How To Improve Your PEDALLING Technique // Pedal Like a Pro!
Some amazing tips and advice from Phil Burt - the leading authority on bike fit & was lead physiotherapist at British Cycling for 12 years through three Olympic cycles and was also consultant physiotherapist with Team Sky for five years.
How to find the perfect saddle height: • Fix Sore Knees, Back P...
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I cannot say enough how good he is! Best decision ever was to have a bike fitting with him in 2021! 😊
Great stuff! Thanks Phil!
Great Video, thanks Katie!
Essentially, it is all about 'efficient power transfer and leg speed'. How legs are positioned in relation to the crank circumference circle and the pivot point of your hips, is determined by saddle position (fore and aft), (height) and reach (perfect bike size for your unique physical properties). The rest is about riding as much as you can to train our brain (developing neuromuscular pathways) so that it all becomes a new natural norm. The only thing that was left out was our unique skeletal alignment. And this is critical to ensure absolute efficiency that will reduce risk of overuse injury. This is corrected by a rigid carbon fiber sole shoe (as mentioned), and proper cleat positioning to correct the 'Quack factor' (our natural unique gait). All of the above can be sorted out by a thorough bike fitting to help you find your ultimate efficiency. Thanks for this Katie, it was pure gold🙏
Last year my bike fitter told me pedal to like you're" stepping onto the rung of a ladder." I wasn't quite sure what he meant, but I certainly have noticed that even a slight heel down stroke will see my watts shoot up. It's not yet second nature but I'm getting to a point where I do it more consistently. He also told me don't pull up on the pedal stroke. Thanks for the vid Katie xx
I was told wipe your feet at the bottom of the pedal stroke - sounds the same as getting the non powered foot out the way or as in your case climbing up a ladder.
Phil is spot on about position. Don't forget cleat and shoe position count as well. Maybe Phil can revisit positioning of the cleat fore/aft (the ball versus the 2 to 4 mm back from the ball) and which is better for what type of cyclist.
Awesome video and definitely helps me out to stop trying to do what I can’t naturally do, I definitely feel like I’ve been loosing more power by forcing my self to do the perfect pedal stroke, thank you for bringing another awesome video to us I do have a suggestion…would you and Phil be able to do a video on certain techniques for hill climbing or better yet more efficient techniques so your not dying by the time you reach the top of the hill…. lol Thank you Katie
So for climbing, all about gearing. So if you are really struggling put lower gears on your bike to keep cadence around 80-100
Thanks for this Katie. I also watched (just a few days back) the GCN video on pedalling techniques where Conor interviewed Phil. The two videos are so close together in timing it's spooky. Heh.
Really good info ... ta very much!
Thanks Katie..
One thing I did 10 years ago was switch to oval chainrings (osymetric chainrings) and that helped my pedal strokes massively. Never turned back since! My advice if you’re tall and have long levers they’re worth a try. 👍
I've never tried them!! Maybe another vid....
I second that bio pace it upsets your brain cadence in a way an then when you decide which you like best you feel quicker more efficient because the other type was frankly weird. Back when I had over one hundred bikes mostly but not exclusively from the 1900 to the 1960s for fun on high days an holidays I'd see how many I could ride. What I found is this... Top secret don't tell anyone!,, if you ride distinctly different geometrys of frame as well cog ratios an pedal arm length i.e.. 28 inch frame 28 inch wheels with 185 mm crank arms pulling a 60 tooth front cog an twelve on the back I use to slip stream post office lorries running at 50 plus mph, anyway back to the benefit. What I found was your whole body is pulled about your legs ligaments an sinue an muscle that you become a superhuman version of your self devoid of fancy cycle fitting gurus, you can trounce your old past self through pure power.. By this point your probably not believe if a word of it. An that's good because I don't want the secret out. I rode a 1939 silver sunbeam RAF bike three speed high gearing as used to get Airmen to spitfires super quick an X aerodrome X Aerodrome Wartime edition I could keep pace more or less with semi pro riders on racers over say 25 miles much to their annoyance it all came from the different geometrys. So Ride at least six very different cycles. Your main bikes Now. A BMX A heavy 1940 cycle a Hercules gents with rod brakes. A Sunbeam if you can find one very efficient frames kinda like A Kona lava dome really efficient. I guarantee you'll be amazed at how much quicker you go. Best to all.
I've got mid level oval rings on my best road bike and also on my MTB. I'd say I'm normal femur for my height of 5'11" so I might get more leverage from the rings. I've got best times on the oval rings but that could be many factors.
I started using absolute black's oval chain rings on my road bike about a year ago. These are a different shape then the old biopace rings. I find they have less of a dead spot at the botom of the pedal stroke.. This doesn't make a ton of different on the flat, but when climbing I've found that it tends to smooth out my wattage. Ie, I don't get as large spikes with each pedal stroke. It's definitely helped reduce knee pain while climbing. Hasn't made much a different at all on flats or descents though.
@@KatieKookaburra give em a try and see what you think :)
The best advise I got was think and pedal in a circle.
Please ask Phil would a road cleat and pedal help you transfer or produce more power than a mtb set up (on the road where you don't need to walk off the bike much)? Thanks
Absolutely exquisite video. Phil is so good at explaining things so anyone can understand. I struggle with pedaling "faster" but tend to ride how my legs feel at the moment...
Hi Katie, I would like to know Phil’s thoughts on how positions vary by discipline. Eg, I had a bike fit on my road bike years ago but have started doing some mountain biking recently..should I try to keep the same basic position,such as seat height (no dropper), as my road bike or is there a way of converting road fit to mountain bike..?
Pro riders used to do a lot of fixed-gear (on road) at the beguinning of the season to achieve the "round pedal stroke" that every trainer wanted them to have, but bycicle science was very empirical those days, recent tests show that there is not a a dramatic difference between the flat pedal (that lets you do just a "piston stroke") and the clipless shoe. I agree you cannot teach your nerves to pedal the style you want, but I'm not an expert ('llI keep silent like the very skinny man at Phil's left in the video).
I’m curious his input on crank length
Hi katie i have a problem that after about 20 miles i get pins and needles in my toes, ive tried wider shoes but still hasnt gone away, and i still even get it on a different bike when i go on my trainer, maybe phill could explain options?
Hi Katie mountain bike is good good video you soon get a good peddle ruthem when your bike is set up it's goes natural take care
Does this mean we'll be seeing more videos with Phil C? I bet he'll be delighted that Phil B suggested more mountain biking.
Good to know the fact that 'people's technique is people's technique' - basically make sure you fit your bike, you're comfortable doing long rides and keep riding! Guess that's much like running, where some land on their heels / toes or neutral. I've found that my cadence changes greatly depending on the terrain too - it drops massively whilst climbing (normal on the flat is 84, hills down to 64) - I like to get off the seat to ascend and many don't. Just quirks of differing people and their physique.
So really what Phil is saying don't try to change your pedalling style, but get your bike fit correct and it all tends to fall in place. I may try to do a little Mtn biking sometime, but I only have a limited budget for fancy toys. One thoroughbred iron horse in the barn is all I can afford at this time.
The thumbnails of these bikefit vids are so similar, i thought i already watched this before, but apparently not yet, it's brand new
That is such a good point! Thank you. Will change them up :)
No one talks about the usefulness of the weight of the leg on the downstroke. The lifting of the leg, the "getting it out of the way," can actually be a significant part of the power produced when in the proper gear for 90 to 100 rpm, even without being attached to the pedal. The bent-over position also contributes to a stretching of the glutes on the upstroke, allowing their elasticity to be recruited on the downstroke. All of this distributes the workload over more muscles, reducing the fatigue of the muscles which only push downward. One can travel quite fast on flat ground while hardly pushing. This demonstrates the importance of a sufficiently rapid cadence, which many cyclists fail to use. These are my own observations, not something anyone taught me. Again, it's great to be old and know what I know!
👍❤️….you asked for vid ideas…cleat position on shoes….I have one pair of shoes that after a while hurt my outside right knee but they are positioned the same as a different pair of shoes as far as I can determine that doesn’t 🤷🏼♂️…I’ve now recently bought winter boots and have positioned them similarly but have yet to test them out too. Thank you.
Watch Bikefit James. Talks a lot about these issues
@@markrushton1516 ..Thank you buddy...I'll do that 👍
So how does Phil address & adjust pedaling technique for differences in types of cycling one does? Meaning does he look at the technique for Audax riding differently than shorter races for example? Thanks for this series of vids.
Nope all the same - it's the power and cadence that will change.
Improving pedaling efficiency, that is, increasing the amount of work done per pedal revolution, means that you put out more power at the same cadence, so is equivalent to riding in a harder gear.
Love
Hi Katie, What is your pedal and shoe setup (as in which models) in the vid Please?
Shimano SPD :) XC9 shoes and XTR pedals.
@@KatieKookaburra Thankyou VERY much!!
That’s Sir Hoy to you! 😉 😂😂😂
What about riding on rollers? Could that have a similar effect to going mountain biking?
No I don't think so as it's about traction
The people doing the studies don’t get the learning process (nor do most people). Saying you can’t change pedal stroke is like saying you can’t learn how to play piano - they are both motor skills requiring rapid movement, the difference is that with piano you can actually hear when it’s working right. In cycling the pedals go around the same circle for the best and worst pedal stroke. Here’s the thing, you have two large muscle groups that fight gravity all day long - glutes and quads. If you can learn how to only recruit them when they have mechanical advantage, you waste less energy. There are now power meters that show force vectors which will show you when it’s working.
In short, just pedal how you pedal! 👍
Interesting chat, I do notice depending on how I feel the pedaling is less fluid and feels like your bouncing off the pedals at the bottom of the stroke.
As an inflexible, old man who is lacking in height I would find it interesting to see about bike fits for older people who wish to keep cycling.
Better off stretching and strengthening your core. Of course if you are riding the same position you were 35 yrs ago I'd argue you do need to revise that
I always wondered about the notion of "pulling up" the pedals with your cleats. It never seemed practical for me. The muscles involved in doing that are tiny. In smaller gears and high cadence it is better to just focus on pedaling "smoothly".
Ed Borsywicz wrote a book back in the eighties on road cycling(Olympic coach) that has definite answers on this based on VO2, rpm and power. A must read for anyone serious, some of what was said here is actually incorrect or inaccurate. Been riding and fitting cyclists for decades, I can watch someone pedal and know if seat height is close, fore/aft and cockpit distance is close. You are clipped in for a reason...
I trust Phil as he's absolutely leading the bike fit game - so you're entitled to your opinion. But still would trust him over other 'bike fitters' who don't have any experience of being a physio.
Can you + your bike fit dude do a vid where you and Francis Cade + his bike fit dude review each other’s fits of you and Francis’ bikes?
O:04 - 0:21 Mr Phil Blur !!! : )
Higher saddle higher ankles!
Ride a single speed mountain bike. Forces you to improve your pedalling. You never have to worry about being in the wrong gear either because you are always in the wrong gear.
do they even exist???
i had spiked pedals. keeps my foot in place but i am not clipped in so i can jump off the bike quickly in the event of an emergency.
Great when you slip and you take all the skin from your shins too.
You should observe yourself riding for a month and see how many instances there are that you’re better off jumping off the bike. If you’re like most people the answer is zero. This is one of those cases where people who have never done something assume that certain things happen. Cycling is full of things like that because it’s looked at as a very simple task - “as easy as riding a bike”. When I’m out riding I often get advice from people driving cars about where or how to ride. What would make someone who probably doesn’t ride think they are qualified to give a cyclist advice? People make assumptions. Try observing instead…
Its a shame i couldnt understand much of what phil said. He spoke quite fast and could pronounce his 'th's'. My rule of thumb is that if you get your saddle height as well as your fore and aft positioning on the saddle correct, your feet will naturally fall into a comfortable and efficient position and mode.
Remember, you can select the speed at which KZhead videos play back by selecting the gear icon at the top right of the screen and click on "play back speed." For Phil's videos, try a playback speed of 0.75x and see if that helps.
thanks for that, I'll give it a go.
Play it on 0.5 and he sounds like he’s had a bang to the head!
But at around 4 min in this exact video you are overextending and locking your (right, prob. also your left but maybe you are already favouring one side...) knee.
The video went 80% and there was no demonstrations of proper pedaling.
There are two flaws with most of his logic. First there is that “look at what the pros do”. There is a selection process that can’t be overcome, picking the right parents isn’t something you can teach. If you’re going to give advice to the whole bell curve you may want to find someone who had had success coaching average riders to above average success. Second, there is “look at the evidence”. I have. He’s right in that you can’t consciously change a complex skill set, and yet most studies on how people pedal do exactly that. The act of turning a crank is called a motor skill, there is a three step process to learning motor skills. This idea that pedaling is somehow natural is ridiculous, you spent the first year of your life learning how to walk, why would pedaling be natural? The answer is it’s not, it just doesn’t have the same failure states that other activities do. Is you sit in the saddle and pedal, you can’t turn the pedals in anything other than a circle, so people assume they know how to pedal. The fact is, all of them have learned how to walk, so they apply that motor skill set. There are now power meters that show force vectors. Most of the data shows huge downward force at the bottom of the pedal stroke - that’s a person who has learned how to stand and walk. Learning how to isolate muscle groups (Phil was also correct about two muscles producing 99% of the power, so concentrating on hip flexors or hamstrings is a waste of time) and learning how to time those muscle firings so they’re only working when they have mechanical advantage is the way to improve pedaling. It’s a motor skill, humans can learn motor skills.
yeah, but 99.9% of us are not pros.