Am I right in thinking that I should focus most of my training for my September Passo dello Stelvio ride at an 85-90 cadence? My ride will start in Bormio, go up to Cima Coppi, descend to Prato, and then return to Bormio. The elevation gain is 11,158 feet, the distance is 28.6 miles, and the average gradient is 7.4%. The altitudes range from roughly 2000 to 9,000 feet. I’m not naturally a climber, but I have eight months of training ahead on TR. My bike will have 50/34 and 11-34t.
I currently live 12 feet above sea level on a mostly flat rock with the highest elevation of 47ft. so 85-90 is pretty much normal.
Your cadence when riding steep climbs is dependent on your gearing and your power output. If your gearing is too high, your cadence will naturally fall at higher gradients. That’s why it’s really important to find the right gear ratio for sustained steep climbs.
Nobody wants to muscle up a climb at threshold at 60 RPM!
Generally speaking, many cyclists prefer a cadence of 85-95 RPM, and it’s wise to train at your preferred cadence, but low-cadence or “torque” efforts can be useful when preparing for efforts that will take you out of your comfort zone. It’s not always possible or reasonable to set your gearing up for the steepest of climbs.
I’d try and get out on a similar grade whenever you can to see what it feels like in your 34/34 gear. If you find that you’re having to grind at a low cadence, it might be worth finding a bigger cassette, or a smaller chainring.
Yeah I’d second buying correct gearing. Practicing spinning your legs at 85-90 isn’t really gonna prep you for that ride. Just do good structured training to improve cardio fitness. If you have low power / weight, you’ll want some MTB-type gearing. That course profile you’ve described is an incredible climb
I have found that I’m usually comfortable at a slightly lower cadence when climbing, 75-85 rpm compared to 85-100 rpm when it’s flat. My advice is to find out what’s your preferred rpm range and do some specific training in that bracket. Training in your upper zone 3 or lower z4 (sweet spot) at your target cadence for extended time is a very effective preparation in my experience.
I’ll need to do a 34/34 grind on my trainer. I can create or find a route on Zwift. I think Tacx has the actual Prato to Stelvio training ride, but for now, I prefer sticking to my TR base training. After my base I’ll ask when a good time is for a test 34/34.
If necessary, I might be able to rent a 1x12 gravel bike in Bormio with a 40t chainring and 10-44t cassette, provided I can secure a deposit before anyone else.
I sit naturally at a low cadence. The only time I had a power meter on a trip to Tenerife a couple of years ago when I was about to turn 48 years. For climb up Teide from Villaflor for my PB (7.58miles @ 6.6%). There’s 8.15miles @ 5.4% from Granadilla immediately before and 13miles of climbing at a lesser ave gradient before that. I was sitting at 70% MHR (which gave me 66% FTP). At circa 70% MHR . I was only circa 13,000th out of 35,000 though. For the shorter but sharper MASCA climb the day before (2.51 miles at 10.8%) I was down at 49rpm 79% MHR (78% FTP) (circa3,900 out of 11,000). There was another 4 days of big climbing before that. I can go on almost indefinitely in that 70-80% range and whilst my cadence is stupidly low I’d develop a natural cadence (aided by gears) that sits you comfortably in a comfortable HR zone and let that be your guide rather than trying to force a specific higher cadence. Good luck
It’s interesting how you’ve found a natural cadence that works well with your heart rate zone. Your approach of sticking to a comfortable heart rate instead of forcing a higher cadence makes a lot of sense. Great job on those intense climbs.
I may have two more climbs immediately after Passo dello Stelvio x 2 , it is reasonable to pay special attention to HR on sustained climbs.
Until your post, I had not considered I probably won’t have a power meter with the bike I am borrowing from a friend.
I just found the site Passo dello Stelvio from Bormio - Profile of the ascent. The steepest 100 is “only” at 12.6% and an 7.4% average, which isn’t to bad in comparison. Since you have plenty of time to prepare you are going to be fine!
