How to Use a Cadence Calculator

A cadence calculator is used by bicyclists to calculate at what rate they should be pedaling to achieve a specific speed. Different cadence calculators can give speeds in miles per hour or kilometers per hour, so make sure you know what measurement system your cadence calculator uses. There are different values, such as the bicycle's tire size, that must be entered in order for the cadence calculator to give accurate results, so be prepared to take measurements of the bicycle when attempting to use a cadence calculator.

Instructions

    • 1

      Take measurements. You'll need the diameter of the tires, which is usually 27 inches for touring bicycles. You'll also need to know how many teeth are each of the sprockets on the back wheel's cogset, or freewheel. When a bicycle gear is shifted, the chain shifts to a different sprocket on the freewheel, and each freewheel has a different number of teeth.

    • 2

      Count the number of teeth on the crankset's sprockets. The crankset is the set of sprockets that are attached to the pedals and drive chain of the bicycle. While the cogset can have five or six sprockets, the crankset is usually limited to two or three sprockets. The crankset sprockets will have more teeth than the cogset sprockets. This allows the rear wheel to spin faster than the pedals are turned.

    • 3

      Have a length conversion calculator handy for conversions from English to metric and vice versa.

    • 4

      Decide on what speed you want to attain over a period of time. Cadence calculators are designed to allow the bicyclist to achieve a repetitive motion of legs, a cadence, that will yield a specific speed over a period of time. Short bursts of speed have no value and make no sense in cadence calculations. The cadence calculator is designed to give the bicyclist a long-haul approach to a bicycle ride.

    • 5

      Enter your data into the cadence calculator. Some cadence calculators allow you to enter all of the cogset and crankset teeth values at the same time, which will yield a table of speed results from which you can select your desired speed. When the speed is selected, write down the gear values associated with the number of teeth on each sprocket.

    • 6

      Get on your bicycle and start pedaling. Change gears to the sprockets noted from the cadence calculator, then keep the pedals rotating at the calculator's revolutions per minute output for the selected gear, and your speed will be maintained at the desired pace.