Precisely. Another interesting study was done in the U.S. by the Olympic Training Centre. They found that the discipline that has the smoothest pedal stroke was mountain biking. Timetrialists are pretty bad' date=' and track riders even worse. Mountain bikers need a smooth pedal stroke because it is required for riding on surfaces that can easily lose traction. Track riders and timetriallists went the other way, because they require power output, bottom line! There is no traction loss on concrete/tar surfaces. As that tyre advert says, "There is no power without control" - or something along those lines. As you say, your body will naturally select the appropriate cadence and pedal stroke that feels the most comfortable. This is derived from the specific fibre composition in your leg muscles. Peak torque and optimum muscle contraction speed is very much a function of your own particular muscle makeup.[/quote'] Exactly!! <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Your natural instincts take over after a few minutes and even more so when you become fatigued. This is highlighted in endurance sports which require technique, swimming is a good example. Adjusting your bike set up can influence what your feet do while pedaling, but to actively try and force your foot to toe down / flat or up is a waste of time. Armstrong's technique became the gospel on how to ride a bike. The ironic thing is that if Armstrong had stuck to triathlon, Jan Ullrich would have been the greatest cyclist of all time, and guess what pedalling advice the guru's would be dishing out on Internet forums if that had been the case?
