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The pedaling technique thread

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Mar 10, 2009
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acoggan said:
Some goals are simply unattainable.

As I was telling Jim Martin on Sunday, I think the reason that the gluteus maximus is underutilized relative to its own capabilities is because muscles further down the kinetic chain simply "couldn't handle the truth." After all, our legs were evolutionarily-designed for walking, running, jumping, etc., not pedaling a bicycle. The result is that our thighs must suffer the brunt of the demand, as evidenced, e.g., by the fact that almost everyone reports that they "burn" during high-intensity exercise, while their butts or calves do not. This is true even though - as Jim pointed out when I described this theory - that muscles acting at the hip joint are the major source of power in an absolute sense.

I don't know what percentage of torque applied between 2 and 4 is generated by the each of the glutes / quads but what I do know is the quads have not only to deliver this downward force to the knee, they also have to supply the resistance. When the glutes are used to generate maximal forward force for maximal torque at TDC, the glutes assisted by arm power supply both the force and the resistance. Which means not only are the glutes underutilized in seated natural pedalling, so also are the arms.
 
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JamesCun said:
So his long cranks make it harder to push between 9 and 2, but increase his power pulling up between 6 and 9?

So, basically by pulling up too much he is limiting his power. I think that makes lots of sense based on what the experts has stated in the past :)
I have been thinking about this a bit and think my last post was a bit muddy. Let me try to clarify my thinking. This is a pedaling technique thread so let's restrict ourselves to what the muscles are doing to generate power while pedaling. And, to simplify things, lets say there are four basic muscle groups that can be used. 1. Muscles when they contract the resultant force is mostly down. (example, glutes, calves) 2. Muscles when they contract the resultant force is mostly back. (example, hamstrings) 3. Muscles when they contract the resultant force is mostly upwards. (example, hip flexors, tibialis anterior) 4. Muscles when they contract the resultant force is mostly forward. (example, quads) Below, we have shown there can be at least three different muscle usage patterns to generate exactly the same wattage.
2d77bxz.jpg

There is the balanced technique illustrated by the red line, where the work done in the four quadrants is pretty equal, what should be called pedaling in circles. There is the technique of the average cyclist (light blue line) where the work done is unbalanced with more being done than average on the downstroke between 30 and 180 degrees. And, the unbalanced technique where the above average work is done mostly on the bottom between 140 and 320 degrees (purple line). I think we can all agree these are all pretty distinct and different pedaling styles. The question is whether one is better than another?

Studies that have tried to look at pedaling technique in the past have mostly had cyclists who all pedaled pretty much the same, the unbalanced technique of the average cyclist above. The problem is that since they all pedal using pretty much the same basic technique any differences would be expected to be small such that it would be difficult to uncover any differences using the small numbers of the typical study. And, true to form no definitive differences have ever been proven although a few have alluded to a difference. As a result, people have naturally concluded that pedaling technique doesn't matter and the key to improving power is to "just push harder." The problem is that all that all this "negative studies" means is no difference has ever been shown NOT that it has been proven that no difference exists, which some seem to think.

What is needed is a study that compares two groups of equally trained cyclists who pedal in two very different ways (balanced and unbalanced muscular work done). The more distinct the groups the easier it should be to discern if there is a difference. If this were done it might be possible to discern a difference using small group numbers of a typical study. If a difference between groups were found we would then know that pedaling technique does matter and which basic style is superior. If no difference were found then pedaling technique probably doesn't matter (or, at least, much). Then, further study could be done to elicit the nuances of what is important and what is not and what is the best way to learn the better technique.

I know on which side I would put my money because it simply makes zero sense that pedaling technique makes zero difference. It is simply a matter of designing a suitably powerful study to examine the question. This has yet to be done. Some graduate student reading this and looking for a Masters or PhD area to study should consider this.
 
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FrankDay said:
I have been thinking about this a bit and think my last post was a bit muddy. Let me try to clarify my thinking. This is a pedaling technique thread so let's restrict ourselves to what the muscles are doing to generate power while pedaling. And, to simplify things, lets say there are four basic muscle groups that can be used. 1. Muscles when they contract the resultant force is mostly down. (example, glutes, calves) 2. Muscles when they contract the resultant force is mostly back. (example, hamstrings) 3. Muscles when they contract the resultant force is mostly upwards. (example, hip flexors, tibialis anterior) 4. Muscles when they contract the resultant force is mostly forward. (example, quads) Below, we have shown there can be at least three different muscle usage patterns to generate exactly the same wattage.
2d77bxz.jpg

There is the balanced technique illustrated by the red line, where the work done in the four quadrants is pretty equal, what should be called pedaling in circles. There is the technique of the average cyclist (light blue line) where the work done is unbalanced with more being done than average on the downstroke between 30 and 180 degrees. And, the unbalanced technique where the above average work is done mostly on the bottom between 140 and 320 degrees (purple line). I think we can all agree these are all pretty distinct and different pedaling styles. The question is whether one is better than another?

Studies that have tried to look at pedaling technique in the past have mostly had cyclists who all pedaled pretty much the same, the unbalanced technique of the average cyclist above. The problem is that since they all pedal using pretty much the same basic technique any differences would be expected to be small such that it would be difficult to uncover any differences using the small numbers of the typical study. And, true to form no definitive differences have ever been proven although a few have alluded to a difference. As a result, people have naturally concluded that pedaling technique doesn't matter and the key to improving power is to "just push harder." The problem is that all that all this "negative studies" means is no difference has ever been shown NOT that it has been proven that no difference exists, which some seem to think.

What is needed is a study that compares two groups of equally trained cyclists who pedal in two very different ways (balanced and unbalanced muscular work done). The more distinct the groups the easier it should be to discern if there is a difference. If this were done it might be possible to discern a difference using small group numbers of a typical study. If a difference between groups were found we would then know that pedaling technique does matter and which basic style is superior. If no difference were found then pedaling technique probably doesn't matter (or, at least, much). Then, further study could be done to elicit the nuances of what is important and what is not and what is the best way to learn the better technique.

I know on which side I would put my money because it simply makes zero sense that pedaling technique makes zero difference. It is simply a matter of designing a suitably powerful study to examine the question. This has yet to be done. Some graduate student reading this and looking for a Masters or PhD area to study should consider this.

Maybe you could answer this question. When max torque is being applied between 2 - 4 o'c, how is the generating of this force divided between the muscles ?
 
Sep 23, 2010
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coapman said:
Maybe you could answer this question. When max torque is being applied between 2 - 4 o'c, how is the generating of this force divided between the muscles ?
Well, there is a big difference between what people actually do and what they, theoretically, should be doing. IMHO, theoretically speaking, between 2 and 4 I would think the Quads should be shutting down at 2 and almost shut down by 4. The glutes should be as high as possible without overwhelming the calves during the entire period (of course, the calves will be max contracted then also). And, the hamstrings should be shut down at 2 and starting to contract by 4. The hip flexors will be relaxed during this portion of the stroke. So, regardless of what the muscles are actually doing, I would expect that 95-99% of the power during this part of the circle will be coming from contraction of the glutes and calves in series (all the power is coming from the glutes, the calves just fixing the ankle joint to transfer the power).
 
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FrankDay said:
And, the hamstrings should be shut down at 2 and starting to contract by 4. The hip flexors will be relaxed during this portion of the stroke. So, regardless of what the muscles are actually doing, I would expect that 95-99% of the power during this part of the circle will be coming from contraction of the glutes and calves in series (all the power is coming from the glutes, the calves just fixing the ankle joint to transfer the power).

Why would you want the hamstrings to contract at 4? Wouldn't you want to use the Hamstrings to extend the hip (one of their primary functions), starting the contraction closer to 12, probably around 1, so that power could be applied at 2 to extend the hip? While the hamstrings as a whole are usually regarded as responsible for knee flexion, only the short head of the biceps femoris muscle is solely involved in knee flexion. The long head of the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and demitendanosus all contribute, and serve to to extend the hip as well as flex the knee. Why waste this?
 
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twothirds said:
Why would you want the hamstrings to contract at 4? Wouldn't you want to use the Hamstrings to extend the hip (one of their primary functions), starting the contraction closer to 12, probably around 1, so that power could be applied at 2 to extend the hip? While the hamstrings as a whole are usually regarded as responsible for knee flexion, only the short head of the biceps femoris muscle is solely involved in knee flexion. The long head of the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and demitendanosus all contribute, and serve to to extend the hip as well as flex the knee. Why waste this?
Let me say I think this is a very complicated issue for us to figure out what is optimal, especially when discussing a muscle that goes across two joints. However, your question got me to thinking and I am pretty sure you are off base in your thinking. If anything, I think the hamstring should delay contraction even later than 4 on the clock. Here is the problem, even though the hamstrings can extend the hip, another muscle, the glutes, does the same thing and Dr. Coggan has already pointed out that the glutes are relatively under utilized compared to other muscles in the leg while cycling. There is no reason to use the hamstrings at 12-1 when there is a better and bigger muscle that can do the job that is currently under utilized that can do the job. Another consideration is the hamstrings also flex the knee, and there are no other muscles that really do that. Muscles need time to relax and recover between contractions, the more time between contractions to recover the harder each contraction can be. So, using the hamstrings to flex the knee when the pedal moves from 6 to 9-10 would mean the hamstring would be contracting from 12 to 10 with no time to recover during the rotation. When it comes down to it just because a muscle can do something doesn't mean it is smart to use it to do that. Hamstring contraction to extend the hip is useful, it seems to me, in weight lifting when one needs extra torque to get the joint moving. It doesn't seem useful when the forces are not large and another muscle can do the job when it is needed to perform another activity later in the stroke.

The reason I think the contraction start might even be delayed after 4 is the knee is opening at 4. Contracting at 4 there means the muscle would be doing negative work as it lengthens while contracting, extremely inefficient use of the muscle when it is unnecessary. So, it is only necessary, it seems to me, that hamstring contraction start can be delayed until about 5 so the hamstring is fully contracting by about 6 when knee flexion starts and the muscle can actually contribute to cycling power.

Anyhow, it wouldn't surprise me if my back of the envelope analysis could be improved upon. Joints constantly change in their leverage as they move and muscles constantly change in their contractile efficiency as they shorten or lengthen making this analysis almost impossible to do with some certainty.

Edit: Here are a couple of other ways to think about this. First, just because a muscle can do something doesn't mean that it should if we are looking to optimize muscle use. Next, we, as humans, evolved as walker/runners. We can expect that our muscles are optimized by evolution for these uses. Cycling bears little resemblance to running. First, cyclists do not have to bear the weight of the body with their legs. Second, runners muscles are only under great stress, bearing the weight and propelling the body forward for only the briefest periods during the running cycle and the propulsive forces are directed backwards. Why someone would think a similar coordination would be optimal for cycling makes little sense but we hear "just push harder" all the time by people who have never really analyzed the problem. Here is an example of riding a bike using, I believe, the "just push harder" technique. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBJ28V4xGG8 I look forward to someone claiming that this rider is pedaling optimally even though we can all see the pedals are going around and the feet are moving in circles. Cycling has to have an optimum coordination. The only question is, what is that optimum coordination?
 
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FrankDay said:
The glutes should be as high as possible without overwhelming the calves during the entire period (of course, the calves will be max contracted then also).

How then are the glutes underutilized, Alex can produce the same power without calves.
 
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FrankDay said:
Well, there is a big difference between what people actually do and what they, theoretically, should be doing.

What do you think this man's muscles are doing at TDC in the last 50 yds on the track, is he using your kicking style suggestion with the power coming from his knee or does his power come from his hip. When do you believe he starts this main power stroke at max TT power output. When does your kicking style around TDC end and your down stroke begin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hh2DcgpnkU
 
Sep 23, 2010
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coapman said:
How then are the glutes underutilized, Alex can produce the same power without calves.
Check out the data provided by Dr. Coggan in post 858.
e7ijja.jpg

Desaturation is a measure of how hard a muscle is being used compared to its potential.
 
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coapman said:
What do you think this man's muscles are doing at TDC in the last 50 yds on the track, is he using your kicking style suggestion with the power coming from his knee or does his power come from his hip. When do you believe he starts this main power stroke at max TT power output. When does your kicking style around TDC end and your down stroke begin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hh2DcgpnkU
I don't have a clue what his muscles are actually doing. No one can tell what the muscles are actually doing by watching someone pedaling the bicycle.

Now, if we were to measure what his muscles were doing I suspect we (or, at least, I) could come up with some ideas as to what he might be able to do even better. Of equal importance, I would love to compare his technique between the start of the day (when he is fresh) and the last bit when he is tired as that would give additional areas to focus training.
 
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Want a little more evidence technique matters? Muscle coordination is key to the power output and mechanical efficiency of limb
movements, J. M. Wakeling, O. M. Blake and H. K. Chan, The Journal of Experimental Biology 213, 487-492
Increases in EMG intensity occurred with no increase in power output from the limb: these corresponded to decreases in the efficiency and changes in coordination. Increases in power were achieved that were not matched by equivalent increases in EMG intensity, but did occur with changes in coordination. It is proposed that the power output from the limb is limited by the coordination pattern of the muscles rather than the maximum power output from any one muscle itself.
 
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FrankDay said:
I don't have a clue what his muscles are actually doing. No one can tell what the muscles are actually doing by watching someone pedaling the bicycle.

Now, if we were to measure what his muscles were doing I suspect we (or, at least, I) could come up with some ideas as to what he might be able to do even better. Of equal importance, I would love to compare his technique between the start of the day (when he is fresh) and the last bit when he is tired as that would give additional areas to focus training.

You can't tell what his muscles are doing at TDC but you should be able to tell what they are not doing, idling as is the case with all natural pedalling techniques where effective power input is concerned. It would be impossible to use that technique with PC's because of what occurs between 9-11 o'c, the rising pedal has to be pushed up here by the other leg because the rising leg's muscles are being prepared for max force input at 11. No that technique did not change when he was tired. This was obvious nearing the end of that famous double, after riding through the night he can be seen on video using that same technique as he dropped all other riders.
 
Mar 18, 2009
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The trouble with all of these theoretical musings is that you are considering muscles as isolated units with unique innervations all operating independently of each other; but this is so far from reality, even more so when their actions are constrained by seat position (assuming pedalling from a seated position) and the feet being clipped in to the pedals. The basic action of all of the leg muscles when pedalling is either extension or flexion of the hip, stifle, and hock joints, and there are only three nerves (femoral, sciatic and obturator) which coordinate these actions.

At best, it is extremely naive to believe that you can change the way an isolated muscle acts independently of other muscles which have the same actions and are innervated by the same nerves and are larger than these smaller muscles, especially when the pelvis and feet are either fixed or constrained in position.
 
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elapid said:
The trouble with all of these theoretical musings is that you are considering muscles as isolated units with unique innervations all operating independently of each other; but this is so far from reality, even more so when their actions are constrained by seat position (assuming pedalling from a seated position) and the feet being clipped in to the pedals. The basic action of all of the leg muscles when pedalling is either extension or flexion of the hip, stifle, and hock joints, and there are only three nerves (femoral, sciatic and obturator) which coordinate these actions.

At best, it is extremely naive to believe that you can change the way an isolated muscle acts independently of other muscles which have the same actions and are innervated by the same nerves and are larger than these smaller muscles, especially when the pelvis and feet are either fixed or constrained in position.


Muscles are not used independently, with power coming from the hips they are used in the same way as indoor tug o'war men use their muscles and it is only because the feet are firmly attached to the pedals that this 'max torque over the top' technique is possible.
 
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FrankDay said:
Want a little more evidence technique matters? Muscle coordination is key to the power output and mechanical efficiency of limb
movements, J. M. Wakeling, O. M. Blake and H. K. Chan, The Journal of Experimental Biology 213, 487-492

"During steady, level locomotion the skeletal muscles must
generate the power required for the movement and thus the
locomotor performance cannot exceed the power available from the
muscles. The results from this study show that the maximum power
output from the limbs occurs when neither all joints nor all muscles
are operating at their individual maximum power output. Instead,
both the power output and mechanical efficiency of the limb are
limited by the coordination pattern of the muscles.
SUMMARY
(1) When a limb is operating at maximal power output, not all its
joints need rotate at velocities where their maximum power output
can be achieved.
(2) Even muscles that are shortening at their optimal speed for
maximal power production may not be fully activated to achieve
high limb power.
(3) The same mechanical output from the limb can be achieved with
different patterns of coordination.
(4) Increases in muscle activity can lead to decreases in efficiency
with no increase in power output if the coordination is inappropriate.
(5) Power output from the limb cannot exceed the maximum power
that can be produced by the muscles, but does seem to be limited
by the coordination patterns of those muscles.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank Dr Steve Robinovitch for the loan of the Biodex dynamometer and
NSERC for financial support.
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J. M. Wakeling, O. M. Blake and H. K. Chan
THE JOURNAL "


What exactly is this telling you and how will it assist you in improving your technique or is it as CF said just another one of those useless studies where improving pedalling technique is concerned ?
 
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coapman said:
Muscles are not used independently, with power coming from the hips they are used in the same way as indoor tug o'war men use their muscles and it is only because the feet are firmly attached to the pedals that this 'max torque over the top' technique is possible.

No, they are not used independently, but some people here are considering them as isolated units which can be improved independently of other muscles with the same actions and the same innervations.
 
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coapman said:
"During steady, level locomotion the skeletal muscles must
generate the power required for the movement and thus the
locomotor performance cannot exceed the power available from the
muscles. The results from this study show that the maximum power
output from the limbs occurs when neither all joints nor all muscles
are operating at their individual maximum power output. Instead,
both the power output and mechanical efficiency of the limb are
limited by the coordination pattern of the muscles.
SUMMARY
(1) When a limb is operating at maximal power output, not all its
joints need rotate at velocities where their maximum power output
can be achieved.
(2) Even muscles that are shortening at their optimal speed for
maximal power production may not be fully activated to achieve
high limb power.
(3) The same mechanical output from the limb can be achieved with
different patterns of coordination.
(4) Increases in muscle activity can lead to decreases in efficiency
with no increase in power output if the coordination is inappropriate.
(5) Power output from the limb cannot exceed the maximum power
that can be produced by the muscles, but does seem to be limited
by the coordination patterns of those muscles....

What exactly is this telling you and how will it assist you in improving your technique or is it as CF said just another one of those useless studies where improving pedalling technique is concerned ?
All this study "told" me is it affirmed what I already knew, pedaling technique matters. It says nothing about what best technique is or how to achieve it. But, the fact that muscle coordination matters for both power and efficiency should be a concern for every competitive cyclist and coach looking to improve yet, as evidenced by this thread, most ignore this potential.
 
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elapid said:
The trouble with all of these theoretical musings is that you are considering muscles as isolated units with unique innervations all operating independently of each other; but this is so far from reality, even more so when their actions are constrained by seat position (assuming pedalling from a seated position) and the feet being clipped in to the pedals. The basic action of all of the leg muscles when pedalling is either extension or flexion of the hip, stifle, and hock joints, and there are only three nerves (femoral, sciatic and obturator) which coordinate these actions.

At best, it is extremely naive to believe that you can change the way an isolated muscle acts independently of other muscles which have the same actions and are innervated by the same nerves and are larger than these smaller muscles, especially when the pelvis and feet are either fixed or constrained in position.
So, let me see if I can put what you said in other words. "All this theoretical stuff is too hard for me to get my head around and even if I could, it would be too difficult, if not impossible, to change so why bother trying." Is that it in a nut shell?

Further, let me get this straight, you believe that because there are only 3 nerves that supply a bunch of muscles (i.e., the femoral nerve innervates the anterior thigh muscles that flex the hip joint (pectineus, iliacus, sartorius) and extend the knee (quadriceps femoris: rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus intermedius)) that these muscles cannot contract independently. From this I take it since the femoral nerve innervates both hip flexors and knee extenders that you believe it impossible to flex the hip without also extending the knee? Is that correct?
 
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FrankDay said:
All this study "told" me is it affirmed what I already knew, pedaling technique matters. It says nothing about what best technique is or how to achieve it. But, the fact that muscle coordination matters for both power and efficiency should be a concern for every competitive cyclist and coach looking to improve yet, as evidenced by this thread, most ignore this potential.

Explain how your technique gives perfect muscle coordination.
 
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coapman said:
Explain how your technique gives perfect muscle coordination.
I can't because I don't know what perfect muscle coordination is. No one does. All training with PowerCranks does is give the rider the ability to train what we believe to be a better coordination with a more balanced use of the muscles with the hope of further improvement as more is learned.
 
Mar 10, 2009
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FrankDay said:
I can't because I don't know what perfect muscle coordination is. No one does. All training with PowerCranks does is give the rider the ability to train what we believe to be a better coordination with a more balanced use of the muscles with the hope of further improvement as more is learned.

Here you have it,

" Souplesse is the perfect storm of Looking Pro; harmony between grace and power, casual and deliberate. It speaks of the entire organism, the perfectly manicured machine together with the perfectly refined position and technique of its rider. It is the combination of Magnificent Stroke, gentle sway of the shoulders and head, the rhythmic breath, and of knees, elbows, and chest converging on the V-Locus.

Jacques Anquetil is man of whom we have spoken surprisingly little in these archives. Perhaps it is because he is a man who inspires us in death as little as he did his fans in life. A calculating man, he pursued Cycling not for the love and passion of it, but for the business of it; for him, the bicycle provided a path from peasantry to aristocracy. That was all.

Be that as it may, he was a gifted cyclist whose fluidity on the bike exemplified Souplesse:
?A Magnificent Stroke is more than pushing or pulling on the pedals. The stroke flows from the core and hips, driving the pedals round and belying the effort to do so.
?Feet sweep the pedals around in perfect revolutions, one leg cannot be distinguished from the other ? they work as one to counter and balance the forces to drive the machine ever faster forward.
?The legs cannot do their work without the arms, the lungs, the chest, the heart, the mind. Each unit functions independently to do its work, yet feeds seamlessly into the other. In a phrase: Fluidly Harmonic Articulation.
?Move to the V-Locus; the body is folded such that legs, arms, and chest overlap but do not intersect. Knees tucked in, shoulders hunched, wrists rolled inwards, elbows angled such that the knees only just slip inside them with each revolution of the cranks.


I give you Master Jacques. "

The important sentence there is 'The legs cannot do their work without the arms'
 
Sep 23, 2010
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coapman said:
Here you have it,

" Souplesse is the perfect storm of Looking Pro; harmony between grace and power, casual and deliberate. It speaks of the entire organism, the perfectly manicured machine together with the perfectly refined position and technique of its rider. It is the combination of Magnificent Stroke, gentle sway of the shoulders and head, the rhythmic breath, and of knees, elbows, and chest converging on the V-Locus.

Jacques Anquetil is man of whom we have spoken surprisingly little in these archives. Perhaps it is because he is a man who inspires us in death as little as he did his fans in life. A calculating man, he pursued Cycling not for the love and passion of it, but for the business of it; for him, the bicycle provided a path from peasantry to aristocracy. That was all.

Be that as it may, he was a gifted cyclist whose fluidity on the bike exemplified Souplesse:
?A Magnificent Stroke is more than pushing or pulling on the pedals. The stroke flows from the core and hips, driving the pedals round and belying the effort to do so.
?Feet sweep the pedals around in perfect revolutions, one leg cannot be distinguished from the other ? they work as one to counter and balance the forces to drive the machine ever faster forward.
?The legs cannot do their work without the arms, the lungs, the chest, the heart, the mind. Each unit functions independently to do its work, yet feeds seamlessly into the other. In a phrase: Fluidly Harmonic Articulation.
?Move to the V-Locus; the body is folded such that legs, arms, and chest overlap but do not intersect. Knees tucked in, shoulders hunched, wrists rolled inwards, elbows angled such that the knees only just slip inside them with each revolution of the cranks.


I give you Master Jacques. "

The important sentence there is 'The legs cannot do their work without the arms'
Just a bunch of words. Prove it.

Edit: That is nothing but pretty prose to describe the Beauty of Anquetill but not a data point in the bunch that is measured. Just what does "perfect revolutions" mean other than what I have been describing? The description above sounds more like what I have been describing than your tug-o-war description.
 
Mar 10, 2009
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FrankDay said:
Just what does "perfect revolutions" mean other than what I have been describing?

Having the ability to apply 180 degrees of maximal force to each crank in turn during the chain ring revolution, this gives the smoothest possible maximal power to the chain and reduces the acceleration and deceleration effect.
 
Sep 23, 2010
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coapman said:
Having the ability to apply 180 degrees of maximal force to each crank in turn during the chain ring revolution, this gives the smoothest possible maximal power to the chain and reduces the acceleration and deceleration effect.
This is a pedaling technique thread. All you do is describe the result of what you think your technique is: "180 degrees of maximal force to each crank in turn during the chain ring revolution" and you tell us to do this requires using the arms and the legs work like doing a tug-o-war. Tug-o-war has nothing to do with cycling because the feet/legs are mostly in an isometric contraction applying force in a single direction rather than moving quickly while trying to apply force in a constantly changing direction about 90 times a minute. If you were to apply for a patent for your "technique" the patent office would require you to describe your technique in enough detail that a person experienced in the area could reproduce it. You have never done this. You don't have a clue what the forces on the pedals look like or what muscles are used to generate those forces. Further, you ignore what the leg/foot is doing on the other 180 degrees of the stroke, is that leg flacid on the upstroke? If and when you are able to do this perhaps some here will take your musing seriously. I personally think you are on to something in emphasizing the top of the stroke as I believe that is the part of the stroke most available for improvement but your description of what you want to do is so juvenile that no one takes you seriously.
 

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