pedal technique

gaffy
gaffy Posts: 553
edited March 2011 in Amateur race
hi, been involved with bikes from a young age but never really got competitive until now, completed first sprint tri last season and looking for a few more races this coming one.

been incorporating twice weekly spin classes into my training regime and this question applies to both road and spin cycling,

what is the proper pedal technique with your foot... i imagine this question has already been mentioned a billion times but i cant find anything if anyone could direct me to previous threads that would be great.

are you meant to lead with your toe and apply pressure with foot almost always pointed downwards? or are you meant to raise toe slightly higher and apply more pressure with the ball of your feet further back from the toes (is this meant to use the calf muscle a bit more?) or is it less that there is one be all and end all technique more your meant to use a combination of ones or different styles are suited to everyone....

any advice would be muchly appreciated and put to work.

cheers

Comments

  • sheffsimon
    sheffsimon Posts: 1,282
    gaffy wrote:
    hi, been involved with bikes from a young age but never really got competitive until now, completed first sprint tri last season and looking for a few more races this coming one.

    been incorporating twice weekly spin classes into my training regime and this question applies to both road and spin cycling,

    what is the proper pedal technique with your foot... i imagine this question has already been mentioned a billion times but i cant find anything if anyone could direct me to previous threads that would be great.

    are you meant to lead with your toe and apply pressure with foot almost always pointed downwards? or are you meant to raise toe slightly higher and apply more pressure with the ball of your feet further back from the toes (is this meant to use the calf muscle a bit more?) or is it less that there is one be all and end all technique more your meant to use a combination of ones or different styles are suited to everyone....

    any advice would be muchly appreciated and put to work.

    cheers

    It has been put forward that pressing your heel down at the bottom of the pedal stroke is the way to pedal - ankling I think was the term in the 80s/90s.

    I think you pedal how you pedal, and certainly if you are racing and giving it some or hanging on, then its not at the forefront of your thoughts. :)
  • gaffy
    gaffy Posts: 553
    pressing your heal down sounds like it would feel really counter intuitive..

    guess the idea is to have the technique down before you start racing so it comes second nature, if love to hear more thoughts on this... i guess each to their own and everyone probably has their own style, just looking for tips that i could test out and see if they work for me...

    nonetheless ill give ankling a hoot anyway..
  • emx
    emx Posts: 164
    I promise you, pedal technique will be the last thing on your mind when you're strung out on the road and clinging on to the bunch.....just pedal.....
  • skinarelli
    skinarelli Posts: 64
    When I was a lad I rode for Southport CC in the company of ex-Milk race winner (1959 & 1960) who extolled the vitues of "pedal at 5 o'clock" as the answer to good pedalling technique.

    i never did workout what he meant! :lol:
    Bald is Beautiful
  • gbs
    gbs Posts: 450
    I understand LeMond believed in "wiping feet on the doormat" ie apply effort throughout the revoution of the pedal. I think this is similar to "pedal at 5 o'clock". I think it works for me.

    I am more certain that "ankling" is useful
    vintage newbie, spinning away
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,605
    It's hard to explain but if you follow the crank around with your foot you will immediately notice the difference. Basically this means that you are using your ankle as well as the up and down motion of your leg so helps eliminate the flat spot. I try to do it on the turbo to make it second nature but find it hard to do. Also, if you can pull on the upstroke it will help but again I find it very hard in practice as your leg never gets a rest! As others have said you won't get a chance to think about it when racing but if you can do it on a turbo it will eventually become your natural style.
  • paddlemyowncanoe
    paddlemyowncanoe Posts: 265
    There is no evidence that pedalling technique has any influence on performance.

    <Discuss.>

    Anecdotal advice from ex-pros is not evidence.
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    paddlemyowncanoe wrote:
    There is no evidence that pedalling technique has any influence on performance.

    <Discuss.>

    Anecdotal advice from ex-pros is not evidence.
    +1.
    It is more about preference.
    Some prefer ankling some prefer toe down.
    I dont take much notice but for me it will change depend whether I am climbing or putting in more effort but it is not a concious change.
    As long as you try to pedal for most of the stroke does not matter which you do.
    Pedalling with one leg shows how bad you may be pedalling :-)
    http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5Bfqj5fxY
  • kieranb
    kieranb Posts: 1,674
    google' jacques antequil pedal style' if you're interested in pedal styles
  • racingcondor
    racingcondor Posts: 1,434
    I seem to remember reading that the heel down idea went out of fashion because it tended to aggrevate achilles tendonitis (repeadedly overextending the ankle). That of course, may also be heresay...

    I like some of the other advice I've heard recently. Push down. Hard.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    I read a research article recently that said that there was no benefit in adapting a pedalling technique which included pulling-up or ankling - it made no difference to the amount of power generated or rider economy.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • MrTapir
    MrTapir Posts: 1,206
    racingcondor wrote:
    I seem to remember reading that the heel down idea went out of fashion because it tended to aggrevate achilles tendonitis (repeadedly overextending the ankle). That of course, may also be heresay...

    I like some of the other advice I've heard recently. Push down. Hard.

    Also bear in mind that Sheldon Brown used to pedal with ankling, but totally knackered his achilles I think, so perhaps it is not a good thing to get into. [/url]http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_an-z.html#ankling[url][/url]
  • racingcondor
    racingcondor Posts: 1,434
    Thanks MrTapir, that'll be where I read it. :D
  • paddlemyowncanoe
    paddlemyowncanoe Posts: 265
    Joe Friel's blog had a piece on his triathlon clients experimenting with a cleat under the mid foot, eliminating ankling, saving the calf muscles for work needed later on the run. The same piece, if I recall, hypothesised that road racers need to recruit calf muscle to do extra work when sprinting. Seems to make sense but don't know what the evidence is.
  • Slack
    Slack Posts: 326
    For me it depends on what I'm doing.

    If climbing bilg hills I have stints of dropping the heels slightly in combination with moving back on the saddle - cadence naturally slows - to get as much torque out as possible, and to use different muscles.

    For rolling steady riding, feet tend to be level with a good cadence.

    For arse up chaingang, I tend to have a higher cadence, toes point down slightly.

    Everyone uses different techniques, but the most important thing to concentrate on is creating smooth circles.
    Plymouthsteve for councillor!!
  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    Improve your flexibility but just pedal how you like.
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred

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