Been cycling in all disciplines for my entire adult life and have never heard such unfounded, ridiculous and arrogant mis-guidance. As a 25 year cycle-commuter/utility cyclist w/many, many unspported tours under my belt I've heard and tried many different techniques to facilitate maximum efficency from minimum motion. The one habit that was hardest to break was starting out w/t NDS pedal in the top/forward position. Realized that putting the torque on the chainring assembly on the DS would make better sense as there's more mass to distribute the stress. It's like trying to perfect an off-hand lay-up... all concentration and foot work. Took a while but it's 2nd nature now.

But, to come on a commuter forum as a relative newb and disallow and deride what are perfectly sound techniques. Certainly, one is free to opine on whatever one's belief happens to be...but the cowboy mount? That's one of the more silly suggestions I've seen here on BF in quite a while...especially when cycling under load.