How do you know when you're spinning a perfect circle?
 

Simple question: How do you know when you're spinning a perfect circle?

Insert simpler answer here: ______________________________________________

Simple answer: impossible.

well, doesn't the fact that your feet are attached to the cranks mean you will always pedal a perfect circle?

equal power throughout the entire stroke is impossible.
There are tests you can do with fancy dancy computers to find out how bad it is though. Shows you this little graph thingie that looks ends up looking like a peanut.

The fact is you'll never be able to pull up or across as hard as you can push down.

Don't worry about it.

Riding on rollers will give you a pretty good idea of how smooth your pedal stroke is.

When Zarathustra spakes it to you, you'll know.

I believe that's done with accelerometers.

^^Nietzsche was a Fred.

according to more recent research... they have found you actually do develop more power pulling up than you do pushing down, it just doesnt' feel like it...


***according to pg. 103 of bicycling magazine for October 2007, in reference to the American College of Sports Medicine.***

Yeah, they are new fangled, compleekated, and cornfuzing deevices...not for the highbrid types fer shure...gearz iz about all the kin handle anywayz...

Besides, some folks just don't want to know how bad they suck on the bike. They figure ride more miles...but they never get faster. They just ride slower, longer.

For those that might want to learn how to get better.

When you can ride on rollers with no hands, you're getting pretty close.

As told to you by the people that want you to buy their product.

You have a Power Tap, correct? Spend countless hours in front of a computer analyzing your data. Probably more than a multi-million dollar professional does.

Got Zipps?

Carbon bike?

Campy?

SRAM? Red's a LOT better...

Dura Ace?

Guessin' pert near every product in the world could make the same claim.

But since we need an independent source.

BF never fails to disappoint.

And see how he says in the independent study how it improved? Factually? Numerically... or anything objective?

Yes, not based on Saris' recommendation though. I analyze my own data because I don't have millions to pay someone else to.

Nope.

Yep.. but the new one isn't.

Nope

Yes, because the new bike that I (hopefully) pick up tomorrow cost less at '07 price with duraace than '08 price with Ultegra.

Seeing as the glutes and quadriceps are the two most powerful groups of muscles in your body, both of which contribute to the downstroke, I am disinclined to believe anything published in Bicycling Magazine on the matter.

That, and multiple studies that show that professional cyclists produce FAR, FAR more power down than up. In the order of 90-10 or more.

Nope, no part of your body is traveling in a perfect circle because the part that moves in a circle is the BB spindle, and your foot is attached (hopefully) some distance away from it, and you are always dropping or raising your heel. So, no circles for your feet, unless you could somehow keep your foot at exactly the same angle relative to your hip/bb line, which is also impossible.

Haven't read that, but I'm very inclined to doubt it, given the vast number of studies, and just common sense and experience.

Sometimes Bicycling obscures the point of a study in their blurbs. Are you sure the study doesn't say you produce more power pulling up, and pushing down, than just pushing down?

Put bike on trainer. Listen.

It is like the slow clap. You will know.

I would assume the only reason you can make power pulling up is because of the strength and power you are using from your arms/handlebars. Basically when you pull up while pedaling the bike has less weight on it, therefore less heavy in general. You're not actually producing more power, it is just being utilized better.

For example, if you built a bike into a drag bicycle and had to pull an object behind you. You could pull it faster by pulling up on the bike however, you would not be able to pull more weight.

^^^^^

:roflmao:

Tri-FatBoy; has the quick clap gotten by you once or twice?

http://fairwheelbikes.com/forum/imag...iley_crazy.gif

OP- You could do one footed pedal drills. If you can maintain a smooth pace while doing that then you'll be about as close as your going to get. This activity will make it very clear where you actually make power though and will most likley be two surges with some dead in the middle. At the very minimum if you do them on the road others will be very entertained watching you.

This is a pretty good method, although the even sound has more to do with Pushing over the top than it does Pulling. Show me a rider who can leg curl more than they squat and ill show you a rider who can pull more than they can push.:)

Edit: think in terms of starting to push down sooner (at the top of the stroke), and not pushing down as far at the bottom.