Ironman 140.6 cycling cadence

Bobby Patrick

What kind of cycling cadence should we be aiming for in a 140.6? I see mixed responses and input on the web. I have a fairly high cadence (95-104) and wonder if I need to lower it for 140.6? I have seen some input on the web recommending higher cadence for shorter races and lower cadence (low 80’s) for longer races. What is EN’s position on cycling cadence for 140.6?

Peter Greagg

My own view is that Peeps should self select the most comfortable cadence.
When I started bike riding when I took up tris about 12 years ago, everyone one wanted to be like Lance Armstrong and use very high cadence (105-110).
But over the years, I stopped worrying about it and only look at it after a ride. It is often below 80 now. 
The only real cadence issues, IMO, is to have enough gears so you can always find a comfortable cadence, at a given effort/power. The other issue is that to produce very high power (as in a 20 km TT), you do need a higher cadence.

Al Truscott

Peter's post pretty much summarizes the consensus whenever this comes up. Everyone reports on their own cadence, and then we all agree that it is purely an individual thing. Myself, for the many IMs I;ve done, it's in the 80-83 range. Some people do well in the 70s, others in the 90s. More important, IMO, is having a low VI, keeping the HR as low as possible while maintaining the desired IF, and being able to run the whole way off the bike. Unfortunately, the opportunities to practice this and find your own sweet spot are few and far between: we're basically talking Race Rehearsals and actual IMs. Shorter rides, or rides without a substantial run afterwards, or not helpful.

For shorter races, like an Oly or Sprint, or pure TT, I am over 90 rpm. 

Scott Alexander

x2, x3, etc, on what the other folks say above. 

Even here in flat-ish texas, I train for multiple cadence ranges, and use multiple cadence ranges on the same course. If it's a flat fast section, my cadence generally decreases as I can push a bigger gear, but then if there is any incline I move into a higher cadence range, using ALL the gears available to me.

By selecting a specific range, you're not training for all the possible situations, even on a course that seems straightforward. Ex, if you usually cycle at 85-90, what happens if you lose your gearing to a mechanical issue? Then you won't be prepared for using 70 or below when going uphill or using 100+ when going downhill. 

I say "hope for the best, prepare for the worst".