when im pedaling should i be pulling up with the shoes when im at the bottom of the stroke
I guess that is the point of being attached to the pedasl!! I have heard that it makes the pedalling action more efficient as you use one set of muscles to push the pedal and another set to pul the pedal with the other foot at the same time.
17 Stone down to 12.5 now raring to get back on the bike!
when im pedaling should i be pulling up with the shoes when im at the bottom of the stroke
I read an article recently - apologise that I can't remember where. CW? - that said there was no benefit to pulling on the up stroke. The pull muscle is so weak compared to the push muscle tat it makes no difference...
when im pedaling should i be pulling up with the shoes when im at the bottom of the stroke
I read an article recently - apologise that I can't remember where. CW? - that said there was no benefit to pulling on the up stroke. The pull muscle is so weak compared to the push muscle tat it makes no difference...
Surely that is a bone of contention and is all to do with conditioning. Even if you can lift a little with the upwards moving foot then you are increasing the power in the downstroke or using less effort if you keep the power the same.
Why would people bother, for all these years, with something that has no benefit?
17 Stone down to 12.5 now raring to get back on the bike!
I don't think the hamstrings are negligably weak, sure they're nowhere near as powerful as my hench quads, but still. Presumably you get more benefit because it helps to keep you more stable as you pedal.
When I do try and pull as well as push I add 2-3mph to my cruising speed (though get tired v quickly). It makes a massive difference, at least selectively (standing while going uphill for example), and that's why I want to know how to do it properly!
Saw a documentary about Lance Armstrong, in it they covered this and mentioned that Lance did not pull up but there was also no downward resistance on the rising pedal, thus ensuring that the dowward stroke in only aimed at driving the bike forward and not helping the other leg to rise.
The best tip I heard was to imagine you're trying to scrape dog sh!t off the bottom of your shoe, sound ridiculous, but it does work. The idea is to pedal in circles rather than to "mash".
Pictures are better than words because some words are big and hard to understand.
Couple of years back I heard a guest commentator on Eurosport mention that he once saw Sean Kelly out on a bike with no clips at all, just flat pedals. When asked "Why?" the great man said it made him pedal harder/better on the down stroke. This suggests that if clipped in he would pull up when on the up-stroke but it wasn't clear if he actually thought there was an advantage or need to, or if it was just a further example of the racing 'animal' in SK. :shock:
I agree with biondino in that if you push and pull you can really rip along but your legs won't take it for long. When out of the saddle for climbing I think there is a fine line between merely lifting the leg up ready for the maximum push down and actually 'pulling' hard up.
I will have to experiment.... :?
The best tip I heard was to imagine you're trying to scrape dog sh!t off the bottom of your shoe, sound ridiculous, but it does work. The idea is to pedal in circles rather than to "mash".
What he said,
I also find it good practice to do this at a highish cadence (over 90 rpm)
You can also practice on a turbo trainer, if you doing it correctly there will be no 'dip' in the sound from the trainer on each revolution. the sound should be almost continuous.
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I guess that is the point of being attached to the pedasl!! I have heard that it makes the pedalling action more efficient as you use one set of muscles to push the pedal and another set to pul the pedal with the other foot at the same time.
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Surely that is a bone of contention and is all to do with conditioning. Even if you can lift a little with the upwards moving foot then you are increasing the power in the downstroke or using less effort if you keep the power the same.
Why would people bother, for all these years, with something that has no benefit?
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I agree with biondino in that if you push and pull you can really rip along but your legs won't take it for long. When out of the saddle for climbing I think there is a fine line between merely lifting the leg up ready for the maximum push down and actually 'pulling' hard up.
I will have to experiment.... :?
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What he said,
I also find it good practice to do this at a highish cadence (over 90 rpm)
You can also practice on a turbo trainer, if you doing it correctly there will be no 'dip' in the sound from the trainer on each revolution. the sound should be almost continuous.