A Study on Factors Affecting the Optimal Bicycle Pedal Cadence Under Submaximal Conditions

Abstract

The average pedal cadence requiring the least power expenditure for nine subjects was found to be 86.0 rpm. An index of muscle fiber type was com­ pared to: the cadence which subjects percieved to be easiest in bicycle ergometer tests, and the cadence which subjects preferred to pedal their own bicycles while on the road. In both cases, there was a marginally significant correlation. The cadence requiring the least power expenditure was not correlated with either the index of muscle fiber type or the pre­ ferred cadence. The factors which determine the cadence requiring the minimum power expenditure may not be the same ones that determine the pre­ferred cadence. Preferred cadence appears to be related to fiber type distribution.