The speed of your bike is dependent on the gear ratio being used, the speed at which you rotate the pedals (referred to as the "cadence", measured in RPM), and the force you apply to the pedals. The important thing to grasp is that you can produce the same speed using different levels of gear ratios, cadences, and pedal forces. You can use this fact to help you through a ride. The cadence that is best for you is situational and depends on many things:

~~ If your heart is beating rapidly and you are having a hard time breathing - shift to a slightly harder (higher) gear, slow down your cadence and push harder on the pedals.

~~ If your thighs are burning - shift to a slightly lower (easier) gear, increase your cadence but don't push as hard on the pedals.

~~ If you are experiencing a lot of pain on the saddle and/or in the shoulders - shift to a higher gear, slow down your cadence and push harder on the pedals.

~~ Your "optimal" cadence depends on your cardiovascular condition, your mix of slow-twitch/fast-twitch muscles, and your particular goal for the ride. The definition of "optimal" (e.g. max VO2 efficiency, or minimum muscle strain, etc.) depends on which study you are looking at. Regardless of the study and the definition, a cadence betweeen 80 RPM and 100 RPM is generally considered "optimal".


Your pedalling strategy can vary throughout the course of a ride. For example, on flat sections I cruise along at 88 RPM. On long climbs, I change to an easier gear and mash along at roughly 60 RPM (I find that I can take any hill as long as I pedal along at around 5mph at roughly 60 RPM - despite being over 60 years old and having crappy knees). To accelerate, I'll shift to progressively harder gears and mash away until I get to the speed that I want, and then I'll change gears to find one where I can maintain that speed while spinning along at 88 RPM.