Spin Training › Guides
Cadence and Position: Seated, Standing and RPM
How fast to pedal, when to stand, and why it matters as much as resistance.
Cadence is how fast your legs turn, in revolutions per minute (RPM). Along with resistance, it decides how hard a set feels and what kind of fitness it builds.
Typical cadence ranges
| Effort | Cadence | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up and recovery | 85–95 RPM | Seated |
| Endurance and flat road | 85–95 RPM | Seated |
| Spin-ups | 100+ RPM | Seated, light resistance |
| Seated climb | 60–75 RPM | Seated |
| Standing climb | 55–65 RPM | Standing |
These are common coaching ranges, not rules. Some strong riders climb in the mid-50s; others are more comfortable spinning faster with less resistance. Ride a cadence you can hold with smooth, round pedal strokes.
Seated or standing?
- Seated is more efficient and easier to hold for a long time. Most of every ride is seated.
- Standing lets you use your body weight and different muscles for short, heavy efforts, like the summit of a hill. Keep the resistance high enough that you’re not bouncing, and your hips back over the pedals.
- In Spin Studio, each set shows its position, and the hill rides switch to standing for the summits.
Common mistakes
- Spinning very fast with almost no resistance. It feels busy, but it isn’t doing much. Add enough resistance to feel the road.
- Grinding below 50 RPM on climbs. That’s hard on knees. Drop a little resistance and keep the legs turning.
- Standing with too little resistance. If you’re bouncing, add resistance before you stand.