Just got Tour of California on in the background whilst working….

Not watched any cycling on tv for years, but something has just caught my eye. Hardly any of the riders seem to be reaching anywhere near full leg extension on the downstroke of the pedal and thus seem to have their seats lower than one would have been taught is the optimal pedalling position.

Has this always been the case? Just wondered

no one rides like Greg Lemond anymore unfortunately.

yes

10 – 15 degree bend at the knee is normal. It’s quite deceptive as well cos they have a very fluid pedalling style so it makes it more difficult to tell.

Pros look entirely normal to me. No way can you peddle efficiently in circles with a full leg extension. Maybe you best look at your own peddling technique.

No, I’m quite clear that ‘full’ leg extension isn’t efficient, but always thought it should be somewhere close i.e. slight bend in the knee, but these seem to have quite a degree of bend.

Maybe crazy-legs explanation is it.

In think changes in gearing have resulted in a change in cycling style, less pounding it out, with full extension and more spinny rhythm.

Analysis with power meters and wind tunnels may also have something to do with it……along witha change in mentality after LA spun his way to his tour victories.But look at photo’s from 70’s/80’s and defo rode higher saddles.

Good win for swifty yest, good win for Cav this evening , good on ya ‘fella’s’

Ben King looks about 4 !!

I used to use the heel on pedal full extension technique, which is pretty rough. I thought that higher felt better on the whole. Then one road ride I caught up with this old boy and he said ‘your saddle is too high, your pelvis is rocking from side to side’. I was sceptical and thanked him kindly, but I did stop and lower it to a point that felt really low. After a few hundred miles it now feels much better. Less back pain, much more stable spinning position and since I also transferred it to my MTBs it has clear bike handling advantages.

Yes, heel guide to start with and then lower to the point that your pelvis doesn’t rock and I think that it spot for spinning. Much lower than that and you can tell it’s not so good ‘cos you can’t accelerate as quickly.

Easier on your private parts slightly lower too.

I am going to try this. So heel on pedal at 6 o clock, slight bend. Then lower it from there? Until where?

Best off having someone behind you and seeing when your pelvis stops rocking, I reckon. Or maybe put a hand on the small of your back and feeling what’s going on.

Straight leg when your heel is on the pedal and your leg is fully extended, which may be more like 27 minutes past depending on where your saddle is. Then when you put the ball of your foot back on the pedal you will have a slight bend in the leg at the bottom of the stoke.

So basically that is the max seatpost extension you could have, but you then need to determine if your pelvis is rocking when you spin, so maybe a hand in the small of your back, as molgrip says.

Straight leg WITHOUT tilting your pelvis when you check it, which is hard. I always used that technique and found it varied a lot – you can tilt your hips, you can be pressing harder or less hard on the pedal and it also depends on shoes….

Yes, but that will still put you high and then you can adjust downwards by looking for a tilting pelvis.

Unclipping one foot and spinning the other to cycle might also give you a clue about the most efficient position and also whether your pelvis is rocking.