I am working with a coach and she actually sets up my workouts with a specific cadence range that I should aim for. Except for climbs and hill repeats, my cadence must always be over 70 rpm.

So, it's about finding the right gear where I can keep the required cadence and the required heart rate. My heart rates normally run pretty high so this would not apply to everyone, but for example at a 70-80 rpm, I would want enough resistance to get my hr up to 152-155 and sustain that hr/cadence combination for an 8-10 minute interval. Then recover for 8 mins and do it again! For the 85-95 cadence, I find the gearing to maintain my hr at 159-162.

These intervals have really helped me to pick up my cadence and as I get better at them, I can use more gear and keep the same hr/cadence so I end up going faster!! I've increased my avg speed by 3 mph in 2 months and I credit these intervals.

Of course, I should disclose that I am an absolute geek when it comes to all this data. It fascinates me and doesn't detract at all from my pure joy of riding.