It depends on your goals for both the specific workout of the day and long term.
I have charted Cadence vs. Average speed. vs, Average heartrate for nearly every ride during the last year in an attempt to understand the most efficient use of my energy for attaining speed as well as endurance.
This real data along with notes documenting the physical effects has been quite enlightening.
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2003 Iceman Challenge - 2:34:55 - 897 / 2,000*
2002 Iceman Challenge - 2:39:23 - 1093 / 2,186
2000 Iceman Challenge - 2:49:18 - 1516 / 2,153
*estimated