Biometrics & pedaling

In article <[email hidden]>, M Powell

Quoted message said:

Wow -- I knew I was a newbie, but now I gotta re-learn how to pedal.

Just got back from being hooked up to a computer through a trainer. Been having big-time pain in
my right knee, and wondered if I needed a better fit to my bike. I was very much surprised by the
PC interface, which graphically showed how predominately (55 - 60%) & how badly (firing hard &
fast at about
4:00 position) I was using my right leg. No wonder it hurts.

Came away with a bike computer that keeps track of cadence, and some strategies about working my
legs more evenly, and distributing the power. But un-learning is going to be a challenge. I'm
riding a hybrid for exercise & errands, about 60 miles per week, and I'm not planning to change
from my toe clips to clipless. I think I've been doing 60-70 rpms, and have been advised to shoot
for 80-90.

Anyone have experiences you would please share about learning how to pedal efficiently? Strategies,
tricks, things you may think that everybody knows but I don't...

Thanks, --M Powell

No strategies, but where does one go to get biometrics for cycling via a PC hookup? Typically.

Wonder if a majority of peeps have a predominate use of the dominate leg?

-B

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Email Replies to johnson<nospm>01j <att> ntelos <dott> net

To begin to correct your overly-dominate use of your right leg, try this technique: At the end of
your left pedal stroke, flex your knee on that side and snap your foot back and up. At the same
time, push more at the bottom of your right stroke, to support the action on the left. Then,
concentrate on lifting your right leg with more force, with the knee not flexing as much. This will
cause your left leg to move around into a longer and more forceful stroke. This is a reverse of
what you're doing now, that puts more load on your right leg. In other words, focus on pushing and
lifting your right leg, in order to cause the left leg to snap up and around and go through a
harder stroke.

This seems counter-intuitive, to concentrate on the right leg to make the left do more work,
but it's the best way to reverse the imbalance. If you focus on pushing harder with your left
leg, you will in fact, be loading your right leg even more.

To do the proper lifting of your feet, you will need good toe straps, that are snugly
tightened. This right/left leg asymmetry is not unnatural. In fact, all primates have this
same, uneven use of the legs, regardless of whether they are right or left-handed. In your
case, this unevenness has gone too far and you want to reduce the right leg dominance. You'll
never completely overcome it and would suffer pain and problems if you tried to reverse it by
more than a moderate degree. Our legs, pelvic structures and motor-control nerve centers are
genetically coded for right leg dominance. This leg asymmetry and the technique to partially
correct it, also applies to walking and running.

Also, look at how your knees are angled during hard pedal strokes. If your right knee tends to
bend in towards the bike, more pressure is placed on the outside of your knee cartilage. This
is a common fault with many riders. If the knee flairs outward, too much pressure goes on the
inside of the cartilage. Good luck to you and don't overdo any corrective techniques. It takes
a long time to change such actions and if too much of a different stroke is attempted too
quickly, more pain will result.

Steve McDonald

Excellent -- and I thank you! Seems like this, perhaps combined with sessions as Phil suggested (1
leg at a time) will at least help me be aware of what my legs are up to.

In thinking about your comment to pay attention to my knees, I'm thinking I also need to watch where
my toes are pointed.

Again, many thanks!

--M Powell

"Steve McDonald" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

To begin to correct your overly-dominate use of your right leg, try this technique: At the
end of your left pedal stroke, flex your knee on that side and snap your foot back and up. At
the same time, push more at the bottom of your right stroke, to support the action on the
left. Then, concentrate on lifting your right leg with more force, with the knee not flexing
as much. This will cause your left leg to move around into a longer and more forceful stroke.
This is a reverse of what you're doing now, that puts more load on your right leg. In other
words, focus on pushing and lifting your right leg, in order to cause the left leg to snap up
and around and go through a harder stroke.

This seems counter-intuitive, to concentrate on the right leg to make the left do more work,
but it's the best way to reverse the imbalance. If you focus on pushing harder with your left
leg, you will in fact, be loading your right leg even more.

To do the proper lifting of your feet, you will need good toe straps, that are snugly
tightened. This right/left leg asymmetry is not unnatural. In fact, all primates have this
same, uneven use of the legs, regardless of whether they are right or left-handed. In your
case, this unevenness has gone too far and you want to reduce the right leg dominance. You'll
never completely overcome it and would suffer pain and problems if you tried to reverse it by
more than a moderate degree. Our legs, pelvic structures and motor-control nerve centers are
genetically coded for right leg dominance. This leg asymmetry and the technique to partially
correct it, also applies to walking and running.

Also, look at how your knees are angled during hard pedal strokes. If your right knee tends
to bend in towards the bike, more pressure is placed on the outside of your knee cartilage.
This is a common fault with many riders. If the knee flairs outward, too much pressure goes
on the inside of the cartilage. Good luck to you and don't overdo any corrective techniques.
It takes a long time to change such actions and if too much of a different stroke is
attempted too quickly, more pain will result.

Steve McDonald

In article <[email hidden]>, M Powell

Quoted message said:

I went to Spring Valley Cycles in Houston.

This setup immediately went into that category of When I Win the Lottery...

"Badger South" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

No strategies, but where does one go to get biometrics for cycling via a PC hookup? Typically.

Wonder if a majority of peeps have a predominate use of the dominate leg?

-B

--
Email Replies to johnson<nospm>01j <att> ntelos <dott> net

Cool. One may presume that some big-city bike shops may have them, then...

Thx.

-B

--
Email Replies to johnson<nospm>01j <att> ntelos <dott> net

Quoted message said:

Anyone have experiences you would please share about learning how to pedal efficiently?
Strategies, tricks, things you may think that everybody knows but I don't...

This one is really simple but does improve you're technique (Works best with clipless but can be
done with toe clips) Find a very quite street where no one will laugh at you, unclip 1 foot, ride
back and forth using 1 leg and try to examine week spots in the stroke and practice ironing them
out. when I started doing this (I had suspicions that my right leg was doing far more than my left.)
I could easily pedal smoothly up to 15mph with my right leg, but as soon as I switched to my left
the stroke was broken and awkward. It has now improved imeasurably.

DISLAIMER: I have no scientific knowledged that this works (Just my experience), just the logic that
it's easier to recondition your bad leg if it hasn't got your good leg to rely on.

Phil