Originally Posted by
Tunnelrat81
I appreciate your honest answer. That tells me that for you, your specific build, muscle type etc., it seems clear that pedaling circles isn't advantageous. It does not prove anything about the potential benefits of the same practice when used by myself or anyone else. I respect the work you've done to identify and choose the best option for your own pedaling style, but I think it's important to acknowledge that there's a chance that everyone else's bodies, musculature, VO2 max, proportions, etc. aren't the same as your own, and that what's best for one individual may not be the best for everyone. Is that a fair theory?
-Jeremy
Your wishy washy hedging arguments about "MAY" be best or not are akin to the creationists who use similar approaches to try to debunk otherwise rock solid evidence showing that the world was not created in 7 days. They say "it MAY" have been created, and that while there's scientific evidence showing otherwise, it doesn't definitively prove it because science only suggests.
Again, just do the test yourself. Get a powermeter, go do a 2 x 20 minute FTP test (all-out effort), and on one test try and pedal in circles, and in the other test, try and pedal intentionally in squares. You can even make it a shorter test like 2 x 8' (Carmichael protocol) if you want. Then report back as to how much of a FTP gain you get with the circles. That's really, really solid data regarding how well circles will impact power.