# pedaling form



## geneseo (Nov 2, 2005)

I have always been one to initiate my pedal stroke from my quad. I have a pretty good pedal stroke and can do 1 legged drills for minutes at a time.

BUT. I was out riding the other day and focused on initiating the down pedal stroke from my hips instead of my quads. This enabled me to jump back and forth between muscle groups and hang onto a much higher wattage for a long period of time while feeling much less fatigue and discomfort.

I've always head about using the hips for the upstroke, but haven't really read much about it for the downstroke.

Just curious if anyone else has experienced the same thing.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Yep, it's a good skill / practice to be able to turn the pedals while using different muscle groups. As you discovered, helps maintain high efforts longer.


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## alexp247365 (Dec 29, 2009)

Funny, I can feel this happen every now and then on one leg, but haven't figured out how to get it to work with the other yet. As far as making it happen when needed, that seems like a long way off.

Kind of like passing gas. Men can do it on command. Women do it accidentally, then apologize.


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## SlowMover (Jun 6, 2010)

This opens a door regarding your pelvic orientation on the saddle as well. If you have never been able to grasp the link b/t why it *appears* a great portion of the peloton if not nearly all pedal in a toes down fashion this is the key. It only *looks* that way. Anterior pelvic rotation(hips spilled forward) vs. posterior(sitting on a bar stool). 

Until this was explained and demonstrated to me about 15 years ago I always had different feels in the saddle. Not just day to day, but up and down throughout a single long ride. Back tightens up, slouch backwards, less quad and more back strain which begets more of the same. This all led into me getting my core into shape. No I did no gym work, riding alone did it, but riding with anterior pelvic tilt necessitates some core support. It wasn't until I found a cutout saddle that I was able to ride this way indefinitely w/o discomfort. I knew the how, but couldn't make it stick all day due to saddle discomfort.

What I found over time as I settled into this pedaling style was a much more powerful platform to pedal off of due to my pelvis being more stabilized on the saddle. All my consternation of my pedal stroke changing went away and it just feels the same all the time now, very powerful. Anywho, different strokes for different folks take may unsolicited n = 1 observation with a grain of salt.


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## geneseo (Nov 2, 2005)

alexp247365 said:


> Funny, I can feel this happen every now and then on one leg, but haven't figured out how to get it to work with the other yet. As far as making it happen when needed, that seems like a long way off.
> 
> Kind of like passing gas. Men can do it on command. Women do it accidentally, then apologize.


I had never noticed it until I started doing the Yoga for Cyclists DVD. They have a number of poses that require you to engage your hips. Once I did those a few times, it just started happening on the bike. Completely unintentional.


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## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

When I actually think about pedaling from the hips, which is seldom, I can feel more pressure on the balls of my feet. To me it just means the muscle groups are coming together in a way that allows me to push down on the pedal harder. I believe the upstroke v. downstroke debate is perpetuated largely because when riders feel like they are pulling up they are actually pushing down harder with the other leg. 

As far as fwd pelvic rotation goes, I try to maintain such a position but only because it reduces the load on my very messed up low back. In this position I do have a slightly more toes down technique as it moves everything forward and reduces ankling.

Anyways, interesting reading about others experiences just the same. I do think as far as power generation goes pedaling form is way over thought. I could be wrong or not very disciplined but 100% of the time I need to really generate high power (at least over threshold) I'm not thinking about how I pedal. More about closing the gap, breaking away, going faster, increasing cadence, or just hanging onto a stronger guys wheel.


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## Alex_Simmons/RST (Jan 12, 2008)

woodys737 said:


> i do think as far as power generation goes pedaling form is way over thought.


+1
...


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## geneseo (Nov 2, 2005)

I respectfully disagree on the overthinking part. I went from a hammock style saddle to a flat one and have really been able to engage my hips and flutes. Went from getting dropped on extended climbs to being the one dropping people. My quads used to completely burn out and I'd blow up on anything I couldn't maintain mmomentum on


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## alexp247365 (Dec 29, 2009)

From my previous post above to now, I've found that I can engage the glutes on both sides now by pushing down through the heel of the shoe, not the ball of the feet. I've cut some BG foot beds to make heel shims to achieve this. SteveHogg has a few articles on bike fitting where I got the idea from.


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## geneseo (Nov 2, 2005)

alexp247365 said:


> From my previous post above to now, I've found that I can engage the glutes on both sides now by pushing down through the heel of the shoe, not the ball of the feet. I've cut some BG foot beds to make heel shims to achieve this. SteveHogg has a few articles on bike fitting where I got the idea from.



I agree with you 100% Alex.


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## vetboy (Oct 11, 2005)

Alex_Simmons/RST said:


> +1
> ...


+2 on pedal technique being overthought



geneseo said:


> I respectfully disagree on the overthinking part. I went from a hammock style saddle to a flat one and have really been able to engage my hips and flutes. Went from getting dropped on extended climbs to being the one dropping people. My quads used to completely burn out and I'd blow up on anything I couldn't maintain mmomentum on


Respectfully disagree w you- you will have a hard time convincing me that a saddle change can do this. Increased fitness brings riders from the back of the pack to the front - not minute position changes.


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## Johnpembo73 (Jul 28, 2011)

I am interested in learning this. Can someone point me to a good article/s of how to start accomplish this?

Ta

John


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