ray j willings said:
Sometimes when I am feeling really strong /good days, I pedal more on my tip toes [ if you get me] I can turn the pedals really smooth and push my 53 x11 quite easy. Some times I drop my heel down a wee bit and this works really well also. I never try and fight my bike. if it does not feel easy then I back off .
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I think what you have described is strongly related to your individual physiology and individual athletic abilities.
And that might also be true of Anquetil's style/technique. Perhaps the Anquetil technique would be an improvement for some segment of cyclists, or perhaps Anquetil was 'uniquely suitable' for it. Have there been others since him?
But regardless of Anquetil, I think the main topic of this thread is if the 'standard pedaling technique' that is used by the majority of cyclist (with small individual differences) could be improved for everyone by a change in how and where power is applied during the full rotation of the cranks.
A popular view seems to be that the 'standard technique' is quite good as-is, and that any improvements due to changes in pedaling technique would be minimal at best, and that an individual's performance improvement goals can be better achieved by training such factors as: aerodynamics, nutrition, strategy, etc.
... and still waiting for power meter manufactures to "test and document" the pedal technique of top ranked world-class cyclists, and to suggest how their power meter products can be used for individual performance improvement.
Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA