Coach Ray’s Cadence Session 7: Can You Pedal Faster Without Riding Harder?

Coach Ray’s Cadence Session 7 is a 42-minute smart-trainer workout designed to improve cadence control, pedalling efficiency and adaptability. Four progressive cadence ladders take you from 90–95rpm through to 105–110rpm while maintaining Level II intensity, challenging you to increase leg speed while remaining smooth, relaxed and controlled.

Most cyclists have a cadence where everything feels comfortable.

For many riders, that natural rhythm sits somewhere around 90–100rpm. But being comfortable at one cadence isn't the same as being efficient across a range of cadences.

That's the challenge behind Coach Ray’s Cadence Session 7.

Instead of increasing the intensity to make the workout harder, this session keeps the effort controlled at Level II while progressively increasing how quickly you're turning the pedals.

Cadence Is the Challenge

There’s an important distinction with this workout:

Higher cadence does not mean higher intensity.

The session uses a series of progressive cadence ladders. You begin around a typical cycling cadence before gradually increasing your leg speed beyond 100rpm.

As your cadence rises, the challenge is to maintain approximately the same Level II intensity.

That sounds simple, but increasing your leg speed can easily cause your power to creep upwards. You may also notice your upper body becoming tense or your hips starting to bounce in the saddle.

The goal is to control those changes rather than simply chasing a bigger cadence number.

Smoothness Before Speed

When you reach the higher cadences, concentrate on how you're pedalling.

Keep your shoulders relaxed, your hands light on the handlebars and your hips stable in the saddle.

If your technique begins to fall apart as your cadence increases, back it off slightly.

Smoothly riding at 106rpm is far more useful than bouncing around at 110rpm just because you want to reach the top of the prescribed range.

Technique comes before the number on the screen.

Why Train Different Cadences?

You may naturally prefer riding at 90rpm, 95rpm or somewhere else entirely.

That's fine.

But riding outdoors doesn't always allow you to stay at your preferred cadence. Changes in gradient, gearing, terrain, wind and the riders around you can all influence the rhythm required on the bike.

Training across a wider range of cadences gives you more options when those situations occur.

The aim isn't necessarily to change your natural cadence. It's to become comfortable and efficient when circumstances require you to ride differently.

Can You Stay Smooth as Fatigue Builds?

There's another challenge hidden within this session.

As you repeat the cadence ladders, some fatigue will gradually accumulate.

Can you remain as relaxed and controlled during your final high-cadence effort as you were during your first?

Afterwards, don't judge the workout purely by average power.

Look at your cadence data and ask yourself:

Did I stay smooth and controlled as my leg speed increased?

That's a much better measure of success for this session.

Want the Complete Workout?

In the full article, I share the complete 42-minute Coach Ray’s Cadence Session 7, including all four cadence ladders, intensity Levels, warm-up and cool-down.

I also explain how to approach each progression, what to concentrate on as your cadence increases and the common mistakes that can undermine the technical purpose of the workout.

👉 Read the full article and get the complete workout here:

Coach Ray’s Cadence Session 7 – Full Workout

Keep the intensity controlled. Increase the leg speed. Make smoothness the goal.