• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Become a Premium Member
  • About

Road Bike Rider Cycling Site

Expert road cycling advice, since 2001

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Bikes & Gear
  • Training & Health
  • Reviews
  • Cycling Ebooks
    • Ebooks Training
    • Ebooks Skills
    • E-Articles Training
    • E-Articles Nutrition
  • Member Area
  • Newsletter

What Climbing Cadence is Best for Knees?

Question: I’ve heard that it’s better for knees if you spin a lower gear on climbs rather than mash a big gear. Why is it harder on the knees to pedal at a slower rpm? What about pedaling slowly when out of the saddle? — Jim M.

Coach Fred Matheny Replies: Good questions! The important element here isn’t the total time taken to climb the hill, but rather the total load on the knees during any given pedal stroke.

If you ride up the hill in three minutes at 80 rpm, you’ve divided the total work into 240 pieces (3 x 80). It takes the same amount of work to climb the hill in three minutes in a bigger gear at 60 rpm, but the work has been divided by only 180.

So, there’s more work being done on each pedal stroke when you have a lower cadence in a bigger gear. There’s more stress on the knee on each pedal revolution. Make sense?

Standing up definitely takes stress off most knee problems cyclists are likely to have. It’s a good choice when you’re climbing with someone who is slower and uses lower gears. It gives you a chance to stretch your legs and take weight off your rear end, and the pressure off your lower back.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Articles

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1053
  • Can you use Shimano rotors with SRAM brakes? (Or vice versa?)
  • 16 Tips for Increasing Your Annual Cycling Mileage
  • Intense Exercisers Have More Plaques but Fewer Heart Attacks

Recent Newsletters

Newsletter Issue No. 1053

Newsletter Issue No. 1052

Newsletter Issue No. 1051

Newsletter Issue No. 1050

Newsletter Issue No. 1049

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

Our cycling expert editors and writers choose every product we review. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. This income supports our site.

Follow Us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Privacy Policy

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For?

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in