Originally Posted by
Bacciagalupe
I just find the idea that you utterly need to ride at a specific cadence to be comfortable to be a tad unlikely.
No one is saying "utterly". No one is saying a "specific" cadence. Since some people tour on single speeds, you don't "utterly" need more than one gear!
Originally Posted by
Bacciagalupe
Short of using a cadence meter I don't even see how you'd accurately detect a 5-10% difference in cadence.
The goal isn't to "accurately detect a 5-10% difference".
Anyway, I have a 52/42/30 with a 11-32 cluster. It's not that uncommon that I'll doubleshift to get a gear that is in between the ratios of a simple shift. I don't think I'm very special. Just because you can't detect the difference in feel doesn't mean other people can't! (I don't have a cadence meter but my normal cadence is fairly high.)
Note that, for "normal" touring, you have the option to reduce your speed along with the gearing to the cadence you feel comfortable.
Originally Posted by
Bacciagalupe
As to injury, I am not aware of any research that indicates that a cadence of, say 80 vs 90 is actually going to reduce injury. We're not talking about climbing all day with a fixed-gear 52/19.
Yes. Anyway, people prefer different cadences. Also, people vary their cadence a lot.