General Fitness

How You Can Improve Your Pedalling Technique

by Admin

This is the first of two articles focusing on pedalling technique. In this first article we look at the theory of pedalling technique and introduce a practical tool - the Wattbike - which can be used to assess the effectiveness of pedalling technique.

In the second article we will look at turning the theory into practice and ask the question 'how do you know if your pedalling technique is effective'. We also demonstrate the value and gains that can be made in cycling performance by improving pedalling technique.

Basic Pedalling technique

Basic pedalling technique is taught within all disciplines of cycling. We all know the technique - what could be simpler than turning the pedals in a circular motion to move a bike forward?

Developing good pedalling technique is a matter of:

Having a foot position that allows effective application of force to the pedals. The ball of the foot should be on the pedal with the foot pointing forward.
Pedalling with a smooth continuous spinning action using a circular motion, not just up and down, and using joints and muscles in the correct sequence.
Imagining you're scraping mud off the bottom of the foot when it reaches the bottom of the pedal stroke to keep the cranks rotating.

Simple. Or is it?

Some technical aspects of pedalling technique

Before we look at the question of 'how do you know your pedalling technique is effective?' we need to consider some technical aspects of pedalling technique.

The British Cycling Level 1 Coaching Manual defines pedalling as 'the movement of the legs in a circular motion to transfer muscular power to the pedals of the bike, in order to move the bike forward'.

Pedalling effectively involves using the balls of the feet, keeping a constant speed and pedaling in a circular motion. A good general cadence [r/m] rate is 80-100 rpm although, depending on the circumstances, cadence can vary from 50 to 200 rpm.

A relaxed flowing style is more economical and maximizes energy use. In the early stages of learning to pedal it is best to develop effective pedalling technique at a relatively high cadence with the focus on spinning.

The downstroke phase of the pedalling action delivers most of the force that generates forward momentum, whilst the upstroke phase unloads the weight of the leg on the pedal and keeps the cranks rotating.

With the exception of gravity, the forces assisting bike speed are mainly produced by the force that is applied to the pedals. This is not simply a case of the size of the forces being applied as, if a rider stands up briefly onto a horizontal crank, a relatively large force will be produced, but it will do little to propel the bike forward.

To propel a bike forward successfully a rider must continue to apply force as the crank rotates; the forward propulsion of the bike is dependent upon the force applied and the distance over which it is applied.

Applying large forces to the cranks will not necessarily lead to forward propulsion of the bike. For example, if a downward force is applied to the cranks while the cranks are in a horizontal position (3 o'clock) this will act to turn the cranks and propel the bike forward.
If a downward force is applied when the cranks are at the vertical position (6 o'clock) the force cannot act to turn the cranks and will not propel the bike forward, regardless of the size of the force.

In practice some of the force applied to the cranks does not act to turn the cranks. Most of the force is applied in a relatively small area of the crank cycle, around the 3' o'clock position, when the crank is horizontal on the downstroke.

A rider may pull the pedal upward during the upstroke to unload the weight of the leg on the pedal and keep the crank rotating rather than creating a forward propulsive force.

Achieving optimal pedalling effectiveness is not simply a case of applying all of the force at right angles to the cranks, as this does not take account of gravity or momentum - nor is it about applying the force equally around each pedal revolution.

So, after that technical explanation the question is:

Is there a tool that can help to determine the effectiveness of your pedalling technique?

This is where the Wattbike comes in. The Wattbike has a revolutionary force curve (Polar view) which shows the peak force profile of the left and right leg downstroke and the balance within each leg:

the left hand side is the left leg downstroke starting at the top of the graph (12 o'clock position) and finishing at the bottom of the graph (6 o'clock position)