Cadence affecting power

[mcneese.chad]

On a Dumb Trainer, When Do I Increase Resistance? (Virtual Power)

This is highly dependent on your trainer and the gearing on your bike. For example: If the step requires an increase of 10 watts, you may need to just add 5 rpm cadence, because a rear shift might result in a 20-30 watt increase if you hold the same prior cadence. If the step requires an increase of 100 watts, there’s little chance you can hit that with a cadence change, so a one shift or more would be required. You have to learn your specific setup through experimentation and see what amou…

@WaveyDavey

Kinetic/TR tells me that I’m generating the same power, but commonsense tells me that the spinning option will be simpler - or will at least feel less fatiguing.

• The power is “the same” meaning the energy required to make that wheel and resistance unit move as fast as it is.

• The question about the demand on the body is good.

  • Lower cadence leads to more muscular demand and fatigue.
  • Faster cadence leads to more cardiovascular demand and fatigue.

• You need to look at your riding and determine what cadence range you need (max, min, average) and decide your gearing to address those needs.