Originally Posted by timtak

There is no need to use (2) the "heel drop" "French" "old style" "bunched up at the back" technique, as demonstrated by the pros today who rarely use it, But it has advantages in long rides since it applies the force over a larger part of the cycle, shares the load between muscles, and it recruits your butt muscles which is useful to old people (like me at 57) to prevent knee pain and hip instability, and it produces a nice sensation where instead of taking it in turns ones legs help each other, and you can sort of stomp (using your quads) while in a tuck (instead of having to stand to stomp), and you get lower without putting your saddle higher because your legs are pushing forwards more (or at least at an angle forwards). You can also give up on the push part of the stroke sooner safe in the knowledge that you will pull and use a whip technique which means you are serializing your muscles so that instead of taking it in turns, quads then quads, your glutes pull adds speed to your quad push. That being said, repeating, the Pro peloton today prove that this old style is not necessary. I think that the modern Pro peloton is very now more than ever much a group ride where teams form lines where they take it in turns to sprint and this may favour the quad quad quad push push push with the occasional shorter break with bent arms. If you are riding on your own however, as I always am, it may help to return to the push forwards pull back style.