Originally Posted by sd790

Pedaling technique also plays into your ability to be comfortable at higher cadences. When i first started riding, I was able to bump my cadence up considerably by regularly doing one-legged drills during my cool-down. Unclip one foot and pedal with one leg for one minute then switch legs and repeat - speed and cadence don't matter here. Three sets twice a week worked wonders for me. These drills immediately show you the dead spots in your pedal stroke. Repeating these will get your legs used to moving more efficiently, thus making higher cadence far more comfy.