Pedal Revolutions

I'd say the best way to figure it out is to go out and try riding a preset distance mashing in a harder gear, and then do the exact same course spinning in an easier one.  After you've done both gauge the exertion needed, and look at your speed over the distance.


In my personal experience, which doesn't include messing around with a power meter yet, higher RPMs and easier gears is much much more efficient.  I usually choose a gear and cadence I can feel like I can maintain forever, and when I feel the need to go faster/work harder I'll slowly drop gears while maintaining the same RPMs to gain speed.  If I start to tire, I'll switch to an easier gear but keep the RPMs high.

To each there own when it comes to pedal cadence.

My pedal cadence has naturally rise in the 5 years of playing in this sport.  After warm-up I will ride mainly between 95 and 105 rpm's.  I ride my fastest at 100-105 rpms in the gear that I can maintain, whether its up an incline, down hill, into the wind, etc.

Do you have a cadence meter on your bike?