by John | Jan 20, 2021 | Correcting Form, Instructor Training, Master Instructor Blog
Many (if not most of us) were taught some variation of; “scrape gum off the bottom of your shoe” and “try to push over the top” as the “proper” way to describe how to pedal like a “real” cyclist. But is that correct? If we really want our participants to pedal like a cyclist, is this the best way to cue proper/efficient pedaling technique?
My recently completed professional bicycle-fitting with Chris Balser the Bike Fit Guru says not necessarily.
I spent about two hours actually riding my VeloVie bicycle on a computrainer during my fitting. Not continuously and never at anything beyond a JRA level of effort. Early in the process Chris asked me; “where did you learn how to pedal?” Thinking that with way over 15,000 miles pedaling a bicycle, I've gotten to be a pretty good pedaler. So like most proud people I got defensive at his suggestion. Chris must of noticed it on my face because he quickly added; you're very smooth… but your ankle is all locked up. You are missing out on a bunch of power that's available if you'd #1) unlock your ankles and #2) focus on moving your knees through the greatest range of movement possible.
USA vs. EU pedaling techniques
To demonstrate what he was talking about he had me watch myself pedaling in a mirror from the side. My years of concentration on pushing over the top and scraping across the bottom showed Chris' observation was correct – I am smooth but my ankles were nearly locked solid with my foot at a right angle to my lower leg. That, he explained, was how people in the USA pedal.
Then he showed me a number of pictures of professional cyclists like this one of a very fast tandem team from the UK:
From http://magazine.bikeradar.com
Notice how high this captain's heel is as it crosses over the top? The idea here is that by allowing the ankle to flex and the heel to rise, you create a longer lever. Longer levers create more leverage and the force can begin earlier in the down stroke = more power. When you watch a cyclist using this technique, you'll see what Chris called “big knees” – the riders knees move in a very large plane up and down. It isn't just that their legs are long or that they're riding with long cranks. The exaggerated movement of their knees comes from the additional rage of motion allowed by the flexion of their ankles.
In this video, Joe Friel demonstrates the USA focus on “push over the top and scrap across the bottom.”
Former UK professional cyclist Rebecca Ramsay runs EasyCycling.com and her video below is an excellent example of what Chris describes as the EU pedaling technique. A closeup view of this technique in slow motion begins at the 2:00 mark. Notice how much flexion she has in her ankle as it crosses the bottom. Yes she cues the “scrape across the bottom” but no push across the top. With your heel elevated there's really no way to “push” forward… just down in a strong, fluid motion that I'm learning can create some much needed, additional power from my 52 year old legs 🙂
So who's right? Good question… but I'm not sure it's the right question.
A better question would be; which way of cuing, USA or EU, will be easier to understand by our students? Or would a combination / hybrid be helpful?
I've got two assignments for you to compete and report back:
#1 – Next time you're on a bike give this a try. Concentrate on what Rebecca cues as “a flick of the ankle” at the bottom. You may feel your calf contract slightly which you'll see in the video.
#2 – Watch a stage of the Tour De France. Pay attention to the vertical movement of the rider's knees and then let us know what you find.
Originally posted 2013-07-11 14:45:12.
by Guest Contributor | Mar 26, 2018 | Best Practices, Stages Indoor Cycling
The Power of the Pedal Stroke – Anatomical View
For a road cyclist pedaling while in the saddle, most of the power happens between the 12 o’clock and 5 o’clock position of the pedal stroke. This is when a majority of the primary muscles are activated. Hip and knee extension, along with hip flexion, are the main movements of a pedal stroke. Between the 6 and 12 o’clock position in the pedal revolution, there is some knee flexion to help bring the pedal back to the top, but the downward force being placed on the opposite pedal by the opposite leg is generally far greater. Lessening this negative (downward) force through the back half of the pedal stroke is accomplished through the action of the hamstrings and calves at the bottom of the stroke pulling the foot backward, to the hip flexors at the top, lifting the foot and knee back to the 12 o’clock position.
The power phase happens while the hip and knee extend, pressing downward on the pedal. This action starts with a combination of the gluteus and quadriceps muscles but then is joined by the hamstrings and calf muscles a quarter ways through the revolution. This shows the need for equally strong hamstrings, hips, and quadriceps. These muscles are some of the largest in the body and are the primary power producers in a pedal revolution.
A Brief on Pedal Torque
Is there such a thing as the perfect pedaling technique? And does anyone have it? The answer to both of these questions is probably ‘no' but the answer to ‘is there good technique?' is definitely ‘yes' and answering the question ‘what's the difference between good and bad technique?' is the objective of this article.
Let's consider the following four scenarios:
1. Cranks at 3 o'clock (horizontal). Pressing down on the front pedal will cause the cranks to rotate in the direction that we want them to go. Pressing down on the rear pedal will cause the cranks to turn in the wrong direction. If the force on the front pedal (lever) is greater than the force on the rear (lever), then we'll get some rotation in the right direction. Any downward force on the rear pedal has to be overcome by downward force on the front pedal before any effort is used to propel the bike forward. Let's keep that in mind.
2. Cranks at 6 o'clock (vertical). Theoretically pressing down on the top pedal won't cause the cranks to rotate but in practice, it will simply because the position is unstable. Whether it causes them to rotate forward (to 3) or backward is anyone's guess. Pressing down on the lower pedal will not cause the cranks to rotate – in fact, it will stop them. In addition to being 100% ineffective, a straight downward force at when pedals are positioned at 6 and 12 o’clock is also biomechanically stressful, and over time may result in pain or injury to the knee joint.
3. Cranks between 1 and 2 o'clock. Pressing down on the top pedal will cause the cranks to rotate in the direction we want them to go – but only a small part of the force will contribute to the rotation. The rest of the force is wasted. Pressing down on the bottom pedal will cause the cranks to rotate in the wrong direction – but again with only part of the force. As long as the force on the top pedal is greater than the one on the bottom rotation will be in the right direction.
4. Cranks between 4 and 5 o'clock. Similarly to 3, a proportion of the downward force applied to each pedal will affect the rotation, the remainder will have no effect.
If we look at the diagram below, we can understand why bad pedaling works (i.e. why anyone can ride a bike – or a stationary one at least). Pressing harder on one pedal than the other will result in the pedals turning in one direction or the other. It's easy to apply a large force to the front pedal through the 3 o'clock position, enough to turn the pedals to 6 o'clock. There will be enough momentum in the legs to get past the vertical after which it's easy to exert a larger downward force on the upper crank than the lower one. The momentum (energy applied to the pedal) ensures that the rotation direction remains the same.
In the diagrams above the direction of travel is left to right (as with the animations below). The black arrow represents applied force. The colored arrows show the applied force resolved radially (in red) and tangentially (in blue and green).
Bad pedaling works because the blue arrows are longer than the green ones. The effective contribution is blue minus green, I've shown that in amber. The amber arrows represent the ‘torque'.
Bad pedaling is bad because all of the force represented by the red and green arrows is wasted.
The aim of good pedaling is to modify the direction of the black force to minimize radial forces and maximize torque.
The Ankling Technique
Deriving from the above explanation of Torque, we can conclude that the main application of force to the pedals is in the downward thrust which comes naturally to almost everyone. The technique of drawing force across the bottom of the revolution arc and upwards to the start of the downward thrust is called ankling. The action involves a lowering of the heel as the downward force of the pedals takes place, and a lifting of the heel as the pedal begins the upward movement of its revolution. Think of scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Ankling enables the application of constant pressure upon the pedals throughout the revolution eliminating the dead spots at the upper and lower points. This pedal stroke requires less peak muscle contraction which spreads the load over the muscles (engaging more calf muscles) and promotes a smooth efficient style that allows the production of more power with less difficulty.
Different cyclists will vary in the position of their heel while pedaling. Depending on one's flexibility and basic biomechanics, some of us will use a high heel action and some may use a low heel action. Heel height also depends on one's cadence (see illustration bellow). One may end up injured if an attempt to change the basic heel height of the pedal stroke if it doesn’t feel natural. One should try to develop ankling within the constraints of their basic pedaling movement. A proper bike fit along with cleat positioning goes hand in hand with this and is well worth the money to optimize your pedal stroke. Because good anklng technique is dependent on proper foot placement on the pedal, it is important to remind indoor riders who do not use cleated shoes to place the BALL of the foot on the pedal before tightening the toe straps. Placing one’s foot all the way to the end of the cage can result in the arch of the foot being on the pedal and restrict ankle movement.
The faster one's cadence, the more difficult and unnecessary it will be to use the ankling technique. The downwards force on the pedals and the muscle contraction will be so quick in a sprint at 150 RPM that one won’t be able to do this effectively. However, we can observe that track sprinters will often use a high heel action when in a full sprint. Indoor riders are notorious for riding with an overly exaggerated “toe down” style, especially at high RPMs. However, unlike the outdoor sprinter, this style indoor usually reveals an inability of the rider to “keep up” with the momentum of the weighted flywheel.
Road cyclists often use a low heel action resulting from their cleat being positioned past the ball of the foot (towards the toe). The low heel technique is important in hill climbing while sitting back on the saddle and one can notice an improvement in climbing abilities upon mastering this technique. (note: keep in mind this technique most likely does NOT apply indoors, as simulation of a “hill” is simply an increase in resistance; there is no real incline to lift the front portion of the bike above the rear).
See illustration below for an example on heel action at different cadences (pay more attention to the pedal angle than the heel angle in these pictures. The heel appears to be higher than I would suggest. This will depend on the flexibility of the rider).
Understanding the role of the ankle joint is quite important; however cueing indoor riders about foot position (i.e., “point your toes,” or lift your toes up”, etc.) are NOT likely to result in better ankling technique, or more effective force generation. Instead, remind riders to keep their ankle “loose and flexible”, while seeking to apply effective force to the pedals with cues that describe the circular nature of the pedal stroke and the role of the primary force producers in the pedal stroke. This will encourage good ankling to occur naturally.
Co-authored by Stages Master Educators Paulo Stroud-Baranda and Lenita Anthony
by John | Feb 12, 2018 | Health and Wellness, Instructor Training, KEEPING IT FUN, Latest News, Master Instructor Blog, Strength Training
This is interesting to me. Why choose to study this?
Talk about opening “Pandora's Box” – this is bound to get a few conversations going…
Cameron Chinatti from Stages Indoor Cycling alerted me to this. ACE (American Council on Exercise) published a scientific study that looked at the effectiveness of pedaling backwards. Please download the PDF and read it in it's entirety, so you have a complete understanding of the purpose and results of the study.
That ACE chose to study this at all is very interesting (and a bit confusing) to me. We've all been taught that we should always pedal forward and never backwards. So what's the point looking into this activity? The intro talks about the potential cross-training effects. Oh, and there's a quick bit about how variety can help prevent boredom…
Discussing this topic, I felt I needed to break it down to these three questions:
- Is backwards pedaling beneficial?
- Is backwards pedaling safe?
- Should you consider adding backwards pedaling to your classes?
#1 Is pedaling backwards beneficial?
In the conclusion of the study, ACE says:
The Bottom Line
This study showed that pedaling backward on the Cascade cycle elicited higher heart-rate and energycost values than pedaling at identical workloads in the forward direction. The increase in physiological response was reflected by higher muscle activation of the quadriceps muscles (vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and rectus femoris), which is consistent with the subjects’ descriptions of feeling like they had to “pull” the pedals when cycling backward. “The concept of specificity tells us that pedaling forward should still make up the vast majority of a cyclist’s training,” explains Dr. Porcari, “but the subtle differences in muscle activation seen when pedaling backward can be very beneficial.” Dr. Porcari recommends treating backward pedaling as a change of pace and a form of cross-training that better targets the quads. Maria Cress, a member of the research team for this study, points out that by improving quadriceps strength by pedaling in the backward direction, cyclists will experience improved strength for regular cycling. “They will be able to work at a higher workload at a lower RPE and heart rate,” says Cress, “which means that incorporating backward pedaling into your routine will eventually make pedaling forward mentally and physically easier.”
So the researchers are saying backwards pedaling is beneficial. These folks from UWL are exercise scientists after all and include Dr. Carl Foster. Dr. Foster's research has validated most of the zone based heart rate training you've learned – regardless of the source.
#2 Is backwards pedaling safe?
Let's start with this. All of the Indoor Cycling certifications recommend against pedaling backwards. But here's where my confusion comes in… why would ACE even consider studying and publishing this? They have to know that there will be many Instructors who will read this and think; “ACE isn't concerned about pedaling backwards, so I don't need to be either!”
I can already see the responses on Facebook; “ACE doesn't know what they're talking about… they don't understand cycling like Spinning®/Schwinn/Keiser/Stages/etc..
So why wasn't ACE concerned?
ACE quotes the manufacturer of this recumbent:
The Cascade CMXRT recumbent exercise bike is designed to mimic the real road feel of cycling outdoors. Its website says that the bike offers “quiet bi-directional resistance [that] lets you pedal forward and backward throughout the whole 360-degree pedal stroke for a more effective workout.”
I'm guessing that ACE saw this and thought; “you can pedal their bike both directions. Let's use it to see if backwards pedaling is beneficial.” Except…
ACE is mistaken about this part.
The Cascade recumbent is fixed gear drive
In the sidebar included in the study, ACE makes this comment:
Of course, bike safety is another issue entirely. Before telling participants in a group exercise class or a personal-training client to start pedaling backward, be sure that the bike you are using is designed to do so. It is important to note that this research was not conducted on a fixed-gear cycle, but rather on a specifically designed recumbent bike that provides resistance in both directions.
As you can see in the above screenshot from Cascade's website that their recumbent does have a fixed gear drive system, just like every other Indoor Cycle – the one exception being CycleOps which uses a freewheel.
What ACE should have highlighted is this recumbent uses magnetic resistance, combined with an aluminum flywheel. The eddy currents that create the magnetic resistance don't care which direction the flywheel spins = that's where the provides resistance in both directions comes from. The aluminum flywheel is light enough that it doesn't create the huge rotational momentum (and resulting “run-away flywheel” effect) experienced with a friction resistance system that uses a heavily weighted flywheel.
There isn't anything special/unique in use here. All of the Indoor Cycling brands (FreeMotion/ICG/Keiser/Schwinn/Stages offer a similar magnetic resistance. So it's my view that this experiment could have been conducted on any ICs with magnetic resistance and ACE would have seen similar results.
Quick side note: I jumped on my personal indoor cycle that has magnetic resistance and a Stages Power Meter, to try backwards pedaling. Believe it or not, I'd never, ever tried this before. The Stages Power Meter did display cadence, but the watts stayed at zero. So no backwards pedaling, power training for me 🙁
What struck me was how I felt everything flipped; where I could add the most force was lifting my lead foot, as it came forward and up. Pushing down seemed very awkward and I didn't feel I could apply much pressure.
#4 Should you consider adding backwards pedaling to your classes?
I wouldn't. There doesn't appear to be enough positive benefits, in contrast with the possible injury. Not to mention pedaling backwards just looks wrong/goofy, So I can't see including it in my class.
If you are thinking; “My class is super experienced and we'd like to try this”. I'd love to know your experiences.
One more note: I briefly rode this recumbent cycle when I was at IHRSA. The manufacturer, Cascade Health and Fitness, and ICI/PRO are currently conducting a small study of our own. We have two clubs who are using recumbents, along with conventional indoor cycles, to see if they can be successfully integrated together in a group class. Our objective is to see if adding a few recumbents can make classes more accessible, to people who have physical limitations that prevent them from riding a stationary bike.
by Joan Kent | Dec 15, 2014 | Best Practices, Engage Your Students, Master Instructor Blog
The word “technique” intrigues some and makes others yawn. But there’s much to be said for technique. It’s the foundation for all athletic performance features.
Technique involves improved skills. In the broadest, most general terms, that means eliminating unnecessary movement; making movements in the correct directions; applying the necessary power, but no more than that; using the right muscles for the activity; and using optimal speed if time isn’t a factor.
Okay, that’s a dry list. Still, the benefits of good technique — and the consequences of bad — affect training and performance. The last thing I’m going to do is describe cycling technique; vastly superior riders have done that in too many venues. (Check out the excellent videos here on ICI-PRO.) Instead, I’d like to list some benefits of good technique.
Efficiency
The main benefit of good technique is efficiency. Efficiency is the ratio of work output to expended energy. If work output increases OR energy expenditure decreases, efficiency has improved. Efficiency and technique are closely related because principles of efficiency are so similar to principles of technique.
Many activities have an optimal rate. Rates above and below that cost more energy. The mechanism behind that is stored muscle elasticity, which requires the shortest time between muscle relaxation and contraction to prevent the loss of energy as heat.
Good technique reduces the energy required for the pedal stroke, reduces energy lost as body heat, and retains more mechanical energy for the next pedal stroke. Strength goes up — functional-type strength.
Practice reinforces cycling technique, so it improves efficiency.
Consistent velocity
Consistent velocity also affects technique. Unintentionally accelerating or decelerating due to poor technique wastes energy. Obviously, holding a single cadence throughout a cycling class isn’t usually part of the workout plan.
But staying consistent during a song or segment — an important technical skill — can increase efficiency. Beatmatch is an excellent teaching tool for helping students develop consistency.
What else affects efficiency?
Efficiency may involve factors other than technique. For example, it may depend on the contractile properties of the muscle: slow-twitch is more efficient than fast-twitch. It may depend on training, which can increase strength and endurance by increasing muscle efficiency. Big-gear training, for example, can improve efficiency in fast-twitch fibers.
Other benefits of good technique
Doing something with correct technique feels good, probably because the body is being used the right way.
Correct technique makes the student look good. In my master’s thesis, I compared the principles of technique and efficiency to principles of movement aesthetics. It turns out that what makes a movement correct and efficient is also what makes it beautiful.
So technique leads to efficiency, and that wastes less energy. The less we waste, the more energy is left for the demanding parts of the class when it really counts. And the better we look and feel cycling.
You’d like your students to look and feel good while taking your class, complete it successfully, and want to come back for more, right?
Jim Karanas always said, “Endurance athletes don’t mind expending energy, but they never want to waste it.”
Good cycling technique is the key.
