magimum

What is the correct way to pedal? I have noticed that simply pushing down on the pedals is sloppy and inefficient because there is always one leg that gives no power. i tried pulling up on the clipless pedals during the pedal stroke up to get more power on the climbs. is doing that safe on the knee? is there a way to combat the dead spot?

KiuBWhy

You can develop technique by clipping in (assuming that you have clipless pedals) on only one side and pedaling for around 20 revolutions, or until you get tired, and change up feet.

This will get you into the habit of spinning "perfect circles"

AEO

pulling up produces more power, but you'll get tired faster because you are expending more energy on a muscle set that isn't normally used while cycling.

spin in circles, aim for smooth spinning, that's all there is to it.
you can work on your spinning technique by doing spin classes at the gym, or staying in a low gear and spinning your cranks as fast as you can down hill.

travkat

When I am coaching beginners, the best way I can explain it for them is to describe trying to walk over hot coals. At the bottom of the pedal stroke imagine trying to scrape gum off your shoe quickly, then at the top of the stroke move your foot forward also quickly. The top and bottom of the stroke are the most common dead spots in cycling. See if it works for you. You will have to concentrate!

RideCO

Some people refer to that 'dead spot' as a recover period. I have experimented a bit and for me so far, applying power over about 60-70% of the pedal stoke works best. The exception being when I am trying to generate maximum power, attacking a hill, sprinting etc. then I sometimes try to apply power all the way around, but that will wear me out.

I am by no means an expert but I still fail to understand how a 'dead spot' reduces overall power production or efficiency.