There seems to be some debate as to the effectiveness of pulling up on the pedals.
From the riding I've done so far (which isn't that much, only 700 or so miles this year), I've found that pulling up on the pedals is a great way to temporarily alleviate the lactic acid buildup in the thighs.
I also don't like how it seems to be an all or nothing debate. Yes, your legs are already balanced by the weight of the other leg. However, pulling up in a way that doesn't actually strain that lower abdominal group very much seems to be far more effective than trying to lift the weight of your leg every time.
Also, most of the power is already coming from the thigh in that part of the pedal stroke. So, again, it seems more like a way to temporarily alleviate the thighs rather than as a way to improve efficiency for a long period of time.
Also, as far as pulling back and pushing forward in the spin: I feel like it's best to try to maintain momentum, and you will lose a very slight amount when the pedals are in a vertical position if you are not spinning.
But I also feel like putting too much effort into this small part of the pedal stroke will also run you out of gas early. So, my sense with this is to pull back and push forward slightly on this part as to maintain momentum a little bit, but using all of these muscle groups intensely seems to waste energy.
All you're doing in any of these movements is balancing forces on the crank arms. The weight of your legs is already balanced, but there are still a number of factors to consider.
Thoughts? I'd love to hear more opinions on this, as well as some more solid research as well as what the actual current status quo is amongst the top riders in terms of pedaling technique.
From the riding I've done so far (which isn't that much, only 700 or so miles this year), I've found that pulling up on the pedals is a great way to temporarily alleviate the lactic acid buildup in the thighs.
I also don't like how it seems to be an all or nothing debate. Yes, your legs are already balanced by the weight of the other leg. However, pulling up in a way that doesn't actually strain that lower abdominal group very much seems to be far more effective than trying to lift the weight of your leg every time.
Also, most of the power is already coming from the thigh in that part of the pedal stroke. So, again, it seems more like a way to temporarily alleviate the thighs rather than as a way to improve efficiency for a long period of time.
Also, as far as pulling back and pushing forward in the spin: I feel like it's best to try to maintain momentum, and you will lose a very slight amount when the pedals are in a vertical position if you are not spinning.
But I also feel like putting too much effort into this small part of the pedal stroke will also run you out of gas early. So, my sense with this is to pull back and push forward slightly on this part as to maintain momentum a little bit, but using all of these muscle groups intensely seems to waste energy.
All you're doing in any of these movements is balancing forces on the crank arms. The weight of your legs is already balanced, but there are still a number of factors to consider.
Thoughts? I'd love to hear more opinions on this, as well as some more solid research as well as what the actual current status quo is amongst the top riders in terms of pedaling technique.
