correct ankle technique :)

Everyone's foot is different, so everyone's ankling style is different. But basically, your toes are
very slightly pointed up at the top of the stroke (because you have just finished pushing the pedals
forewards).

As they descend, they slowly go toe down, so you can better push the pedal back. Lifting them again
as you pull up, so you can again push forwards.

The tilting, however, is very slight. Again, everyone is different. so don't take this as gospel.
Whatever move your bike with the smoothest and least amount of effort is what's right.

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

"Chris Zacho "The Wheelman"" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Everyone's foot is different, so everyone's ankling style is different. But basically, your toes
are very slightly pointed up at the top of the stroke (because you have just finished pushing the
pedals forewards).

As they descend, they slowly go toe down, so you can better push the pedal back. Lifting them
again as you pull up, so you can again push forwards.

The tilting, however, is very slight. Again, everyone is different. so don't take this as gospel.
Whatever move your bike with the smoothest and least amount of effort is what's right.

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

Yep, pretty much. I used to ride very much toes-down and several people who could actually ride told
me to flatten my feet out for more power. I think if you drop your ankle too much you're asking for
achilles tendon injuries so I would be very careful about making a big change in your heel position.
Flat or very slightly dropped is probably best.

Cheers,

Scott..

Forget totally about your ankle and just cycle. People have different natural styles, as they have
natural gaits walking.

"Gearóid Ó Laoi, Garry Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Forget totally about your ankle and just cycle. People have different natural styles, as they have
natural gaits walking.

True, but that doesn't mean that the way they have learned to cycle is correct for their physiology.

I walked incorrectly for most of my life (I'm 23) - but having just had a physiotherapist show me
that my toes naturally point out quite far when standing or walking, and by making by making
myself consciously aware of this, I now have all but eliminated a limp that until now I've barely
been aware of.

Two weeks ago I realised I was not relaxing my body when stretching, and I reached down and, keeping
my knees straight, I touched my toes - for the first time in my adult (or not-so-adult) life.

Many people are lucky and learn things correctly the first time round, but we often learn to do
things wrongly (for me, typing and playing music appear in this category) - until we discover, or
are taught, the correct technique.

Cheers 🙂 Darren.

[email hidden] (Darren Grant) wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

when pressing down on the pedal, is it correct to hold your foot as flat as possible (parallel
with the road surface, on a flat road), or to relax the muscle slightly, so as to point your foot
ever so slightly upwards (so your toes point sligtly to the sky)?

You mean "inverse ankling" as depicted at cranklength.infomonty.htmOpen ↗ ?

There's no hard data on ankle technique and there's never likely to be any but I don't see the point
of developing that particular technique. The situation is complex, but why would you get more power
with that, the calf muscles in eccentric contraction (ie in power dissipation mode)?

Andrew Bradley

Chris Zacho 'The Wheelman said:

Everyone's foot is different, so everyone's ankling style is different.

It's probably more to do with calves than feet -. those with weak calves may favour
toes-pointed-down or the technique the OP describes.

Quoted message said:

But basically, your toes are very slightly pointed up at the top of the stroke (because you have
just finished pushing the pedals forewards).

In these days of cleats, the angle of your foot doesn't dictate the direction you can apply pressure
to the pedal.

Quoted message said:

As they descend, they slowly go toe down, so you can better push the pedal back. Lifting them
again as you pull up, so you can again push forwards.

The tilting, however, is very slight

This sort of thing will happen automatically if you simply lock the calf as can be verified while
sitting at the computer and flexing and extending the leg. It is qualititavely like "traditional"
ankling, but the calf adds no power.

Andrew Bradley

"Darren Grant" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Gearóid Ó Laoi, Garry Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Forget totally about your ankle and just cycle. People have different natural styles, as they
have natural gaits walking.

True, but that doesn't mean that the way they have learned to cycle is correct for their
physiology.

From what I have read it seems like cyclists tend to automatically optimize, in other words, listen
to your body and do what feels natural, artificial techniques can cause problems.

Pedalling in circles is nonsense as regards power though to try to do so is smoother. It does not
give more power however. All the effective power is down.