Hi. On week 1 of 4wk ftp builder. I am struggling to cycle at the suggested rpm and am normally 10-20 rpm slower, I am in erg mode so am hitting the watts ok. Is this going to reduce my progress ?
Kevin, this is a good article
I think the answer is, your lower cadence will not prevent your progress towards a higher FTP, but you may consider doing low power, high cadence drills to gradually improve and extend your cadence range.
The main drawback of lower cadence is that effort and workload redistribute from cardiovascular system (which can work in “high gear” without fatigue longer) to primarily muscles of your legs which usually develop fatigue faster (even though you are less likely to run out of breath, as with high cadence). Higher cadence helps with springs at high power, and helps to maintain good power for a long time. Increasing it takes months of conscious effort. Do not worry that it does not work perfectly in the beginning.
Great article. Thank you for your reply