GilesM
Legendary Member
- Location
- East Lothian
NickM said:
Sound advice.
Pedalling technique
- Thread starter stevevw
- Start date
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Sound advice.
I've ridden at Salford ( Birmingham's old ) track.
Mainly Devil races.
Done a couple of town criteriums.
This was when my Peugeot 531 with Simplex gears was the 'Dox Beluxe'; and crash hats were made of five bananas.
Toe clips tight and pull all the way round, or you lose ! which was the case anyway
Then there was Solihull schools sports carnival. Why I was picked, I don't know?
Mainly Devil races.
Done a couple of town criteriums.
This was when my Peugeot 531 with Simplex gears was the 'Dox Beluxe'; and crash hats were made of five bananas.
Toe clips tight and pull all the way round, or you lose ! which was the case anyway
Then there was Solihull schools sports carnival. Why I was picked, I don't know?
Saddle bum
Über Member
- Location
- Kent
If we are specifically discussing clipless pedals, the position of the cleat is very sigificant.
It is important to get the fore and aft postion correct for the type of riding you are engaging.
For a lively road bike, the foot can be further back when compared to an Audax machine. This encourages the more toe-down technique required for the higher cadence used when compared to an Audax machine.
I have just got my second generation LOOK pedals, KEOs to be precise. Never had any issues with them since they were first lintroduced.
Hope it is not out of order, but if anyone wants my old LOOK DELTA pedals, PM me. They would be just right for someone starting going clipless.
It is important to get the fore and aft postion correct for the type of riding you are engaging.
For a lively road bike, the foot can be further back when compared to an Audax machine. This encourages the more toe-down technique required for the higher cadence used when compared to an Audax machine.
I have just got my second generation LOOK pedals, KEOs to be precise. Never had any issues with them since they were first lintroduced.
Hope it is not out of order, but if anyone wants my old LOOK DELTA pedals, PM me. They would be just right for someone starting going clipless.
I've been in my loft and dug out some plots of instantaneous power versus time from dyno tests.
The curve is not sinusoidal, it's more like a blunted 'saw tooth' with a greater dp/dt on the increase than the 'tail off'.
Pedalling leisurely, the power at 'cranks upright' just touches zero, but when pedalling with "proper" technique, the decay of power is delayed and does not fall to zero.
The steepest part of the curve is of course when I lay the force on at pedals at 45 Deg-ish.
Max power is at pedals just after horizontal, as you would expect, when force is being applied to BOTH pedals with quadriceps and glutes on the down stroke; and hamstrings on the upstroke.
If any of you have been brave enough to try this last night, you probably won't have had much effect, or even some discomfort in your hamstrings. It requires some training, but the resultant extra power that can be used is amazingly beneficial on climbs and accelerating.
The technique of pulling the pedals upwards should be in every cyclists armoury. It may not be used very often, but when climbing, it is useful to give the quads a bit of help.
Try it.
The curve is not sinusoidal, it's more like a blunted 'saw tooth' with a greater dp/dt on the increase than the 'tail off'.
Pedalling leisurely, the power at 'cranks upright' just touches zero, but when pedalling with "proper" technique, the decay of power is delayed and does not fall to zero.
The steepest part of the curve is of course when I lay the force on at pedals at 45 Deg-ish.
Max power is at pedals just after horizontal, as you would expect, when force is being applied to BOTH pedals with quadriceps and glutes on the down stroke; and hamstrings on the upstroke.
If any of you have been brave enough to try this last night, you probably won't have had much effect, or even some discomfort in your hamstrings. It requires some training, but the resultant extra power that can be used is amazingly beneficial on climbs and accelerating.
The technique of pulling the pedals upwards should be in every cyclists armoury. It may not be used very often, but when climbing, it is useful to give the quads a bit of help.
Try it.
asterix
Comrade Member
- Location
- Limoges or York
All this stuff about whether pros do this or that is very interesting but IMO jimboalee is talking good sense.
In my own case, I cycle a lot in hill country and I most definitely like to pull on the up the stroke. In 2007 I did the raid Pyrenean with camping gear (20kg) and some of the grades (according to my computer) were approaching 20% for a significant distance - Col de Bargargui, for example - and the only way was to pull as well as push. The steepest grade recorded was 22% for about 100metres.
So maybe I am not doing it 'properly', but it does work for me and there is no doubt that the pros have their own styles as well.
In my own case, I cycle a lot in hill country and I most definitely like to pull on the up the stroke. In 2007 I did the raid Pyrenean with camping gear (20kg) and some of the grades (according to my computer) were approaching 20% for a significant distance - Col de Bargargui, for example - and the only way was to pull as well as push. The steepest grade recorded was 22% for about 100metres.
So maybe I am not doing it 'properly', but it does work for me and there is no doubt that the pros have their own styles as well.
The kit I used was a Test Automation M/C dyno. I think they sold up to Froude Hoffman.
I couldn't find a photo, but it was similar to this
It was a clever piece of kit that could plot kW absorption vs time. No need to fit special cranks.
Thanks SAGEM and Triumph. Many Friday afternoons spent climbing simulated Alpine passes.
I couldn't find a photo, but it was similar to this
It was a clever piece of kit that could plot kW absorption vs time. No need to fit special cranks.
Thanks SAGEM and Triumph. Many Friday afternoons spent climbing simulated Alpine passes.
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
If the pros don't do it, then it's almost certain Jimbo is talking boll0cks (tm).
asterix
Comrade Member
- Location
- Limoges or York
BentMikey said:
That's a fair point, well made. Any pros here?
Dave5N
Über Member
- Location
- Outside The Little Nibble
No but I remember Hinault using them for the first time in (I think '85) in the Tour, and he practically ran up the hills on the bike.
Chrisz
Über Member
- Location
- Sittingbourne
So does no-one do one footed pedalling in training any more? 5min alternate legs on a slight drag using only one foot (the other unclipped) to build power on the upstroke and thus provide a more seemless power delivery in sprints and climbs? 