In the cycling world, “spinning” usually refers to pedalling at a high cadence. I remember hearing the phrase often in my early racing days: “spinners are winners.” At the time, I didn’t take it too seriously – until I began working with top-level coaches who helped me realize there’s truth behind it.
So, what is spinning in cycling? How can increasing your cadence be such a game-changer? In my opinion, cycling spinning training is one of the most underrated and simplest methods to improve your performance by enhancing efficiency.
Spinning Smarter, Not Harder: Why efficiency matters
Efficiency is everything. I’ve never considered myself a naturally gifted athlete, so I had to optimize every detail to compete at the highest level. I was the first rider to race a mass-start event in a skin suit just to save watts – and got laughed at for it. I used women’s 38-centimetre handlebars back in 2007 because men’s bars weren’t available in anything smaller than 42 cm. I ran a 22-centimetre seat-to-bar drop. Every aerodynamic tweak I made allowed me to ride the same speed with less effort – or go faster with the same effort. That’s how I managed to compete in 20 consecutive Grand Tours. Efficiency is not just important – it’s essential.
The fastest way to improve? Spin
Which brings us back to spinning workouts. If you want to improve fast, this is the easiest place to start. Just three targeted sessions per week and you’ll begin to notice real gains in your pedaling economy and cycling performance.
You’ve got two options from here:
Try one of the workouts on the ROUVY indoor cycling app, and stop reading here.
Or go deeper, understand the why, and learn how to integrate spinning into your outdoor rides and become a master of pedal efficiency.
Let’s be honest – if you want to do this right, a home trainer is best. Track cyclists are the perfect example: They don’t post high-cadence drills on Instagram just for the likes – they train that way consistently because they understand the power of spinning. And they do it on stationary bikes, where control and focus are at their peak.
A simple test: Flat vs. climb
Ask yourself: Is it easier to do a 30-minute, max-effort power test on the flat or on a climb?
If you’re truly efficient, you’ll say the flat. But most riders will say the climb – and that’s actually good news. It means you can quickly improve your cycling cadence with the right approach.
Here’s why:
On flat terrain, there’s less tension on the chain and more time in the pedal stroke where you’re not applying consistent force. Your muscles have to fire quickly and precisely. On a climb, there’s constant tension, a slower cadence and less requirement for that rapid muscle activation. That’s why most riders can push more power uphill. It’s also why, if you look at a long flat race file, you’ll often see cadence decline over time – your efficiency drops as fatigue sets in.
Try this spinning workout to see for yourself
Test it on the road with this spinning workout session:
4 x 10 minutes at FTP, 15 minutes rest between each.
1st and 3rd intervals: On a climb, any cadence.
2nd and 4th intervals: On flat or slight downhill, cadence between 95-105 rpm.
If your FTP is 250 watts, you should hit 250W in all four. If you struggle to hold power on the flat intervals, no one needs to tell you – you’ll feel it. I know I did. One of my first coaches had me do this at 420 watts and 110 rpm. I could do it easily on the climb, but couldn’t even hold 380 watts on the flat. That’s when I realised I wasn’t efficient – I was just a brute-force pedal masher.
Why four repeats? Doing two efforts on each terrain isn’t just for comparison – it helps factor in fatigue. I always believe if you’re going to do something, do it right.
Indoor training on ROUVY vs. outdoor training
If you’ve kept reading because you want to do this outdoors – sorry. But the truth is, indoor is better. Once a week, I highly recommend doing a ROUVY workout focused on cycling spinning training.
Just make sure you do it in the big chainring. This increases the flywheel speed and creates a more realistic road feel. If you use a small chainring, your trainer compensates by applying resistance with magnets, which doesn’t replicate outdoor riding as well.
Outdoor spinning drill:
Here’s a simple cycling cadence drill to try outside:
- 4 x 10 minutes at 90-95 percent of FTP and 95 rpm, with 10-15 minutes of recovery between efforts.
- As you improve, increase cadence, not power.
- Once you complete two sessions at target cadence, increase by 5 rpm.
Remember: cadence matters more than power. I’d rather see you hold 95 rpm at 85 percent of FTP than 90 rpm at 90 percent of FTP.
Spinning on group rides
Want to add spinning to a group ride on ROUVY? Try this:
Every nine minutes and 30 seconds, drop back slightly and pedal at 95-110 rpm for 30 seconds while holding the same speed.
It might feel subtle but over a three-hour ride, that’s 9 minutes of high-cadence drills, and you’ll start noticing your natural cadence increase.
Final thoughts on spinning
Spinning is simple, low-risk, and incredibly effective. You don’t need to be a genetic freak to improve – it just takes focus, structure, and a bit of discipline.
Start working on it today, and you'll notice the difference not only in your numbers but in how fresh and efficient you feel on the bike.
Train smart, spin faster, and let efficiency take you further than force ever could.
