Adjusting the cadence in a workout: work on the edge of your comfort zone

Cycling is an interesting sport. We don’t talk much about technique. Most of us get on, push on the pedals, and try and go as fast as we can. But when we are riding we encounter a broad range of conditions: pacelines, climbing, short punchy efforts. This diversity requires an ability to ride across the full cadence range, from 60rpm up to 100rpm plus.

In the Sans Chaine workouts you will experience this range, with the workouts containing cadence targets. When you first start working across the cadence range you may find it quite uncomfortable. Over time though your comfort should improve.

As you adapt you can start to adjust the cadence targets to make the workouts more your own. The goal should be to increase the range at which you are comfortable. We all tend to have certain spots in our cadence range where we are comfortable. Perhaps for you, the tempo blocks are best at 80-85rpm, and on the cadence pyramids your sweet spot is 105rpm. As you learn where the sweet spots are you want to start working on their edge.

These sweet spots will be, in part, based on the terrain you are riding. You will likely find that a lower cadence works better on a climb, while the higher cadence range works best on flatter terrain. The terrain we train on will also determine where we are comfortable. Riding in the hills all the time tends to push your cadence down, reducing your ability to spin on the flats. While riding a high cadence all the time on the flats means you can’t put your legs under tension for long, like when it is needed on a climb. Careful not to always default to the same cadence in your preferred terrain.

Make the workout your own

If a workout calls for a self-selected cadence, then by all means ride where it feels good. But if the workout calls for 80-85rpm, and you always ride at 85/86rpm, then try and push towards the bottom of the range. This is where taking the time to do a bit of an analysis of your workouts is important.

Pay attention to your patterns. Do you always climb at the same cadence? Try riding 5rpm higher sometimes, and 5rpm lower on other occasions.

Making an effort to ride outside your cadence comfort zone is important. Yes, at first you might not be able to push the wattage you want with the legs under tension. It perhaps doesn’t feel good. But, we need to develop that versatility. Training can’t always be about the wattage. If it is you’ll find that when it matters you won’t have the versatility as a rider to perform at the level you expect.