Pedal stroke on a trainer or on rollers is one thing. Pedal stroke with varying elevations and wind conditions is another. What I'm saying is that when conditions change, the pedal stroke may change. Those perfect smooth circles aren't that way at all. At least for me.

You'll notice that some riders have big thigh muscles, so big that one of their's is twice the size of both of mine. For these "big" riders, their down stroke is likely to be far different than mine with my skinny legs. Maybe that's why they really don't need to concentrate a lot on the pull.

So in my experience, I do use the pull, maybe more than others. But I feel comfortable with it. Many times I lose my concentration and end up pushing more than pulling. What the heck.