The Proper Pedal Stroke and Cadence

       A cyclist's pedal stroke is a much overlooked factor of his endurance on the trail (or on the road, for that matter). Effectively spreading the load across as many muscle groups as possible can noticeably improve your speed and ease of riding.

       First of all, make sure your seat is at such a height that you can get maximum power out of every stroke. When your tush is comfortably in the saddle and your heel is on the pedal at the bottom of your stroke, your leg should be pretty much locked. You should not have to stretch to reach the pedal, but your leg shouldn't really be bent in this position. Adjust your seatpost so that the above is true. Now, when the ball of your foot is on the pedal at the bottom of the stroke, it should have a little bit of bend to it. This is the best position for max efficiency pedaling.

       Your legs should move like they're churning butter, with a fluid but brisk motion. A good cyclist pushes down the pedal, pulls it backward, and pulls it upward all in a smooth action. This motion can be internalized very easily by most, just by concentrating solely on pulling the knees up towards the chest. The downward thrusting of the thigh is already ingrained in anyone who can ride a bike. Concentrating on drawing the knees up to the chest completes the stroke.

Now, spreading out the work of a pedal stroke amongst muscles other than the thigh is only effective if your cadence is effective. If you don't pedal quickly enough, you'll be grinding along in too high of a gear; only your thighs have the muscle mass to pedal like this. If your cadence is to fast, however, you'll find yourself bouncing around in the seat, wasting energy left and right. A good rule of thumb is to maintain as high a cadence as possible without bobbing around in the saddle. Remember, if you're just pedaling with your thighs, a high cadence will be flung out of control very quickly by the powerful muscle. It's important to focus on the chest-to-knee motion so that you're energy output (per stroke) is light enough for a high cadence.

     It can be difficult at first to get this technique down, especially with those that are reluctant to downshift! Try practicing on a road bike to get your stroke down pat before you take it to the trail.