Originally Posted by
12strings
In my last 2 (solo) rides since then, I (1) filled my bottle all the way with sports drink, AND (2) decided to experiment with climbing in a harder gear, higher cadence. What I discovered is that at the end of several of my normal climbs, I felt less winded than normal, and my theory is that i was previously climbing at too HIGH a cadence that, while saving my legs, was working my heart and lungs more than a slower cadence would.
Does this sound like accurate analysis?
Not really enough information to know. Without knowing the power or comparative speed you were going it's hard to draw any conclusions. Being adequately hydrated will certainly help as will some extra carbs. Beyond that there isn't really a magic solution. If it's a long climb and you're climbing at your threshold power it doesn't make a huge difference what your cadence is.
I commute over a bridge and experiment going up it with different cadences from 50 to 95+. Going up fast hurts regardless of my cadence. You might be a couple of % more efficient climbing at 60RPM but then your legs/knees might also get sore faster.
Continue to experiment and find what works best, and as you mentioned don't take two weeks off and expect to climb at the same rate as before
