Originally Posted by OCRider2000

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.