pedaling technique

[Slowbee]

What technique do you use to pedal?

 

Do you rotate your ankle as you go through the pedal stroke?

 

Or do you try keep your foot parrallel with the floor during the stroke?

 

When I first started to cycle it was said that either would do. Has the thinking on this changed?

 

[Wonder Woman]

Slowbee, for really good technique your focus on every stroke should be to push down with your heel on the down stroke and pull up on the upstroke so you are continually working with a smooth round motion.

[Thug]

technique = circular motion with feet ensconced in shoes clipped into pedals.

[Slowbee]

 

Slowbee' date=' for really good technique your focus on every stroke should be to push down with your heel on the down stroke and pull up on the upstroke so you are continually working with a smooth round motion.

[/quote']

 

WW, are you saying then that you are also focusing on using the ankle as well? In effect your toes are moving up and down?

 

 

[Wonder Woman]

Slowbee that sounds correct yes!!

[Canaris]

I pedal, I go.  Obviously, the books say round motions.  Top athletes talk of "Scraping the mud off your shoes" at the bottom and top of the strock.  Others say you should not be bothered with the down stroke, but concentrate on pulling the pedals up.  MTBikers are supposed to have the best style.  THis comes from training on lose gravel on the up hills.  But "round" motions seems to be the best advice.

[Slowbee]

if its not going round, its not going anywhere!

 

ok, so comes down to just get on your bike and ride .....

 

 

[Canaris]

if its not going round' date=' its not going anywhere!

ok, so comes down to just get on your bike and ride .....

[/quote']

 

yes and no.  THE trick is to ensure that you are applying the same power (are as evenly as possible) throughout the stroke (ie circle)  THis entails pulling your foot through the bottom of the stroke and pulling up on the pedal and pushing accross the top of the stroke.  Q rings were developed to assist in this process.

[Slowbee]

but which is more effiecient? to keep you foot level and use your quads and hams to generate the push/pull, or as WW says, use your ankle to rotate the foot ?

 

 

[Hog_]

My pedaling technique relies on freewheeling as much as possible. On uphills I try to at least match up the pedal strokes with my huffing and puffing - that way people at least think I'm practicing an advanced breathing technique.

 

 

 

 

[Prince]

My pedaling technique relies on freewheeling as much as possible. On uphills I try to at least match up the pedal strokes with my huffing and puffing - that way people at least think I'm practicing an advanced breathing technique.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Canaris]

but which is more effiecient? to keep you foot level and use your quads and hams to generate the push/pull' date=' or as WW says, use your ankle to rotate the foot ?

[/quote']

as vicky pollard would say, yeah but, no but, yeah but.....

 

 

[mtbfreak]

I believe that these things are best contemplated when climbing...it takes the pain off the mind...for at least a little bit....

 

And on the up side, one can test all the methods possible for the best mental debate...depending on the lengh of the climb.

[Wonder Woman]

but which is more effiecient? to keep you foot level and use your quads and hams to generate the push/pull' date=' or as WW says, use your ankle to rotate the foot ?

[/quote']

as vicky pollard would say, yeah but, no but, yeah but.....

 

 

 

You're supposed to use both

 

[Wonder Woman]

Actually mtbfreak is right there. on a hill try focus on just pushing, then pulling, then using the one leg more and then the other and see what works for you.

[Slowbee]

right got it ...... do both .. at the same time ...