Pedaling is About Spinning, Not Stepping
Just like other sports such as swimming or cross country skiing, an efficient stroke in cycling can be pretty technical. Yes, you can ride a bike without knowing this, but you can ride a bike with less difficulty and more power if you employ an efficient pedal stroke.
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It takes practice to become a perfect pedaler. The most effective use of force during movement, to create power, depends on not only the strength of the muscles involved, but also on a series of coordinated neuromuscular patterns. In short, you need to move efficiently. If you train your body to move in a pattern that is efficient for your sport, in this case cycling, you can improve race day performance.
Here are some tips for improving your skill
Pedaling Drills:
On any ride, spin the pedals as quickly as possible as you accelerate down slopes. To do this correctly, leave the bike in a gear that's too easy, one that forces you to fan the pedals to keep up with the speed of the bike. Your goal is to rev your legs as quickly as you can while remaining seated. At first, you'll probably bounce a lot on the seat. But, with practice, you should be able to stay in the seat and maintain a calm upper body even though your legs are spinning at supersonic speed. If you do this drill a lot, your pedaling speed and efficiency will quickly improve.
Ride Exercises:
Do the Pull-and-Push
Each time a pedal reaches 3 o'clock, pull straight back (parallel to the ground) with the front
foot and simultaneously push straight forward with the trailing foot. This action feels funny at
first but if you work at it a bit, you'll find that it helps — especially on hills. And, after a while
you'll pedal smoother than ever because you're able to apply power through more of the stroke.
This happens because the natural up-and-down pedal action is complemented by the new
fore-and-aft motion.
Go Single
There are other drills for improving pedaling. A fantastic one is doing single-leg workouts on
an indoor trainer. Here's how: Warm up for a while with the bike in an easy-to-spin gear. When
you're feeling warm and loose, pull one foot out of the pedal and rest it on the trainer or on a
stool next to the bike. Then pedal for thirty seconds to a minute trying to be as efficient as
possible with your one foot. Pedal easily with both legs for one minute. Then, repeat the drill
with the other leg.
Almost immediately it becomes easier to pedal smoothly during normal pedaling, because you
are essentially teaching each leg to pedal in perfect circles. Practice the single-leg drill two to
three times a week and you'll soon have a silky smooth spin and more pedaling power when
you hit the road and trail.
Rev It Up
Another great technique can be performed on the road and on a trainer. A cyclo-computer with
cadence helps with this drill but if you don't have one, just count how many complete
revolutions you make with one foot in ten seconds, and then multiply by six to get your rpm
(revolutions per minute). Put your bike in a low gear and take your cadence up to 120 rpm (or
a 20 count for 10 seconds) and hold for 30 to 45 seconds.
Try hard not to bounce and concentrate on staying smooth and supple. Give yourself a few
minutes rest and repeat between for and six times during your ride. Keep in mind this is a
technique drill and not an interval, so be sure to gear down enough that you aren't straining to
hold your target cadence. Doing one or two reps is a great way to complete a warm up as well
(you can also do this drill on a downhill trying to spin as fast as possible without bouncing)
Bicycle Sports
2770 Interstate 10 E
Beaumont, TX 77703
(409) 860-5959
www.bicyclesports.com
