Squashednuts

When I was younger I had flat pedals & was only able to apply force on the downward stroke.

Now I'm much older I've got clipless pedals which allows me to pull up on then push down. I think I go faster but I keep forgetting & tend to revert to my old style.

What do others do in terms of pedalling?

Sixty Fiver

Push from the top and pull through the bottom (the dead spot) to develop a smooth pedal stroke, pulling up on the pedals is not efficient and is really a technique for hard starts / accelleration.

JonathanGennick 

Flats and mash. Ride like a kid. Because I like it that way.

Pinned flats though, and I wear flat-soled soled shoes that lock-in pretty well.

Jim from Boston

Pedalling technique

Back in the 70’s. long before clipless pedals, I heard a lecture by Mike Walden, a legendary coach of the Wolverine Sports Club, in Michigan, that you have to realize you pedal in circles, and not in steps as walking or on stairs.

Years later I read a refinement of that axiom on BikeForums, that the force on the pedal is applied tangentially to the pedal stroke. So at the top and bottom of the pedal stroke, the force is being applied parallel with the ground, rather than downward or upward respectively. Directly downward and upward force occurs at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions.

One exercise I found helpful to smooth out the stroke is one-legged pedalling.

practical

When I switched to clipless, my mind imagery of pedalling switched as well. I imagined my feet spinning in a circle rather than pistons going up and down. Having that mental image helped as it kept me focused on cadence over power. (I have since switched back to my toe clips as it gives me greater variation in pedal attack and foot/ankle angles. But going clipless was a very good experience and taught me a lot about my own pedalling.)

memebag

I get no measurable benefit from clipless pedals vs flats. I'm careful to lift my feet on both types so I'm not wasting energy on the down stroke. I try to keep a high cadence and just add a little energy to each down stroke.

knobster

Pulling up on the opposite leg that you're pushing helps a great deal. I only use it when climbing but I immediately notice my cadence going up and the hill is easier. Not to mention my legs stop burning. You use more of your hamstrings when doing this so it incorporates more of your leg muscles which means less tired legs. I learned how to properly pedal a bike in a race training class that I took a few years ago where you had to maintain a certain level of watts on the power meter. If you didn't pedal the way they were instructing, there was no way you could maintain the level of watts they wanted to see out of you. If you don't have classes like this, I recommend Spinervals. A lot of the drills they use has helped me a lot with proper technique.

imi

Have you tried "knees in" as well?

fietsbob

not so much pull up as unweight your feet past BDC.. stay ahead of the gear ratio so the motion is lightly spinning

not too fast not too slow , unless you got Museeuw's power to big ring climb away from your rivals.

bruce19

My pedaling technique is a result of training on rollers.

quicktrigger

Im with you. Not racing and dont care for being attached to a bike.

QT

trainsktg

Depends on the bike and/or the situation. Road bike is now always clipless. Cargo bike used as road bike (don't ask) is either clipless or flat pedals with stiff clips/no straps, pretty much depending whether I am riding alone or in a large sponsored event. Mountain bike is always flats with stiff clips because my skill level sucks and I know I'd wind up on the ground too often if I was attached to the bike. I never ride with just flats. Regardless of which I am pedaling with, my technique has evolved away from mashing to spinning/de-weighting the leg that is traveling upwards.

Keith

Gyrine

I ride clipless but don't think about peddling technique and just peddle naturally. I'm more interested in cadence, speed (go fast whenever conditions allow), and trying not to hit anything.

chaadster

Power training on a metered stationary revealed the same to me; as far as making power goes, the only way to do it is to apply force on the downstroke.

Now there may be, and I believe there are, other reasons for varying your stroke and focusing on other elements of it, when it comes down to delivering peak watts at any cadence, you've simply got to push down on the pedals as hard as possible.

Looigi

+1. For the most part, power is generated during the down stroke, but the other leg doesn't get a free ride. It should be working to propel itself around the rest of circle rather than absorbing power from the working leg. Use forceful pulling up for short duration max efforts: starts, steep ramps, sprints...

bikesd

I've never even thought about this - so much to learn!

sillver797

Thats is what i do I push to 3 o'clock and pull to 9 o'clock, I also unweight my feet and free spin - very efficient and much easier to keep speed and cadence

FBinNY 

Many experienced cyclists have multiple pedaling techniques to draw from as needed.

Most of normal high cadence riding is done is a simple push and relax motion with a stiff ankle, letting the cranks take the foot around. That's because it gets difficult to coordinate more complex muscle use at high cadence.

For climbing steep hills where the cadence drops they'll make more use of the calf muscles and ankle to lengthen the power stroke and push tangent to the crank arm as it turns. lastly they reserve pulling for extreme conditions such as coming off the line at low rpm, or forcing the bike the last few yards to crest a hill in an overly high gear.

Years ago, the ankling technique I described for climbing was more commonly used, but over the years the high cadence low force method has proven itself superior most of the time.

One way to develop mutiple pedaling styles is to ride fixed wheel in rolling terrain, where you have no control over cadence. Or go to hilly areas where you'll likely run out of gearing and be forced to drop cadence and smooth out your power stroke.

Drew Eckhardt 

Pulling up doesn't add any power, and is less metabolically efficient versus pedaling in circles or focusing on the push which don't differ appreciably from each other.

Pedaling in circles without pulling up does prevent bouncing at higher RPMs.

Those are necessary for maximum power sprinting which takes about 120RPM.

They let you run a bigger starting cog for more in the middle, although this is less relevant with 11 cogs and none of the big manufacturers offering starting cogs larger than 12.

More RPM is convenient when you want short bursts of speed without a ring change - I can spin 39x14 up to 30 MPH.

Atakuweh

Since getting back into cycling a couple of years ago after a long absence, one of the best things I decided to do was go with clipless pedals and proper cycling shoes. Back in the old days I used toe clips and straps with ordinary sneakers or running shoes, and I still see some people doing that. But the constant attachment of your feet to the pedals with clipless pedals, the ability to apply power at virtually all points of the pedal stroke, and the stiff soles of proper cycling shoes, all combine to make for a much more efficient means of applying power. Plus, higher cadences are possible since you're not worrying about your shoes becoming disengaged from the pedals.

And yes, pulling up does indeed help generating power throughout the pedal stroke. Why would you want to depend exclusively on the downstroke power of your quadriceps, when you have your hamstrings available to spread the load? Using the two muscle combinations together in concert helps to develop a smooth pedal stroke, rather than just pumping away on each leg's downstroke. Using just your quads to pump downstrokes eventually makes you rock back and forth, which is not only inefficient, but can cause other problems like saddle discomfort.

Not only pushing down and pulling up, but everything in between, makes for a smooth pedaling stroke. You have to manage the transitions between all the muscle groups engaged, pushing forward and pulling back as well in order to make your pedaling stroke as smooth as possible. Back in the old days we were told that ankling was the key, but that seems to have been discounted now as a possible source of achilles tendon injury. But don't assume that your ankle should be immobile — if your pedaling stroke is smooth, then your ankle will naturally follow some degree of flexing, though not one that you necessarily need to pay much attention to.

And to everyone, by the way — it's "pedaling" with one "L", not "peddling" which is what you do if you're trying to sell wares door to door, or from a cart on the street.

FBinNY 

Looking back it seems people are simply mispelling it with a double L. But not as Peddling, which as you point out is a different word.

MZilliox

I have noticed in my very unscientific way that when i do focus on pedal technique and pedaling in a circle rather than freestyle, i do go faster with less effort. I like to train my muscle memory for this by getting on a gentle upslope where i can really focused on the gains or losses from different techniques. I'm new to taking cycling seriously, I don't have plans to race, but I do like to go fast and am slightly obsessed with efficiency in all things i do. I enjoy the gains form training, and i enjoy beating personal best times on routes. working on the muscle memory and technique makes everything more fun. I still go for childlike joy rides, but i tire much less fast, and I consider no distance or hill an obstacle.

tcarl

Here's how I teach people to develop a smooth cadence for flat land and gentle hills: First step is to pull your feet backwards through the bottom of the pedal stroke - from 4 to 8 o'clock. It's the same muscle motion as if you were standing and then with one foot pulled back and tried to kick yourself in the rear with your heel. Practice riding like that for a while, at a decent cadence (80 or higher for example). It may take a while to get used to this because that muscle may be weak at first because you haven't used it much. As you use it more and build up strength you will discover not only that this is becoming a natural pedal motion, but that that muscle is quite strong. Depending on how much you ride, don't be surprised if it takes a month or two to get really comfortable in this step.

As you get used to the first step, eventually add the second step. This is pushing your foot forward over the top from 10 to 2 o'clock. This is the same muscle motion as if you were standing and kicked your foot forward, as if kicking a ball. This step is a more natural muscle motion than the first step and should come quicker. I separate it out from the first step - because the mind can get awfully confused very quickly if it's trying to remember to pull through the bottom and kick over the top with opposite feet alternating with each other at the same time but independently and opposite of each other. See what I mean? Learn the first step first, then the second.

At this point you basically have it. You do have a power downstroke from about 1 to 5 o'clock, but that's the natural pedal stroke you've always used, it'll happen automatically. The only other "stroke" is the upstroke, from 7 to 11. Forget about it. You're already applying power through 3/4 the circle, from 11 to 8 o'clock. That's enough. Eventually you may develop some sort of minor power upstroke, but if so it will happen naturally and you probably won't even notice it.

Several final comments. This method works better for faster cadences - not slow "mashing", and while sitting in the saddle, not standing. It will take a while to accomplish all this, but be patient. If you work at it diligently it won't be that long. The first few weeks may seem like you're getting nowhere, then you'll see some progress, then after two months or so you'll be getting it! Finally, if you're doing it correctly, you should feel a constant "tension" in all your leg muscles all the way around through the pedal stroke. It's hard to describe - it's not a tension that will cause or lead to injury, but if you get it right, you'll feel what I'm talking about. Final bonus - I bet you'll end up riding a lot faster while using less energy!!

chaadster

You've never used a power meter, huh?

tcarl

What is a power meter? It sounds like that thing the electric company hangs on the side of my house to see how much electricity I use, but that doesn't have anything to do with cycling.

I've been riding for nearly 50 years. I learned to ride back in the 1970's before there was anything like clipless pedals, index shifting, aero anything, computers, power meters, etc. We all rode fine, and those from my generation still ride fine. All I know now is that I'm univerally praised by everyone who drafts off me about how easy I am to follow, so smooth and steady. It's in my pedaling. I don't know what a "power meter" has to do with that.

As for as power, first, I'm not a competitive cyclist at all, no racing or anything, so I'm not comparing myself to them. But among the recreational cyclists I ride with (some of whom are pretty good - you know, people who routinely ride 400 miles each weekend as their normal weekend ride, and people who have no trouble doing 9 hour double centuries) - I outsprint these people with me sitting in the saddle and them standing. My 3/4 revolution power stroke is stronger than their just downstroke sprint. I don't need any sort of a "power meter" to know what amount of power I have or don't have or how to use it.

Another example - I wanted to take a nice relaxing "rest" ride. Got out a comfy Cannondale touring bike with racks and fender and low gears, etc. Rode easily, spinning comfortable gears. Along comes a guy, stomping hard in a definite downstroke only riding style - you could just see in in his whole body motion on the bike. He gradually, very slowly passes me, and I get to observe his riding. At this point on this road I was moving along about 18 mph, he was doing 19 or 20, and you could just tell he was working nearly twice as hard as I was to move a lighter weight bicycle just barely faster than I. So yes, as described above, you'll ride faster with less energy used.

I put this up to help the original poster pedal better. He asked. I have a definite system that's worked well for me. I share it with him.

I complain back at you because I don't know what your question about a power meter has to do with anything I said, and then when you end it with "huh" you make it sound negative or critical or insulting. I'm trying to be positive to the OP, not negative, I'm trying to help him and others, not be critical, and I don't like to get the feeling that you're insulting me because of my pedaling technique or suggestions to help another cyclist. If this was not your intention, then I'm sorry for misunderstanding you and complaining, but your question to me sounds critical and to end it with "huh" just sounds insulting.