Pedal-Power Myth-Busting

Peanuts, circles, mashing, pulling up, left/right balance…? Simple pedalling has become very confusing.

- Mark Carroll

Cycling’s a simple process: you get on the bike, you turn the pedals, the bike moves forward. But in modern cycling, even something as simple as pedalling has become a detailed science.

So how much technique is really involved in pedalling? Are there benefits – say, more power at the same heart rate – if you improve your technique? What about pedalling with both left and right leg producing the same power output? Does it make a difference?

It’s all been a talking point for a while now. But is our thinking flawed? Time to take a closer look at some of the major pedalling theories – and see if we can tell our left from our right.

ONE LEG WON’T WORK

The most common drill prescribed for pedal-stroke improvement is pedalling with one leg. But that isn’t as foolproof as it’s made out to be.

This is mostly because most cyclists can’t last two minutes pedalling with one leg at even a nominal power output, before the hip flexors seize up. If you fancy a good laugh with your mates, get on a stationary bike that has a freewheel (not a fixed wheel), select light resistance, and see who lasts longer pedalling with one leg.

So. If you can’t even carry the weight of your upstroke leg for two minutes, what are the chances of the upstroke contributing to power output when you’re out on your bike for two hours?