly in an easy gear. Cadence as a tuning parameter determines the balance between the force applied to each pedal stroke and the speed of leg movement.

How this calculator works

With each revolution of the pedals it turns the rear wheel depending on the gear ratio and the wheel rolls along its circumference. The multiplication of these two values results in the distance traveled per pedal stroke, and multiplying by the cadence value gives the speed.

Enter the number of teeth on your front chainring, the number of teeth on your rear cog, wheel size and tire width. If you add a cadence it will show speed. If you delete the cadence and enter a target speed, the tool will calculate required cadence. If you have measured your wheel circumference and know that value, enabling this option will give the most accurate results.

Calculation equation:

The speed is determined by the cadence, gear ratio and wheel circumference.

v = \frac{\text{cadence}}{60} \times \frac{C_r}{C_g} \times \pi \, (D + 2W)

Here the unit for cadence is revolutions per minute (rpm). C_r and C_g stand for the number of teeth on the chainring and cog respectively, D is the diameter of the rim (according to ISO standard), and W is the width of the tire. The result of pi multiplied by (D + 2W) gives you the circumference of the wheel. This is because the tire adds its own width at both the top and bottom edge of the rim.

Here is an example of a typical road bike configuration: A chainring with 50 teeth, a cog with 15 teeth, a wheel size of 700 and a tire width of 25 mm, at a cadence of 90 rpm.

v = \frac{90}{60} \times \frac{50}{15} \times \pi\,(622 + 2 \times 25) \approx 38.0 \ \text{km/h}

This is about 23.6 mph. At a sprocket with 12 teeth the speed at the same 90 rpm would be around 47 kph, while one with 25 teeth would be around 23 kph and remain steady.

Gear ratio, transmission length, chain elongation, efficiency.

Bike riders express gear ratio in four ways and this tool shows all of them.

Measure	What it means	Example (50x15, 700x25)
Gear ratio	Wheel turns per pedal turn (chainring / cog)	3.33
Gear inches	Ratio times wheel diameter in inches	88.2
Development	Distance travelled per pedal stroke	7.04 m
Gain ratio	Development scaled by crank length	6.6

Cyclists refer to gear ratio in four ways and this tool displays all of them.

Selection of pedaling frequency

There is no one correct cadence but there are some practical ranges. A cadence below about 60 rpm means a powerful pedal stroke with low frequency, which increases the load on your knees. Most rides will be between 80 and 100 rpm, and experienced riders often ride at around 90 rpm. Cadences get higher during sprints or fast descents.

At a high cadence the load is shifted from the muscles to the cardiovascular system, which reduces the strain on the legs over longer distances. At a low cadence the muscles have to exert more force with each pedal stroke. The optimal cadence is one that can be maintained effortlessly at the desired power level.

How to measure your cadence:

No sensors are required. Count the number of times a knee is raised in 15 seconds and multiply by four or measure for one full minute for more accurate values. If you repeat this several times you can get a feel for what cadences of 80, 90, and 100 rpm feel like without counting.

This calculator is for training purposes and general interest only. The actual speed will depend on factors such as wind, incline, road surface and rider position. So consider the results to be ideal values for a chain and not guaranteed speeds in the real world.

Frequently asked questions

What is an appropriate cadence for cycling?: For a smooth ride most riders feel comfortable between 80 and 100 revolutions per minute (rpm), while many experienced riders maintain a steady power output at around 90 rpm. On climbs the cadence is often lower, on sprints it's higher. The right number is the cadence that allows you to maintain a constant power output.
How do you calculate speed from cadence?: Multiply the gear ratio by the wheel circumference and then convert the result to your desired unit. When you input the gear ratio, wheel size, and cadence, this calculator will perform these calculations for you and display the result in either km/h, mph, or meters per second.
What is the difference between translation, customs translation and mileage?: The gear ratio tells you how many times the wheel turns for each revolution of the pedals. The inch gear is the product of the gear ratio and the diameter of the wheel in inches. The distance traveled is the actual distance covered with each pedal stroke. All three values represent the same gear ratio at different scales.
Does speed change with wheel or tire size?: Yes it does. Bigger wheels and wider tires cover more distance per revolution which will result in a slightly higher speed for the same cadence and gear ratio. This is why the calculator asks both wheel size and tire width, as the actual measured circumference provides the most accurate results.
Can you calculate the required pedal frequency for a specific target speed?: Leave the cadence field blank, enter your desired speed and leave the gear ratio and wheel size fields as they are. The calculator will then determine what cadence is required to achieve that speed with the selected gear ratio.

Related calculators

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Disclaimer: This calculator is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. Our calculators are under active development, and results may be inaccurate, incomplete, or unsuitable for your situation. Always verify the figures independently and seek advice from a qualified professional before relying on them. We make no warranties and accept no liability for any loss or decision arising from use of this tool.

References

Wikipedia: Bicycle gearing
Gear ratio, gear inches, metres of development, and gain ratio explained.
Wikipedia: Cadence (cycling)
Definition and typical ranges of pedalling cadence.
Sheldon Brown: Gain Ratios
The origin of the gain-ratio measure, which includes crank length.