Originally Posted by
xuwol7
good stuff thanks guys, I pedal with a toes down style and push/pull on my handlebars just by nature with no thought to technique.
I ride a 1972 PX-10 or a canyon express mtb and really love the px10 bike as it is really quick when I want to get out of the way of a driver that is too busy with their phone, texting etc.
The push/pull on the bars thing is a bit of a myth. If you're sitting down, then any force produced by doing so stops at the saddle and cannot be transmitted to the legs, except by squashing bit that we really don't want to be squashed.
If you're out of the saddle, then yes, it has an effect which is why we accelerate (for a short time) when on a climb or even sprinting for a town boundary sign.