Originally Posted by
NABodie
So last night I gave the lower gear higher cadence a try. It hurt me in a whole new way but I'm ok with that if it helps in the long run. While the data doesn't show what I would call a significant difference it does seem to make some difference. Will the effect become more evident over time as I condition myself to ride at a higher cadence over mashing? I included the Garmin data from last night and the night before for comparison.
Your data just shows that if you put out less power your HR and presumably perceived exertion will be less. If you want to compare different cadences you'll need to keep your power (speed on a trainer) constant.
I've always found my cadence changes in response to the inertial load seen at the crank. High speed downwind or group/race riding has a high intertial load and cadence naturally goes up. At high speed a cadence of 105 feels low to me. On the other hand, low inertial loads generally favor low cadences which is why most people have a lower preferred cadence while climbing or on a trainer.