Pedalling advice

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Gumper
Could anyone offer any advise on how to develope a smoother, more efficient pedalling style? One where I would be using all the proper leg muscle during a complete revolution and not just the muscles used during the pushing down part of the stroke.

Your second sentence pretty much describes the most efficient pedaling 'style'.

Use a trainer or ergo at the gym and practice one-legged pedalling.

Each time you do a workout, spend a few minutes at a time working with just one leg, and you can feel the jerkiness of your stroke. (still talking about your pedalling here, OK? 😄 )

You don't do a whole workout with one leg or anything, the point is to just start to learn what a smooth stroke feels like, and to start training your muscles to do it.

If you are really obsessed, buy a set of these things: http://powercranks.com/hometext.html
which do basically the same thing while you ride and train.

Whit

My advice to you is to ride the "rollers" during the off season. In a few short months, you will become much smoother and will learn to ride in a straight line!

Rocket69

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Gumper
Could anyone offer any advise on how to develope a smoother, more efficient pedalling style? One where I would be using all the proper leg muscle during a complete revolution and not just the muscles used during the pushing down part of the stroke.

Frank Day claims that his POWERCRANKS can do just that.

I got my smooth pedal stroke from mtb a lot of situations on the trails going up hills forces you to keep power thru the pedal. just practice you can feel it when you keep power thru the pedal, them mucsles you dont work will tell you when you are stroking the pedal effiecient then you wont notice it any more once conditioned to it.

Thanks for all the advise.

1) get a fixie
2) one legged pedalling
3) get a fixie!!

you will know you are doing it right when it starts to hurt at the back/top of your calves and the back/bottom of your hamstrings

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Gumper
Could anyone offer any advise on how to develope a smoother, more efficient pedalling style? One where I would be using all the proper leg muscle during a complete revolution and not just the muscles used during the pushing down part of the stroke.

Andy Coggan, summed up the most efficient style: basically, just push down.

Research has shown that elite riders compared to less elite push down more, and pull up less, using a less smooth 'style'.

my advice is to not worry about how you pedal, just to pedal the bike and to train the *true* limiting factors that prevent you from developing more power (in other words, to increase your lactate threshold, and VO2max).

one legged pedalling has no basis in fact and is just an old cycling myth (unless of course you only have one leg)

worrying about how to pedal, is a waste of (training) time and diverts you away from what is really needed (increased fitness).

Ric

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by ricstern
Andy Coggan, summed up the most efficient style: basically, just push down.

Research has shown that elite riders compared to less elite push down more, and pull up less, using a less smooth 'style'.

my advice is to not worry about how you pedal, just to pedal the bike and to train the *true* limiting factors that prevent you from developing more power (in other words, to increase your lactate threshold, and VO2max).

one legged pedalling has no basis in fact and is just an old cycling myth (unless of course you only have one leg)

worrying about how to pedal, is a waste of (training) time and diverts you away from what is really needed (increased fitness).

Ric

Is this advise aimed at all cyclists or just endurance? I have never been a fan of the old one legged thing, but I cant help thinking that adding the use of the hammies has got to give you a little raw power for a short term....

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Fixey
Is this advise aimed at all cyclists or just endurance? I have never been a fan of the old one legged thing, but I cant help thinking that adding the use of the hammies has got to give you a little raw power for a short term....

yes aimed at all cyclists who aren't one legged or compete in one legged races

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Fixey
I cant help thinking that adding the use of the hammies has got to give you a little raw power for a short term....

It does, but you'll get plenty of practice pedaling this way producing a little more raw power over the short term (e.g., quickly closing a gap during a race).

Could it be that onelegged pedalling is 'jerky' precisely because it IS one legged, in other words, normally one leg works in harmony with the other, and you're unbalancing the situation by losing a leg. Even when pedalling two legged, each side doesn't work in isolation, there must be a stabilising interaction LOST when using only one leg.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by byron27
1) get a fixie
2) one legged pedalling
3) get a fixie!!

you will know you are doing it right when it starts to hurt at the back/top of your calves and the back/bottom of your hamstrings

What the heck is a "fixie"?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by ricstern
yes aimed at all cyclists who aren't one legged or compete in one legged races

Don't agree..

If you have seen some of the people I get in a spin class and see what they do, you would have a change of opinion.

Simple thing to add

.... don't let your heel drop below your pedal axle.

don't ask who or how, there are many and they do. I couldn't do it even if I wanted to.

If you are a competent cyclist..... then that’s another thing and I’d agree with Ric.

I have used PowerCranks off and on for a couple of years and I can say with certainty that my stroke is much smoother as a result. My normal cadence is now significantly higher than it had been and the cadence above which I start bopping up and down is likewise higher. I just replaced my old model (from 2001) with the model 4. So hit me with an e-mail in a month or so and I'll give you an update. Good luck.

just think smooth thoughts and it'll all work out...

~the turtle

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by seriousturtle
just think smooth thoughts and it'll all work out...

~the turtle

Please discribe a "smooth thought"

I don't think I have ever had one !

Why is everyone continually searching for that elusive "Holy Grail" of smooth pedaling technique? Is there any scientific proof stating that, once found, this improved pedaling action will actually make you a better and/or faster rider?

It has been published numerous times that professional cyclists tend to have "un-smooth" techniques because they apply the majority of their force to the downstroke. Why is it that the pro's don't spin perfect circles? Because they are faster than you and I and they know what works and what doesn't.

If you want a good piece of advice, try rolling your pelvis forward while pushing yourself back into your saddle. This position will bring muscles into play that are often overlooked which, in turn, will allow you to apply more force to the pedals. Will it make you smoother? No.
Will it make you faster? Probably.

I don't think there's really much to be found regarding optimum cycling technique that can't be done in your head. Don't pull or push very much at the top or bottom because doing so at these points lead to high radial forces which is wasted energy, push/pull hardest when the force arm is longest, i.e, 70-110 degrees to vertical. Place your leg in the optimal position to apply force which means it should be almost fully extended (correct saddle height has a lot to do with this) with the toes down somewhat at the bottom and with the toes up coming over the top which allow your calves and tibialis anterior to contribute power to the motion.

Make sure no eccentric contractions occur, i.e, make sure that you relax muscles that are lengthening or don't contribute/stabilize the cycling motion.. This may be the most difficult thing to do but will yield a big efficiency improvement.

Sound about right?