gary p wrote:
You're skirting one answer to why big gear train has value; climbing. Your theoretical 10% grade? Even with a 34/32, it's nearly a 4 watts/kilo effort to hold 85 rpm up that. That'll redline a lot of triathletes in a hurry.
I did the TrainerRoad drills to increase my comfortable cadence range, and it led to a higher FTP. Unfortunately, I got grooved into to making power in a narrow rev range (~85-95 rpm). I fatigue much faster holding 120% of FT at 70 rpm than holding 120% of FTP at 90 rpm. When I hit a steep hill, even in the lowest gear, I quickly fall out of the bottom of my power band. There's a limit to how much low gear the drivetrain can accommodate, and carrying a wide range cassette creates another issue for a narrow-power-band rider; gaps between gears. This spring, my training objective isn't to increase my FTP, but rather to broaden my powerband by doing more "big gear" workouts.
+1, this is what I have always read from other smart people, and my coach has always told me as well. Not only are you going to grind a little bit up sustained climbs, but having a wide range of comfortable cadences will allow you to avoid shifting too often and will help maintain momentum as the gradient naturally varies. For example, on a slight roller you might just reduce cadence to 75-80 in the same gear, to crest the hill instead of shifting.
I'm not going to make any scientific declarations, but I always thought cadence was self-selecting. If you tell me to ride @ 80% for 3 hours, I am going to subconsciously pick the cadence that makes that effort as easy as possible, which is usually slightly higher than 90rpm, for me. But there are natural variations that can call for reduced/elevated cadence which you can do drills for.
Strava