Tariq08

So I was on a ride yesterday and toward the end I started messing with the angle of my foot while pedaling. Basically I started dropping my heel at 12 o'clock and bringing it back up at 6 o'clock. It was tough to maintain this with both feet while also trying to spin but when I could do it I saw a 2 mph gain. Obviously this is just one test and other factors such as wind and fatigue could have played a role, but it did feel like I had a significant improvement in power. I never thought the angle of my foot would make such a difference..I guess my question is am I doing it right or is there a better way? What do you guys usually do with the angle of your foot while pedaling?

I also figured out that the reason my front wheel was so shaky was that I wasn't getting low enough on the hoods, once I distributed my weight a little better the ride got a lot smoother and I got a little faster too. I'm excited to see how this improved position combined with the improved pedaling affects my next ride.

cyclingvirtual

its not uncommon, for speed to go up when you do something like this. Ignore it, concentrate on efficiency. If you go faster then you are pushing harder and will also tire quicker.

ignore it.

euphoria

it is better to have a flatter heel at 6 o' clock, more recruitment of the hamstrings

what you described sounds like ankling (toes pointed downward at the bottom of the stroke), which relies more on calves (a poor power producer)

Tariq08

no no..the toes are pointed upward at the bottom of the stroke, just slightly though, before this my toes just naturally pointed down the whole time

so you guys don't consciously think about the angle of your foot at all?

Stevestrat

I just go with the pedal "like you are brushing your shoes off on the doormat" thing & that's about it.

Busta Quad

I'll slide back in the saddle and stroke heel-down during extended climbs; common practice.

DaveSSS 

Andy Pruitt at Boulder Sports Medicine claims that tests have proven ankling to be of no value. Making special efforts to alter the foot angle just reduces efficiency, particularly at high cadences.

At the 6 O'clock position, you should not even be pushing down on the pedal. By that time, you should be trying to get the pedal back around for the next power stroke, with the greatest force applied between 2 and 4 O'clock.

A more common mistake, particularly when climbing, is failing to make use of the glutes. It takes a special effort to concentrate on using the glutes, rather than the quads, but it can be done with practice. Try relaxing the quads while climbing. If climbing hard only makes your quads burn, you're not using the leg muscles most effectively.

Chris R.

I too "dig my heels" at the bottom of the stroke, especially when climbing. I find I get more power out of it...but thats just what I feel, I have no science to back it up.
Worst case is that I think I'm going faster and I have bigger calves from it!