A couple of yrs ago I broke off my carbon shifter at the base during T2 so I had to do the whole race in the small chainring which turned out to be a good thing because the race was hilly…Since that time i have pretty much trained and raced in the small chainring (cut 15 min off my bike time in the same race 1 yr later) Is anybody else using small gears and having some success …
It’s an individual thing. In your case, using the small chainring caused you to pedal at a higher rate. You mentioned you had success, so I conclude that this is the cadence at which you are more efficient. However, as you continue to train, increases in muscular strength and endurance will allow you to produce more work (watts) over a longer time period. Power output depends on RPM and the gear you are “pushing”. In the future you might still race at the same RPM but can do so at a “heavier” gear.
It’s the small things I appreciate in my life… like for example you replying to a “smaller gears” thread… ;-))))))))
It’s about getting out of your comfort zone. By using smaller gears than what you would intuitively choose, you teach your legs to turn over faster. By using bigger gears, you force your muscles to work harder. Do both, after all there are only two ways to get faster: Spin the pedals faster, or push harder. Do both and you’ll rock!
You might also be a candidate for compact cranks 50/34 instead of the usual 53/39. I’m naturally a high cadence spinner so they work well.
hey man, it’s a shitty year. Fever, and a sore throat due to a bacterial infetion. Lying at home bored. Cannot wait to train again and start a new season. I hate 2004. And now it seems like the antibiotics got even the good bacteria…gotta go…