I did my ramp test at the recommended 85-95 rpm which resulted in in an ftp of 234 but I can’t seem to maintain that ftp at that cadence for long periods of time. I can maintain it at a lower cadence of around 75 rpm but struggle with a higher cadence. My goal is sustained power as I want to ride up mount Teide in Tenerife so my question is, should I aim to build power using a lower cadence or should I persevere with increasing my cadence with the possibility of losing power?
Those cadence recommendations are loose. Just ride at the cadence that is natural to you. I ride above 95 always, usually around 100 to 105. They have mentioned this in the podcast several times. Everyone is different when it comes to natural cadence.
3 Likes
When are you going to ride up Tiede? It’s an amazing place!!
Cadence is self-selecting so don’t worry about it.
3 Likes
It’s been said that as you develop more power you will also develop a higher cadence. Work on your power and everything will fall into place. 
6 Likes
General priorities of following a TR workout.
- Power
- Cadence
- Form Drills
Power is king and should take priority over the others. As stated above, use a cadence that works for you and your intended event.
But working to grow from a slower to faster cadence can offer benefits for muscular endurance. Take small changes over time to improve your ability and efficiency at higher cadence, if that meets your goals.
6 Likes
Hi and welcome
Not sure on you’re power to weight but I rode up Teide and don’t worry about cadence I just rode to heart rate and rpe. It’s a lovely ride but never ending and can be very cold and wet once in the crater
I am 46 old fat bloke and don’t worry about cadence just hit the number, I have found that my cadence has increase as I get fitter and spend more time with TR
Enjoy the ride it’s great
3 Likes
Booked for mid January so fingers crossed I’ll be fit enough
1 Like
Great advice, thanks
Thanks for the advice,really useful. I’ll stick with the low cadence high power for now then and try and increase my cadence as I get fitter
1 Like
Thanks for the advice on Tiede, power to weight is currently 2.8 so a bit of weight loss is also required
I started SSB with a normal cadence between 70-75. I am a big guy and a long time masher. Over SSB1 and two rounds of SSB2 my natural-ish cadence has gone up to between 80-85. I have been looking to get it up slowly.
Do you know which way you’re going to climb it? The route from Chio is fairly steady the whole way, and the ride up through Vilaflor is steeper with lots of switchbacks.
Have you booked a tour/guided ride? If not, I’d highly recommend Freemotion T3. They’ve a shop in Los Cristianos and will ride up with you at your pace. On the way down they’ll take you slightly off the beaten track which is brilliant!!
It’s an amazing ride and won’t fail to take your breath away (both literally and metaphorically!!)
i’d pedal at whatever is natural, with the goal of raising the cadence above 80 over time. Do some overspeed and underspeed drills.
Also, if you are a master’s athlete, you may be more inclined to grind, so see if you can spin it up just a bit more.
but watts are watts.
i think you are focusing to wrong direction.
If you look into FTP description, it is not something expected to maintain for longer duration. You should look into your CP (Critical Power) which is basically you can maintain for long time.
FTP is something like a baseline for your training but CP is that intensity (or power output) where you are uncomfortable but stable.
When it comes to cadence, i think both are related to each other. If you have paid attention to script from Chad, at almost all threshold workouts, the first thing he mentions to find comfortable cadence.
Up-climb, pushing 300W with 50rpm may not make a difference but if you find your power and push it at 85-90 rpm that will make the difference.
Even though Power comes first, I think they go hand-to-hand somehow