Don't Forget About Pedal Technique

Pedaling back to my car with one bare foot on my Speedplay pedals reminded me of this oft ignored aspect of training. Smooth pedal technique makes you more efficient and is requisite to grow as a cyclist whether you are a weekend warrior or you have higher aspirations.

It is best to perform this workout on an indoor trainer. Place a box, crate or chair next to your setup on which you will rest your stationary foot. You should perform this pedal technique workout in your little ring (39t or 42t) and 17-21+ with a cadence of 90-110. After you clip in and warm-up, unclip one pedal resting it on the box. Perform this set:

• 30s one legged pedaling
• 1min both legs
• 30s other legged pedaling
• 1min both legs
• Repeat

It is a simple little set that you should include at the beginning of any trainer ride throughout the year and more often in the off season.

**Remember: the goal is to make a more rounded pedal stroke second nature. So focus on rounding from the top to the down stroke and from the down stroke back through the bottom of the pedal stroke. The up stroke or back of the pedal stroke has been the source of some conflicting information of late. Some advocate actively pulling up in the back stroke, but this can lead to abnormal stress on the knee and injury like those in Andy Pruitt's Complete Medical Guide for Cyclists. More appropriately, the cyclist should lift up just enough in the back stroke to allow the significantly more powerful down stroke to proceed without having to waste effort by lifting the other leg. (reference: The Ultimate Ride by Chris Carmichael pg. 73)

When do you begin to lose your form?

1. Fatigue tends to lead to more ankling and a greater emphasis on the down stroke at the expense of rounding the top and bottom.
   
2. High power efforts such as climbing and sprinting also result in loss of form, but they require a slightly different pedal stroke to balance efficiency with the needed force (for future discussion).

So make sure to also include this workout set at points in your rides when you are fatigued, as well. This will help ingrain the proper pedal stroke more deeply into your motor memory and guide development of your muscle to assist in stabilizing the pedal stroke. The picture above shows the specific muscles you will be tuning for each part of the pedal stroke.

Once you are used to pedaling with one leg you can come close to replicating this workout on the road by concentrating on pedaling one leg while flaccidly relaxing the other to come along for the ride. Trust me, that would be much better than being forced into riding with one leg due to a mechanical problem with your shoe!