Originally Posted by
ciocc_cat
Read this:
http://www.rivbike.com/article/clothing/the_shoes_ruse
EXCERPT:
"When elite pedalers and lousy rookie pedalers have been hooked up to machines that measure muscle activity during pedaling, the machines tell us this: during normal pedaling at normal cadences, nobody pulls UP on the backstroke the elite/efficient pedalers push down less on the upward moving pedal than the rookies do."
So . . . we
don't really pedal in circles after all?
(Yes, I realize who I'm quoting on this, so please take it with a teaspoon of salt since no particular study is cited.)
I think this is right if it means we are not actually exerting pulling force on the crank arm during the upstroke. We are pulling up against all the forces that are working to push it down. The weight of our legs, the geometry of our legs and position on the bike and such. Without the effort to pull the leg up, we would be exerting more downward force than we are.