CADENCE comfort v performance (and TTs)

Hi,

In the volumes of reading I've done in the last couple of years, I've picked up on
"Lifting one's cadence will produce a faster cycling speed then jumping to a bigger gear"
and
" Spinning in a smaller gear is more aerobically demanding but will save the legs"
and
" Lance is doing low intensity base work at a cadence of 110"
and
"most people produce best endurance performance at a cadence of 90"

So.. I'm confused about (what on paper) is to the point about cadence and what really happens on the road ( or in a TT )

I've notice that a large number of the elite TT riders riding a 25k or 43k event appear to be cycling at quite a low cadence.

So i did some math and printed out some roll out figures and tried them on the road ...... and yeah you go faster in an easier gear at a higher cadence.

So to tidy this up. last week I did a 25k TT ( still a learning curve for me ) took a first timer ( fit lady ) with me. Now she started 2 minutes behind me. I'll get back to what happened in a mo. We usually go riding together. I ride away from her any time I like, hasn't always been that way, I dropped 8kg and have been training smart/hard. Anyway even on a god flat stretch I have put 5 minutes between us.

This day, at the TT. She made up over a minute on me. Now "fight in the dog" thing aside. This blew me away, especially when I found out that she had a problem with her front derailleur and couldn't get in to the big chain ring.

I've already copped the " if men had to go through child birth we would be better TT riders"

But I even went to the trouble of putting different tires (tyres) that I could pump to 150psi. but I pedaled at a cadence I found comfortable, slowish, big chainring.

I should add, my legs were a little spent as I was compounding training ( read something on super training) and didn't expect to get any kind of decent time. ( for an old guy) still !

The point is: Is there a comfort v performance thing with respect to cadence ?

Edd,
Without getting into the specifics of your workout (i.e.: riding slower than expected can be caused by many things), keep in mind that the issue of cadence is often over analyzed. Research on cadence doesn't show significant changes in performance until you've traversed a wide range of cadences. For example, during steady sub-maximal efforts, there is typically no measureable/significant difference (oxygen cost, fuel utilization, lactate levels) between 80 and 100rpm for a group of subjects. Individual circumstances can change this a bit; if you've always pedaled at 60-80rpm, then 100 is likely to feel uncomfortable and decrease performance until you have adapted to it.
In the end, it really all comes down to this:
1. 90rpm is the central cadence to target for the vast majority of your steady state cycling - so, (eg), I give a range of 80-100rpm for endurance rides.
2. the "optimal" cadence increases as intensity increases, but we're still talking ranges of 10-15rpm, not a single magical cadence. eg: a 1 minute very hard effort to bridge a gap in a road race is an intensity that would call for a higher cadence of 100-110rpm.
3. yes, higher cadences *can* save the legs but this is a very subjective concept and subject to individual difference...i.e.: what is higher and what is too low?; also, too high and your efficiency drops (must factor in point #2)
4. your inherent muscular make up and aerobic capacity will influence points 1-3.
5. be weary of what elite athletes do, see point #4. unless you are one of them!

__________________
Smartty

Thanks for the that.

What has occurred to me is (based on information from this forum) that training is both action and velocity specific. So training at a specific cadence or cadences must have some merit.

I spent last year improving my hill climbing ability and I have a good hill sprint ability. This however trashes my legs. I can also do short big ring flashes of speed at low cadence as well. This also trashes my legs. In a TT I need sustained speed/power, this is harder then I thought.

So I've begun training (for complex reasons) at two specific cadences of 75 and 95 at a variety of intensities. If I go out for a easy to moderate 80 to 100k ride I'll focus on 95 cadence for the first 45min to an hour, then 75 cadence for about 30 min and then turn the metronome off and do what ever for the rest of the ride.

I don't mind being my own guinea pig. At 56 yr it's more about an interesting journey then it is about a triumphant destination.

I know I should invest in a power meter, This will have to wait until there is funds available.