Pedal power
mak3m
Posts: 1,394
Had a quick look through the site and the faq and cant find a topic on this.
been reading a few articles on pedling techniques, not surprisingly lots of views and opinions often contradictory. One thing they all have in common is using a circular motion rather than an up and down.
i have also read that spd can correct poor technique, no please im not trying to start another spd thread, im a newb and want to sort out my tech on flats before i consider anything else.
Last couple of rides i set myself a couple of challenges, first on a xc route i just sat and span no mashing up some reasonable banks, last night i kept in low gears all the way and concentrated on spinning at a high cadsense. i felt like i was going really slow but ended up only a couple of mins slower than my best time :?:
in another thread on hill climbs delta5 wrote
anyone else got any top tips so i can nail this circular technique and build up some strength and stamina for some proper hill climbing
cheers
been reading a few articles on pedling techniques, not surprisingly lots of views and opinions often contradictory. One thing they all have in common is using a circular motion rather than an up and down.
i have also read that spd can correct poor technique, no please im not trying to start another spd thread, im a newb and want to sort out my tech on flats before i consider anything else.
Last couple of rides i set myself a couple of challenges, first on a xc route i just sat and span no mashing up some reasonable banks, last night i kept in low gears all the way and concentrated on spinning at a high cadsense. i felt like i was going really slow but ended up only a couple of mins slower than my best time :?:
in another thread on hill climbs delta5 wrote
Delta5 wrote:It's sometimes easy to 'forget' to use all the available muscles in your legs. I often see people pedalling 'flat-footed', using only their upper leg muscles (quads), without actively flexing their ankles to bring their calf muscles into the action. If on the downstroke you focus on pointing your foot as well as straightening your leg, you can add a surprising amount of power by spreading the load across a bigger muscle volume. Getting your feet in the correct position on the pedals is crucial - for max power the pedal axle should be under the ball of your foot.
anyone else got any top tips so i can nail this circular technique and build up some strength and stamina for some proper hill climbing
cheers
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Comments
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The whole pedalling discussion actually takes a lot into account.
You need to make sure that your seat height is correct so you get the best out of your legs and use the best technique. Also, for hill climbing, body position and technique here is imperative too.
Readthe following 2 articles, especially the hill climbing one because they talk a lot about cadence and spinning.
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/fitness/ar ... ight-14608
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/fitness/ar ... ttle-27049Specialized Rockhopper Comp 2009.0 -
Pushing the pedal across the top of the stroke, and pulling it back across the bottom of the stroke makes a big difference, I find.
Try and consciously put more effort into that than the downstroke, since that will inevitably be powerful.0
