Listen to Our 170 to 180 BPM Playlist to Hit the Ideal Cadence
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Listening to a killer playlist doesn’t just make you go faster due to your favorite songs playing on repeat—though research has shown that it does provide a psychological boost! The right mix of music can also help you improve your cycling cadence by syncing your pedal stroke to the beat.
Researchers have found that high-energy music both increases your motivation and lowers your perceived exertion, so you’re more excited about your interval, and it feels less hard. The beats per minute (bpm) playing in the background of your favorite pump-up tunes will also naturally help you keep your cadence higher on the bike, often without you even realizing it’s happening.
Don’t believe me? Try to ride at a cadence of 90 revolutions per minute (rpm) while listening to “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion. Then, turn on “Dancing With Myself” by Billy Idol and try to hold that same cadence. Notice the difference?
“Music is both a technical and spiritual tool that can help cyclists increase cadence,” says Peloton instructor, Jess King. “Our bodies and our spirit are wired to respond to music. It creates an energy and mood, and moving to music creates a synergy and flow with your body and breath... The right music during a workout stimulates every part of your body and mind, impacting performance.”
What’s more: Researchers have even found that exercise is more efficient when performed synchronously with music compared to when your rpms aren’t in sync with your bpm. In other words, timing your spinning to your soundtrack actually makes you more efficient as a cyclist.
Indoor cycling teachers know that the ideal bpm to get a cyclist going at a certain number of rpms is a roughly 2:1 ratio—it’s why they carefully hone their playlists for optimal music playing at just the right time during a ride. So if you want to be pedaling at 85 to 90 rpm—generally agreed to be the optimal and efficient cadence for most riders—that means listening to tunes with a bpm of 170 to 180.
So, the next time you’re on the trainer, consider focusing on keeping your cadence in that sweet spot of between 85 and 90 rpms by using a playlist that’s packed with higher bpm songs. This is especially helpful if you don’t naturally ride in this particular cadence range. A lot of newer riders tend to have lower rpms, so having a playlist to push you to speed up your pedal stroke may be the tool you’ve been missing to finally spin a bit faster.
King recommends looking for a house music playlist if you’re not into creating your own. (You can also try one of her classes on the Peloton app.)
“I love house music because the beat range is motivating for degrees of increasing cadence. House music has the down beat and then the other sounds that are faster or ethereal,” she says. “You can find beats or sounds to hold on to within the song, and then play with your cadence.”
Some of King’s favorite songs to pump up the cadence are “Mala Mia” by Maluma, “My Favorite Things” by Elliot Lee, “Carry Me Higher (7 Inch Version)” by The Blessed Madonna, “Atmosphere by FISHER” and “Cruel Summer (LP Giobbi Remix)” by Taylor Swift.
To listen to a full playlist, check out Bicycling’s list of 170 to 180 bpm songs that will help you up your cadence by riding to the beat:
Listen on Spotify
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