power vs cadence?

RChung

A month ago, mullerrj wrote:
Obree. Twice.

mullerrj

Yes, the Scottish rider Obree is an exception to the rule but so was his bike..an exception and not the standard. But, the point is..as a standing rule..the world record 1 hr. TT averages between 100 and 105 rpm. And, even so, Obree's rpm on his record breaking rides were 93 and 95 respectively..which aint exactly too far off.

mullerrj

Pendejo- Do you think that possibly the reason why you feel more comfortable at 85-88 rpm is because when you get up around 95-100 rpm you start taxing your aerobic system- driving your HR up too high? What kind of shape are you in? Age? Any idea what your VO2max is? I'm thinking that the reason 85-88 rpm is more comfortable for you is because your limiting factor is your aerobic capacity..not your muscular endurance. Thus, you can generate more power at lower rpms without building up lactic acid and fatigue caused by it. But, when you start upping the rpms you start breathing more heavily and thus start backing off the power/accelerator. Interesting! I'm going to start researching this more..cause I think everyone has a specific rpm balance that they subconsciously like to maintain..based on muscular endurance and aerobic capacity. But, like you, what I'd really like to know is whether you can train yourself to groove a higher rpm..where you would actually have better TT times and produce more power. BTW, I think I'm EXACTLY like you..preferring more of a mid to high 80 rpm rather than a high 90 to mid 100 rpm.

Pendejo

Hi, Mul, to answer some of your questions, I'm 61, very fit, one of the top three TT'ers (age-group) in Florida. Basically the situation seems to be as follows. In a time trial the two major systems that you are stressing are the large leg muscles and the cardiovascular system. For a given power of X, you can put the emphasis on the legs (L), by pedaling a higher gear at a lower cadence, or put the emphasis on the heart (H), by pedaling a lower gear at a higher cadence. I have to assume that for any individual, there is some ratio of L to H that will allow him or her to maximize average power over a given TT distance.

I suspect now that I was putting too much H into the efforts. More experimentation, hopefully, will give me an answer. It's a bit unsettling to still be at sea about such a basic issue after having been at the sport for five years. (It's also possible that the equation for an individual changes with age and training.) It's funny, but when I'm hurting during a hard effort I try to determine exactly where the discomfort is and I can't do it. My legs aren't seizing up or getting leaden, my breath is not out of control, etc. - it's just an indeterminate feeling of discomfort that is screaming, "Stop, you jerk!"

RChung

Really? I thought the point was that "exception to the rule" and "as a standing rule" don't mean "NEVER." BTW, Indurain, Anquetil, and Egg also set the hour record at less than 100 rpm.