Knees in pedaling?
 

When watching pro races, most riders keep their knees tight to the top tube while pedaling. Tight as within an inch or less, which seems very deliberate. Watching my stroke, I'm about 2-3 inches from the top tube. When I bring my knees in, it feels slightly different, but not anything I could place as far as improvement. It seems a trained, as opposed to natural position, so what's the advantage?

More aero and less strain on the knees when mashing hard.

They rely on and have very developed inner leg muscles. That naturally pulls the knees towards the top tube when pedaling. The inner muscles do the bulk of the work on the upstroke.

I bring my knees in a bit when pedalling. It helps me to keep my toes in. When I get tired I find my knees out and heels in and notice that I'm definitely more comfortable when I tuck my knees back in.

Mike

Knees wobbling left and right with each pedal stroke can easily lead to knee damage. Keeping your knees in all the time is one easy way to avoid this injury.

Watch Boonen pedal sometime. They, wobble out then in - constantly.

Boonen doesn't seem to do anything right when he is on the bike.

He wins. That's what matters.

Thanks for the responses.
When I was playing around with this idea yesterday, it seemed maybe a bit more comfortable when I pulled my knees in a bit. Wasn't sure if it was from temporary position change, or placebo affect. I've also noticed my knees moving out when I get tired. Now the question is, is this worth working towards as a habit? Any ideas on optimum? Wobble doesn't seem to be a problem, just distance to top tube.

which is fine, unless you are pigeon-toed like me, in which case my knees go "out" when my feet are straight

Do his knees wobble all the time or only in the final sprint?

What if one has cowboy legs? :D

Thanks Pinyon, good stuff. Being well into the over 35 group, seems well worth developing as a technique. Is this like spinning where it becomes second nature after a time?

For me, it took a little longer to become second nature than it did to learn half-decent spinning technique. My knees naturally want to swing wider when I'm really mashing a heavy gear, and it takes more time to build up those muscles to the point where you can push that hard and still keep your knees closer to the bar.

For most people, you don't really have to worry about it that much, though. My knees are pretty bad, in this regard, and the only time that my knee issue flares up is when I don't watch my form while on 2+ hour climbs in the saddle spinning below 60 rpm (9% or greater slope with my leg-strength and body-weight and my easiest gear). Off the bike, I really have to pay attention to how I walk up or especially down steep hills or mountain trails.

If you don't have a knee problem, then just try to make sure that you don't swing your knees really wide most of the time. Add in some extra glut and IT band stretches after every ride, and you should be fine.

I was always taught knee out was better for knees, and that power is driven through your 2 big toes and knee in helped put power in the right place biomechanically.

I'm actually a bit splay footed, so I ride knee in, but heels in, too...if I try and pigeon-toe at all I get really bad IT flare up, and I'm only 28! I've been riding this way since I was about 14 years old, though, so it's pretty much second nature ;)