I have found that specific pedaling techniques like dropping your heals and to a lesser degree pedaling in circles do allow you to generate more power but at the cost of efficiency. Try riding at say 20mph the for 5 miles using the drop the heal technique and then repeat but this time resting on the upstroke. I think most of you will find you have expended less energy overall when resting on the upstroke. I spent some time with a fitter\coach who hooked my my bike up to a system that measured power output throughout the pedal stroke. He equated pedaling efficiency with generating power throughout the stroke. I dutifuly did my best pedaling in circles which generated somelike like 92 percent efficiency but there is no way I would use this as my standard pedaling technique on a regular basis as you end up expending more energy relative to resting on the upstroke. I think that whatever feels most natural to you will by definition be most effecient. For me that means keeping my heal up and resting on the upstroke.
Last edited by OCRider2000; 12-09-08 at 01:31 PM.