Originally Posted by
RChung
In *any* gear, not just the lowest, reducing cadence while climbing decreases crank torque -- it never increases it.
This is indisputable, but doesn’t imply that low cadence leads to low crank torque. If I ride in a higher gear at low cadence then my crank torque will be higher than if I ride in a lower gear at the same road speed. This is also indisputable.
Unless I’m just soft pedalling on a descent or sitting in a draft, low cadence usually implies a relatively high torque for me. It certainly does when I have run out of gears on a steep climb.