The Smallest Change, The Biggest Improvement

Higher cadence - Hard to explain (because I'm shit at explaining) but virtually every aspect of cycling has improved by upping my cruising cadence to around 100rpm.

I've found this as well.

To offer an extremely subjective analysis; I feel more efficient cruising at 100rpm than I do at 80rpm for a given speed.

Higher cadence isn't a panacea though. Other things work for different physiologies, or when gradients or headwinds are involved. Plus how long the effort is, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…

clipless pedals.

Crotchless panties.

rimless glasses

Glassless rims

screwtop bottles

Sliced bread

The correct sized inner tube to fit a 28c Vittoria Randonneur.

Higher cadence isn't a panacea though. Other things work for different physiologies, or when gradients or headwinds are involved. Plus how long the effort is, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…

Sure, it's not universal but I do think a lot of cyclists could benefit from spinning a little more.

More than anything, I enjoy how it feels and it makes me even happier to be on my bike, indoors and out.

Generally mashing is for potatoes and grinding is for hips.

I'd like to add a vote to upping cadence.

Dropping cadence massively helped me in a couple of contexts. So I'll add a vote for that too.

^the ambiguity of 'massively' is doing my head in.

How about, in n% of cycling, a higher cadence is generally less tiring than pushing a big gear at a slow cadence?

When I learnt to corner properly, i.e. looking where I want to go, rather than ahead of me. Couldn't believe how much difference that made. Shockingly I learnt this on this forum only about six months ago #stillanoob

is there some sort of guidance on this for amateurs?! would like to see if so

How about, in n% of cycling, a higher cadence is generally less tiring than pushing a big gear at a slow cadence?

Where n = nebulous?

Yep

is there some sort of guidance on this for amateurs?! would like to see if so

There's not a lot to explain. Look where you want to go, usually the furthest point around the apex of the bend that's visible as you approach and navigate it i.e. it's not a static point.

The bike almost always wants to go where the eye is looking.

It does have some basis in fact- I can produce 250 watts at a cadence of 70 rpm, and a heart rate of 165.

If I change gear and spin at 90 rpm my heart rate drops by 10-15 bpm.

So I am producing the same power but exerting less energy to do so, which means I can do it for longer before falling over sideways and starting to dribble.

Try doing it at 120rpm, or 400W, or standing up, or for 90 minutes, or, or, or…

120rpm at 400 watts for 90 minutes is beyond me, I think.

Unless I can convince my heart to run at 195 bpm for that period of time.

Slightly smaller pedals, no more clipping the ground when I corner

I'm only on this thread because its the best title and all the rest are more boring than even this is

It might be magnets?