Originally Posted by
Trakhak
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That would seem to argue in favor of smaller rather than larger changes in cadence being more efficient in bike racing.
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Efficiency and what makes someone faster are two different things. There are other reasons to get out-of-the-saddle and break cadence.
Muscles are building up waste and eliminating it at different rates as repetition and resistance (force) change.
When the legs are burning at 110rpm a shift to 95RPM can reduce burn and maintain power.
At the same power, changing the force on pedals, or the length of the power stroke (10 degrees vs 15), or the time of the stroke all affect how much waste is generated and how much is eliminated.
I don't know what is best. I then to think it is an individual thing but I don't even know that. I do know that varying the above changes fatigue rates.
Even within the same cadence the force being applied in a stomp vs smooth motion affects power and fatigue.