FTP and prescribed cadences (newbie)

Nine hammers is particularly tough. I can manage to get through it by doing my own cadence, even as far as doing 70-75 on recovery, it helps me

Personally, my approach would be to lower the power so that I could maintain the specified cadence rather than lower the cadence to maintain the specified power.

By way of explanation, I’ll add that for me, spinning at higher cadence rather than mashing is less fatiguing overall for long duration at tempo and above, (e.g. challenging 30+ mile group rides). Cadence drills and sustained high cadence intervals improved my ability to utilize higher cadence and to naturally spin rather than mash. By spin, I mean applying force to the pedals over the top and through the bottom rather just on the down stroke. I started riding in ERG mode ~10 years ago doing bike shop Computrainer sessions. There too, I found it way better to spin faster with the resultant lower resistance than to slow down and get bogged down as resistance increased.

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But as well as overall efficient work it is about where the work is happening. Even if it is less efficient but occurs in a faster to recover organ (eg. Heart) it can be better in the long run unless you are doing 1 single effort at VO2 Max.

The one thing I’ve learnt from experience is that even if you are running above or below the target follow the advised changes. In TT position I found low cadences hard and so chugged along at 95rpm. Bad idea. Below 65 on aero bars is hard for me but if you set everything 10 higher it works much better for me than not changing. You need a bit of range even if the middle of that range is very personal and position dependent.

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My approach is that power is the main thing, try to train cadence,m but you will not get the training effect with the wrong power

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Good point. However, for myself, I believe if using lower than the prescribed cadence makes the workout easier, then I’m not getting the intended training effect either.

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Thank you for those suggestions, I will do them!

Try to build leg strength, you need less cadence then

My normal cadence is just in the 85-90 range. I too find the default cadence or recommended cadence higher than the cadence that I use in the half montie.

Cadence is always secondary

Respectfully disagree.

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The exception is low or high cadence drills. (i.e. Cadence Builds, G.O.A.T)

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