I seem to remember a video of Dan doing some famous climbs a while back, it struck me how smooth and effortless his pedalling looked, even as he passed serious looking cyclists with ease. This must be one of the simple skills setting apart the good from the great. Great tips, lads.
If your goal is really just smooth looking pedalling... I think doing fast cadence drills is helpful. Push up the cadence to the point where you start bouncing around, ride there for 2-5 minutes (it can be quite hard). Bouncing is caused by neuromuscular firing not keeping up with the pedal rate... theory is that this helps that.
For the saddle height, I would forget about having knee angle in a certain range of 25-30 degrees or so. Steve Hogg has a very good point about this (check his website, you can find a lot of useful stuff related to bike fitting). I would rather recommend his method for setting seat height - find a climb of around 7% gradient, warm up properly and just try to pedal at slightly lower cadence than usual, around 80RPM (forces you to drop heels more than usual). If you feel that you are not fluent in your pedal stroke/stretching leg too much (or feeling like being on a step machine) your seat is too high. Lower 3mm and repeat. If you feel fluent, raise 3mm and repeat up until the point where it doesn't feel comfortable anymore. Much better than following some formulas or messing with goniometer.
8yr old video but i recognize the pacific coast hwy bike trail anywhere..this is north of ventura ca....my all time favorite bike trail....never disappoints
Such a great way to set up the basics to the build into the future great stuff guys! Love that you throw in core strength as importance, I believe it the most important starting point.
Chapeau, GCN! I'm glad that you finally saw the wisdom in the sceptical comment I posted on 'How To Pedal Like A Pro' two years ago ;) I've got a feeling there must be some slight caveat to the advice on cadence though - perhaps a wide range of cadences which may be most efficient for different individuals? Plenty of newbs will self-select cadences which are far too low until they are advised otherwise. Unlike pedal stroke, cadence is something which most riders will be able to experiment with easily. No one seems to find 60 rev/min to suit them though, so there is probably a lower limit.
One bit of advice I'd give to people new to cycling (more specifically cycling with clipless pedals) is to avoid getting in the habit of pointing the foot/toes downwards as you drive through those pedal strokes, particularly when climbing. As shown in the video, you should try to drive through a pedal stroke with most of the force being applied directly through the cleats positioned in parallel to the ground, as if you were running. It should feel more natural and you're less likely to develop painful cramp in your calves. That's what I've found through experience anyway.
A Davies, I fully agree. I'm new to cycling, but am very lean and in excellent shape. I have a vintage Fiori that my Girlfriend bought me and I love it! I always make sure utilizing my hamstrings and quads, with little drive in my calves, etc. I try to feel through each stroke and concentrate on my peddling and leg drive. Sitting at 162lbs, was 152 last year but wanted to put a bit of size on. Now I wanna get into the 140's! Haha.
About the high-intensity cadence exercise you mentioned, high-intensity exercises for a short period, develop fast twitch muscles (Type ii) aka strength muscles and during low intensity for a longer period of time, you develop slow twitch muscle fibres aka endurance muscles. (Type 1). Depending on what field you specialise in, you can choose which side you want to tilt it towards. If you're a 1KM time trialist, you want to have more type ii muscles and if you're competing in the Iron Man world championships, then you want more type i muscles and finally, if you're a mixed guy, try to have a good balance.
With all due respect, I have to take issue with the "pedal at your own cadence" statement. Fast and slow twitch muscle fiber numbers are fixed in number for all of us at birth, but we CAN make each set of fibers grow based on our type of activity. I agree with some of the comments below -- cadence is important. If you are banging a big gear at 60rpm you are mostly working the fast twitch fibers and will crap out fast since they rely on intracellular glycogen stores and generate huge amounts of lactic acid. Rather, setting a cadence of 80-100 will train up more of the slow twitch fibers (the aerobic ones relying on oxygen and extracellular glucose without lactate production) which, over time, will grow in size (not number) and make your FTP higher for longer. There is a reason why the pros have a fast cadence and it not just because they are genetically predetermined with the perfect balance of these types of muscle.
People ARE born with a generic predisposition to either higher amounts of type 1 or type 2x muscle fibers. But I do agree that you can train for muscle hypertrophy of either fiber. Great comment, I just wanted to clear that one part up.
@@coolkid13243 do you have any references to support what you’re saying? Because there are a lot of studies that have shown some people have higher levels of fast twitch/slow twitch fibres over the other e.g. Jamaicans tend to have more fast twitch muscle fibres hence why they’re dominant in sprinting, opposed to African runners who predominantly have slow twitch muscle fibres. Coupled with Darwinian genetics over thousands of years people nowadays have acquired these genes in certain regions hence why different countries dominate different sports/distances
Fwiw I strongly disagree about not changing your cadence. Naturally, a new(bie) bike rider seems to push too high a gear. Don't they? I know I did, and I see it on others pretty much every day. (In fact isn't this what the pros did for decades?) It turns out it's much more efficient - particularly on climbs - to pick a gear one or two lower than you might think - or *feel* - and spin quicker than is initially natural. This is how I distance unsuspecting and, I like to think, admiring cyclists. I do think most new bike riders would have to ease off on the gears and increase their cadence - on climbs in particular. That's how I see it anyway.
I have to agree with you about the cadence. I used to push way too hard gears at the begining,got some muscle on my thighs but painful knees came along with it too. Now, i always try to spin an easier gear than what i would usually feel comes naturally,and i find my performance to be better, my knees hurt less , and i can ride for longer.
I think their point was that if your self-selected cadence works for you, however high or low it is, then there's pretty much no need to change it. But then if it hurts or it doesn't work effectively, then of course it needs to be changed.
Woody Eckerslyke Well, it's funny you say that it's more efficient at higher cadences because actually the opposite is true when you test it in the lab. Artificially changing your cadence makes you less efficient. If you start to pedal faster as you get fitter that is likely to be you becoming more muscularly efficient, not your pedalling.
Global Cycling Network I think it's pretty clear that most newbies *naturally* pick a gear that's too hard, especially for climbs. Good advice is to ease off the gear and increase the cadence. To me that basic advice is sound. I see it pretty much every day: someone labouring up a climb in the gear they feel is right. Good advice would be ease off the gear and spin faster. I'm not an expert, just relating what happened to me, and what I see. ---- (1) "*If you start to pedal faster as you get fitter* that is likely to be you becoming more muscularly efficient, not your pedalling." This is not what is being proposed. (2) Was there a cadence revolution in pro cycling? Did the peloton start spinning faster in the 80s or 90s?
I have always pedal really fast even when i was 3 years old i would pedal super fast....my normal cadence is between 90 to 100+ feeling very comfortable so what i believe is that if your cadence is low then be efficient at low cadence improve it but dont change it
NullsysGames Maybe they haven't got that option in their editing software as this has always been an issue (some videos worse than others). If they haven't then they need to learn when to raise voices (normally on location) and when to lower them (normally for voiceover in a still environment/back at the studio). Also to be careful with microphone placement esp when on the move to avoid rustling from clothes. Give them a bit longer and they'll probably have this fine tuned...
You guys forgot to mention when you are going through your pedal stroke to have your heel down, so it will help you push "through" the cranks and ultimately help increase your power output :)
Does this also make one leg training redundant? What about hill climbing seated? Would you still benefit from getting the "dead spots" out of your pedalling stroke? During a weekend bunch ride i noticed for the first time a guy cruised past me on a short 800m 5/6% climb and he had such a smooth pedalling technique. while i was "goosing" and stomping on the pedals this guy was rock solid upper body and smooth peddling. I agree that a strong core is a big part of it
What works for me for a more efficient power use age is too think about Whiping your feet on a mat.. Basically pedaling is a rythm of 4 different movements where the power is going..From the top position:- forward (wipe it off)- Down (what everybody does)- backward (clean your soles)- Up (just lifting your leg already makes pedaling 25% more efficient) So when thinking about the 4 moves you will sense a difference immediately. Also it is possible to train for higher cadance.. It has todo with nervous speed, when shifting down a few gears and try to reach over 125, then add many gears to maintain speed at 60rpm, then shift back again and you'll reach a higher number.. Do this every training twice and you will up your natural cadance.. Mine is now 99 on the avg.. But everything is much influenced by what you eat.. Stop using sugars and train your body with carbs.. Really really really really big difference.. Sugars are empty, you'll feel burned when through supply. So you need a constant supply when choosing that route..Carbs is the way to go, don't use metabolism slowing foods and cut all milk acid creating foods.. You're not going to believe the difference
With a 25-30 degree angle at the bottom of the pedal stroke it seems like I can feel the quads burn more than they do with the seat a bit higher so the leg is practically straight.
Or use rollers for some in door training it'll smooth you out. Beware of falling off rollers are very difficult, the mental focus for just staying upright is tuff.
Look here I just started and I’m doing this for major weight loss I’m hella slow on the bike smh. My thighs and hip flexors tend to get super tight while riding so I’ve got work to do. But I’m enjoying myself
In my head I'm pedalling like a pro, particularly on a climb, you know like Contador dancing on his pedals, then I'm overtaken by a guy on a Velocity fold up bike 😳 He did say Hi on his ride though as did I, then I got out of breath laughing at my pathetic pedalling 😂 Made it up that hill though 😊
Right!!! Lol me too but I'm 260 lbs and extreme novice but I like it I really enjoy it and I'm learning to spin up those hills , my goal, to dust all fixed gears in my path. Lol.
Dude, I was going up a hill listening to a track that made me feel like the fate of the world depended upon me going up fast. I was overtaken by an elderly lady, who looked at least in her 50's. She had that napkin sorta thing the Queen wears on her head as well. She looked at me and smiled. She turned right just as I was about to overtake her. I box, lift weights and run. Started cycling a month ago. A part of me died😞
Overtaken by an 'elderly lady, who looked at least in her 50's'. WT..a person in their 50's is not elderly. I'm 63 and talking with some mates of the same age over a beer one time, we all agreed that mentally we still feel around 19 years old (a bit juvenile etc). As you know 90% of riding well is your mental approach, i.e your not beaten until you decide, not anybody else! Oh and 63 is not elderly either.
High cadence and finding the right gear is EVERYTHING for a beginner, spin to win - See froome cadence. Also +1 on your volume levels, the tweet of the week bird noise is VERY irritating also.
Also forgot to bring up the pedaling type, when you keep your foot stiff, your not using the muscles in your feet that could provide an extra little bit of power. When you peddle with your feet pointed down, your using less of your shin muscle, and when your peddling with your heel pointed down, and your feet pointed up, your gonna burn up your calves, by over over extending the muscles and not letting them relax per stroke. Peddling in a natural foot motion of like your walking, heel to toe, utilize all the muscles in your feet and legs. And prolongs your muscle endurance.
@@neoneherefrom5836 your feet are just as strong as your legs. You can hold 600lbs, and lift up your heels, and your feet muscles wont even feel it on the 1st rep. Like doing leg presses, i always use my feet to get the bar up higher so i can work those muscles. Theres not alot of them, but there extremely strong.
@@neoneherefrom5836 i used to do the same when i wrestled. Cause 90% of the time your using your toes to get more leverage. And yet i still have chicken legs lol.
I've preferred my leg to be practically straight at the bottom - a bit higher (relative to my leg length) than they are using the seat. If it's crotch rocking on the seat it's too high but I've just found at a certain height that just the last bit of muscle "burn" disappears and I just get that feeling of power. I also hardly ever "stand" ride unless my bike has inadequate gearing for the situation.
2:25 You guys are doing it again (and you're not the only ones!): You say "...angle at the knee around 25 - 30 degrees" -- but the superimposed graphic shows an angle of 105 - 110 degrees! LOOK at the angle at 2:30 -- it's obviously greater than 90 degrees.
I recently found that my cycling shoe clip was in a very incorrect position, significantly moved forward. Once I fixed it it was such a relief and increased power output. Also my feet were getting numb because of that. Second thing of importance after saddle height!
you guys should do bike reviews, and give points on airodynamics, price, weight, comfort, handling,... but always with the same wheelset and groupset, so it is really about the frame, that would be really nice, and a good guide to buy a new bike :)
No mention balancing power between left and right legs? After 30 years riding/racing, mine is 40% (left) 60% (right), but your'e saying to ignore it, or did you simply not cover that as few people can measure it? Also, my *natural* stroke is to bob up and down like a buoy, but if I focus on that "scraping" motion my upper-body movement quiets completely. Hard to believe that core work and stretching will smooth my ungainly pedal-stroke, but I'll give it a go. It sure couldn't hurt. Thanks.
looks like southern california coast. Judging by signage, cliffs, and road markings, it looks like an american road. I may be wrong, but I think they have done some stuff in Cali.
Your body knows exactly what cadence is the most effective. You notice this the most when your sweet spot is exactly between 2 gears. Go up and it feels uncomfortable in your muscles, go down and you loose power. Sometimes I come in this situation due to a combination of wind and to big a difference in gears.
Question: do cycling socks really matter? Is there some sort of performance increase with cycling socks compared to Normal ones? Or is it more for comfort?
Martin most pro's have their knees fairly straight whilst riding, legs going up and down in line like pistons. Having your legs outwards isn't great for aerodynamics too.
'Make sure to do it on a climb'. Finding a climb in The Netherlands that takes longer then 5 minutes is quite a challenge ;). I guess pancake flat for 5 minutes is about the same regarding the constant resistance..
Detailed load analysis shows that Pros do pull up...but just enough to unweight the leg so as to not work against the other leg. They also start loading the down stroke 5-10 degrees sooner. THAT is all there is to it.
do you think you could try and make the music between links the same volume as you talking?? i have to spend my life in these videos with my finger on the volume button, i know I'm sensitive, but these are often pretty extreme swings in volume! thanks in advance if you read/ change anything, and keep up the great work!!!
How to get the strongest body core for any sport including cycling: Go to the gym and do: deadlifts and squats, military presses and pull ups, push ups and dips. (by order of importance, 3 groups of 2 exercises, 3 times a week, each time 1 group of 2 exercises)
The one think I've learnt here is, lots of time is needed to get pedalling correct. This is time I just hav'nt got. Whatever way I get the bike moving will have to suffice.
Hi guys, is it good practice to try and pedal continuously for an entire ride? I am working at building up my bike fitness and l wonder if continuing to turn the pedals over as I'm having a (rolling) rest is something that will benefit me in the future Thanks 🚲🚲
Can't believe how many people (and pro's) thought pedaling circles was efficient. The quads would literally never get a chance to rest with the circle method. It would be like holding an isometric wall squat for hours. I disagree with the efficiency point too. If you're quad dominant, your peak performance will be a joke compared to glute dominant pedaling, and your likelihood of knee injury is much higher. Also cadence depends on the crank length you're using and your muscle activation/ motor control. The reason I know efficiency is the most important variable is because I typically increase LT and sprint power output by 200-400 watts in my client's first session- just by working on motor control. That's how much power most people are wasting, and they're usually not aware of it.
Great video, as always! I gotta say, though, that "kick the door, scrape the floor" corrected my feet position over the pedals through the turn, which in turn improved my pedaling efficiency. So, your mileage may vary, as they say.
Great video. It mentions that changing ones cadence is not recommended. Other articles mention training to keep your cadence at about 90 rpms. Which one is correct?
1. Ride a fixie in winter. 2. If a fixie is too scary, ride a single speed, low gear in winter. I could do 30+ mph on a 60" single freewheel in my day. This is about 180 rpm. ;)
I've heard that some pros use a fixie (fixed gear/track bike) to help correct/improve their pedaling strokes. is there some truth to this? & could GCN make a video featuring fixies?
Hi just recently somebody told me to pedal just using my Quads. Pedaling by just using my calf and pedaling by using both quads and calf muscles. How do you do this?
I cycled until I was 42, then I hung it up and got a motorbike. I always found that if I timed it right, I could better progress by only pushing downwards when the pedal was also going downwards...
GCN, great vid, but please "Normalize" your sound levels in whatever editing software you use to create videos. The levels in this vid were all over the shop.
If you want to learn how to pedal and stuff about bicycles watch Pedal (the anime series). I learned so much from that anime plus it was really fun to watch in general even if you have no interest in bicycle or bicycle racing.
+rbaleksandar You mean "Yowamushi Pedal" and I agree. The main message of the story is that cycling is fun and awesome if you put the dedication into it
Not sure guys. Wen your putting in a massive effort like a steep climb or a tt, focusing on pushing down through your heel and scraping your shoe is very helpful
Exactly!! Show scrapers especially on high gradient climbs and involving the hamstrings in a pulling action has payed off dividends for me. Check out cyclo-core.com
The axe man!! That's exactly what we said! Sometimes you do it naturally, and that's the way it should be rather than forcing a different pedalling style on yourself.
I don‘t fully agree that you should pedal automatically. The smooth pedalling includes down and up movements, means press down with one leg and also lift up on the opposite side.
So, does this mean we should disregard the older video you guys made about pedalling, and how we should practice pulling up as well by pedalling with only one leg and all ? And I'm genuinely asking, I'm not being sarcastic, or whatever the word that I'm looking for is.
I completely disagree with not pulling on pedals. On high gradient climbs its best( at least for me) to involve the hamstrings as they are in a better position to pull you up vs just trying to mash the pedals and exhaust the quads. Overall it's just common sense to rotate the different leg muscle. Look up cyclo-core. com. He specializes in utilizing the hamstrings.
'make sure you do it on a climb'... And here I live in the netherlands where you can ride 60km with only climbing 50 metres. At least I can ride consistent straights of 10km with head wind.
I hate to say it but you missed the step of leveling out your audio... can be done easily with 30 minutes of work - This is such a surprise because all of your other videos are so polished.
I'm ready for clip in pedals but I am still healing an ankle injury. Will clip in pedals help strengthen my ankle or possibly overwork it? Thanks GCN ‼️
I'm really not sure you can discuss saddle height adjustment without considering setback. Just saying! (i.e., if you raise your saddle, you may have to move it forwards a smidgeon -- and _vice_ _versa_ -- though this may affect your pedaling power or efficiency, so it's a matter of locating the sweet spot).
Hi GCN! Great video-as always. I have one question for you which is more suitable for your How to clean your bike video, but I am not sure whether you read and reply to comments under older videos. Anyway, my problem is that whenever I am cleaning my bike and degreasing the whole drivetrain it definitely looks cleaner on the outside but when I touch my chain or wipe it down there is always some black greas residual. So my question is whether is it possible to completely degreas your chain or am I doing something wrong.(Btw I am using brushes and degreaser just like Simon)
My cadence is averaging around 65 on a 2 hour ride but the advice l got from my bike shop, and also what l read online is trying to spin at 90 an above, but GCN contradict that im confused, who out there can advise? who's right?
+EmpiricalMind I think they're saying you shouldn't go out of your way to go as fast as you can from the start of your learning, but just gradually try to train your body into making higher cadence more efficient/comfortable/viable than what you're doing now.
Are you serious with your sound levels? I'm a big fan of all your videos but there are a lot of sound issues with your last videos. Very quiet when you guys are speaking, so I turn the volume up, and then bamm. Please, be careful about this, and thank for all your efforts.
You guys are usually all over the volume levels.
My headphones just exploded!
Production went up! one could say.
Same for me. Inconsistent volume.
I seem to remember a video of Dan doing some famous climbs a while back, it struck me how smooth and effortless his pedalling looked, even as he passed serious looking cyclists with ease.
This must be one of the simple skills setting apart the good from the great.
Great tips, lads.
If your goal is really just smooth looking pedalling... I think doing fast cadence drills is helpful. Push up the cadence to the point where you start bouncing around, ride there for 2-5 minutes (it can be quite hard). Bouncing is caused by neuromuscular firing not keeping up with the pedal rate... theory is that this helps that.
For the saddle height, I would forget about having knee angle in a certain range of 25-30 degrees or so. Steve Hogg has a very good point about this (check his website, you can find a lot of useful stuff related to bike fitting). I would rather recommend his method for setting seat height - find a climb of around 7% gradient, warm up properly and just try to pedal at slightly lower cadence than usual, around 80RPM (forces you to drop heels more than usual). If you feel that you are not fluent in your pedal stroke/stretching leg too much (or feeling like being on a step machine) your seat is too high. Lower 3mm and repeat. If you feel fluent, raise 3mm and repeat up until the point where it doesn't feel comfortable anymore. Much better than following some formulas or messing with goniometer.
8yr old video but i recognize the pacific coast hwy bike trail anywhere..this is north of ventura ca....my all time favorite bike trail....never disappoints
Love the propellers in the background!!!!
At 0:01, GCN was like, “ Look! An actually normal cyclist going somewhere in the natural habitat!”
Such a great way to set up the basics to the build into the future great stuff guys! Love that you throw in core strength as importance, I believe it the most important starting point.
Chapeau, GCN! I'm glad that you finally saw the wisdom in the sceptical comment I posted on 'How To Pedal Like A Pro' two years ago ;)
I've got a feeling there must be some slight caveat to the advice on cadence though - perhaps a wide range of cadences which may be most efficient for different individuals? Plenty of newbs will self-select cadences which are far too low until they are advised otherwise. Unlike pedal stroke, cadence is something which most riders will be able to experiment with easily. No one seems to find 60 rev/min to suit them though, so there is probably a lower limit.
One bit of advice I'd give to people new to cycling (more specifically cycling with clipless pedals) is to avoid getting in the habit of pointing the foot/toes downwards as you drive through those pedal strokes, particularly when climbing. As shown in the video, you should try to drive through a pedal stroke with most of the force being applied directly through the cleats positioned in parallel to the ground, as if you were running. It should feel more natural and you're less likely to develop painful cramp in your calves. That's what I've found through experience anyway.
A Davies, I fully agree. I'm new to cycling, but am very lean and in excellent shape. I have a vintage Fiori that my Girlfriend bought me and I love it! I always make sure utilizing my hamstrings and quads, with little drive in my calves, etc. I try to feel through each stroke and concentrate on my peddling and leg drive. Sitting at 162lbs, was 152 last year but wanted to put a bit of size on. Now I wanna get into the 140's! Haha.
About the high-intensity cadence exercise you mentioned, high-intensity exercises for a short period, develop fast twitch muscles (Type ii) aka strength muscles and during low intensity for a longer period of time, you develop slow twitch muscle fibres aka endurance muscles. (Type 1). Depending on what field you specialise in, you can choose which side you want to tilt it towards. If you're a 1KM time trialist, you want to have more type ii muscles and if you're competing in the Iron Man world championships, then you want more type i muscles and finally, if you're a mixed guy, try to have a good balance.
With all due respect, I have to take issue with the "pedal at your own cadence" statement. Fast and slow twitch muscle fiber numbers are fixed in number for all of us at birth, but we CAN make each set of fibers grow based on our type of activity. I agree with some of the comments below -- cadence is important. If you are banging a big gear at 60rpm you are mostly working the fast twitch fibers and will crap out fast since they rely on intracellular glycogen stores and generate huge amounts of lactic acid. Rather, setting a cadence of 80-100 will train up more of the slow twitch fibers (the aerobic ones relying on oxygen and extracellular glucose without lactate production) which, over time, will grow in size (not number) and make your FTP higher for longer. There is a reason why the pros have a fast cadence and it not just because they are genetically predetermined with the perfect balance of these types of muscle.
People ARE born with a generic predisposition to either higher amounts of type 1 or type 2x muscle fibers. But I do agree that you can train for muscle hypertrophy of either fiber. Great comment, I just wanted to clear that one part up.
@@coolkid13243 do you have any references to support what you’re saying? Because there are a lot of studies that have shown some people have higher levels of fast twitch/slow twitch fibres over the other e.g. Jamaicans tend to have more fast twitch muscle fibres hence why they’re dominant in sprinting, opposed to African runners who predominantly have slow twitch muscle fibres. Coupled with Darwinian genetics over thousands of years people nowadays have acquired these genes in certain regions hence why different countries dominate different sports/distances
I cannot thank you enough for your work!!! I'm a cycling enthusiast and for me gcn is like heaven on earth!
Been riding for so many years but today i kept this video in mind - somehow pedalling seemed NEW! and improved! haha! Thanks and Cheers GCN.
Fwiw I strongly disagree about not changing your cadence.
Naturally, a new(bie) bike rider seems to push too high a gear. Don't they? I know I did, and I see it on others pretty much every day. (In fact isn't this what the pros did for decades?)
It turns out it's much more efficient - particularly on climbs - to pick a gear one or two lower than you might think - or *feel* - and spin quicker than is initially natural.
This is how I distance unsuspecting and, I like to think, admiring cyclists.
I do think most new bike riders would have to ease off on the gears and increase their cadence - on climbs in particular.
That's how I see it anyway.
I have to agree with you about the cadence.
I used to push way too hard gears at the begining,got some muscle on my thighs but painful knees came along with it too.
Now, i always try to spin an easier gear than what i would usually feel comes naturally,and i find my performance to be better, my knees hurt less , and i can ride for longer.
I think their point was that if your self-selected cadence works for you, however high or low it is, then there's pretty much no need to change it. But then if it hurts or it doesn't work effectively, then of course it needs to be changed.
Woody Eckerslyke Well, it's funny you say that it's more efficient at higher cadences because actually the opposite is true when you test it in the lab. Artificially changing your cadence makes you less efficient. If you start to pedal faster as you get fitter that is likely to be you becoming more muscularly efficient, not your pedalling.
Global Cycling Network I think it's pretty clear that most newbies *naturally* pick a gear that's too hard, especially for climbs.
Good advice is to ease off the gear and increase the cadence.
To me that basic advice is sound.
I see it pretty much every day: someone labouring up a climb in the gear they feel is right. Good advice would be ease off the gear and spin faster.
I'm not an expert, just relating what happened to me, and what I see.
----
(1) "*If you start to pedal faster as you get fitter* that is likely to be you becoming more muscularly efficient, not your pedalling." This is not what is being proposed.
(2) Was there a cadence revolution in pro cycling? Did the peloton start spinning faster in the 80s or 90s?
I have always pedal really fast even when i was 3 years old i would pedal super fast....my normal cadence is between 90 to 100+ feeling very comfortable so what i believe is that if your cadence is low then be efficient at low cadence improve it but dont change it
PLEASE sort out your volume levels, this was painful to listen to.
NullsysGames a bit insane it was...lol!
NullsysGames Maybe they haven't got that option in their editing software as this has always been an issue (some videos worse than others). If they haven't then they need to learn when to raise voices (normally on location) and when to lower them (normally for voiceover in a still environment/back at the studio). Also to be careful with microphone placement esp when on the move to avoid rustling from clothes. Give them a bit longer and they'll probably have this fine tuned...
Maybe turn your volume down, it's not hard.
Ob1sdarkside Yeahhh you missed the point there. Nice try.
+NullsysGames agreed lol
I have been experiencing some lower back pain and I was told core strength is a huge part of that!
Thank for your helpful tips! You got yourself a subscriber!
You guys forgot to mention when you are going through your pedal stroke to have your heel down, so it will help you push "through" the cranks and ultimately help increase your power output :)
Your the best gcn
Does this also make one leg training redundant? What about hill climbing seated? Would you still benefit from getting the "dead spots" out of your pedalling stroke? During a weekend bunch ride i noticed for the first time a guy cruised past me on a short 800m 5/6% climb and he had such a smooth pedalling technique. while i was "goosing" and stomping on the pedals this guy was rock solid upper body and smooth peddling. I agree that a strong core is a big part of it
I like this show thx for the tips
What the hell is wrong with you?
I use 3 in 1 - certainly seems much better than any bicycle specific lube - used it on RAB 2019
socks! It's all about the socks
Why is that?
@@mickealsfamily9230 its been 6 yrs my friend 🤣
@@equinox5560 🤣🤣🤣
Awesome, one of the bikes you guys are using is the 2015 Scott Solace 30! I have that bike!
What works for me for a more efficient power use age is too think about Whiping your feet on a mat.. Basically pedaling is a rythm of 4 different movements where the power is going..From the top position:- forward (wipe it off)- Down (what everybody does)- backward (clean your soles)- Up (just lifting your leg already makes pedaling 25% more efficient)
So when thinking about the 4 moves you will sense a difference immediately.
Also it is possible to train for higher cadance.. It has todo with nervous speed, when shifting down a few gears and try to reach over 125, then add many gears to maintain speed at 60rpm, then shift back again and you'll reach a higher number.. Do this every training twice and you will up your natural cadance.. Mine is now 99 on the avg..
But everything is much influenced by what you eat.. Stop using sugars and train your body with carbs.. Really really really really big difference.. Sugars are empty, you'll feel burned when through supply. So you need a constant supply when choosing that route..Carbs is the way to go, don't use metabolism slowing foods and cut all milk acid creating foods.. You're not going to believe the difference
With a 25-30 degree angle at the bottom of the pedal stroke it seems like I can feel the quads burn more than they do with the seat a bit higher so the leg is practically straight.
How to be a pro like a pro!
Or use rollers for some in door training it'll smooth you out.
Beware of falling off rollers are very difficult, the mental focus for just staying upright is tuff.
Look here I just started and I’m doing this for major weight loss I’m hella slow on the bike smh. My thighs and hip flexors tend to get super tight while riding so I’ve got work to do. But I’m enjoying myself
Missed out having the correct cleat placement!
In my head I'm pedalling like a pro, particularly on a climb, you know like Contador dancing on his pedals, then I'm overtaken by a guy on a Velocity fold up bike 😳 He did say Hi on his ride though as did I, then I got out of breath laughing at my pathetic pedalling 😂 Made it up that hill though 😊
Right!!! Lol me too but I'm 260 lbs and extreme novice but I like it I really enjoy it and I'm learning to spin up those hills , my goal, to dust all fixed gears in my path. Lol.
+Andrea Thomas haha u sound like me
Dude, I was going up a hill listening to a track that made me feel like the fate of the world depended upon me going up fast.
I was overtaken by an elderly lady, who looked at least in her 50's.
She had that napkin sorta thing the Queen wears on her head as well.
She looked at me and smiled.
She turned right just as I was about to overtake her.
I box, lift weights and run.
Started cycling a month ago.
A part of me died😞
soon enough you'll be the rider on the velocity :-)
Overtaken by an 'elderly lady, who looked at least in her 50's'. WT..a person in their 50's is not elderly. I'm 63 and talking with some mates of the same age over a beer one time, we all agreed that mentally we still feel around 19 years old (a bit juvenile etc). As you know 90% of riding well is your mental approach, i.e your not beaten until you decide, not anybody else! Oh and 63 is not elderly either.
High cadence and finding the right gear is EVERYTHING for a beginner, spin to win - See froome cadence.
Also +1 on your volume levels, the tweet of the week bird noise is VERY irritating also.
I love all the video funny and make you strong
Also forgot to bring up the pedaling type, when you keep your foot stiff, your not using the muscles in your feet that could provide an extra little bit of power. When you peddle with your feet pointed down, your using less of your shin muscle, and when your peddling with your heel pointed down, and your feet pointed up, your gonna burn up your calves, by over over extending the muscles and not letting them relax per stroke. Peddling in a natural foot motion of like your walking, heel to toe, utilize all the muscles in your feet and legs. And prolongs your muscle endurance.
Excellent post.
Muscles of the feet themselves are the last point of the kinetic chain and should not be neglected in pedal stroke analysis.
@@neoneherefrom5836 your feet are just as strong as your legs. You can hold 600lbs, and lift up your heels, and your feet muscles wont even feel it on the 1st rep. Like doing leg presses, i always use my feet to get the bar up higher so i can work those muscles. Theres not alot of them, but there extremely strong.
@@steve.o33 bingo. I used to do a lot of calf raises when I played basketball.
@@neoneherefrom5836 i used to do the same when i wrestled. Cause 90% of the time your using your toes to get more leverage. And yet i still have chicken legs lol.
I've preferred my leg to be practically straight at the bottom - a bit higher (relative to my leg length) than they are using the seat. If it's crotch rocking on the seat it's too high but I've just found at a certain height that just the last bit of muscle "burn" disappears and I just get that feeling of power. I also hardly ever "stand" ride unless my bike has inadequate gearing for the situation.
2:25 You guys are doing it again (and you're not the only ones!): You say "...angle at the knee around 25 - 30 degrees" -- but the superimposed graphic shows an angle of 105 - 110 degrees! LOOK at the angle at 2:30 -- it's obviously greater than 90 degrees.
I think the angle starts from 90* actually.
0* is flat, 90* is straight, so the extra 25-30 is after 90
I recently found that my cycling shoe clip was in a very incorrect position, significantly moved forward. Once I fixed it it was such a relief and increased power output. Also my feet were getting numb because of that. Second thing of importance after saddle height!
you guys should do bike reviews, and give points on airodynamics, price, weight, comfort, handling,... but always with the same wheelset and groupset, so it is really about the frame, that would be really nice, and a good guide to buy a new bike :)
Volume is all over the place
No mention balancing power between left and right legs? After 30 years riding/racing, mine is 40% (left) 60% (right), but your'e saying to ignore it, or did you simply not cover that as few people can measure it? Also, my *natural* stroke is to bob up and down like a buoy, but if I focus on that "scraping" motion my upper-body movement quiets completely. Hard to believe that core work and stretching will smooth my ungainly pedal-stroke, but I'll give it a go. It sure couldn't hurt. Thanks.
Great video and the landscape looks amazing. Where was the shooting location? cheers
southern california I suppose
kevo99able maybe but I think it is somewhere in Europe coz the guys are brits
I d say either Cornwall or Mallorca
looks like southern california coast. Judging by signage, cliffs, and road markings, it looks like an american road. I may be wrong, but I think they have done some stuff in Cali.
I could be wrong, but unless Europe moved I don't think they are shooting there as they reference the Pacific Ocean at the end of the video...
Yep - this one was shot in California.
Your body knows exactly what cadence is the most effective. You notice this the most when your sweet spot is exactly between 2 gears. Go up and it feels uncomfortable in your muscles, go down and you loose power. Sometimes I come in this situation due to a combination of wind and to big a difference in gears.
Question: do cycling socks really matter? Is there some sort of performance increase with cycling socks compared to Normal ones? Or is it more for comfort?
How fsr GCN has come wow.
Very informative. Thank you. Could somebody explain to me why pros have their knees so close o each other while spinning?
Martin most pro's have their knees fairly straight whilst riding, legs going up and down in line like pistons. Having your legs outwards isn't great for aerodynamics too.
Martin ; I s
By changing the angle of your knees you could give use to other muscles in your quads!
'Make sure to do it on a climb'. Finding a climb in The Netherlands that takes longer then 5 minutes is quite a challenge ;). I guess pancake flat for 5 minutes is about the same regarding the constant resistance..
I've been riding For decades and memorised my ideal seat position on any bike, it's all about the comfort and efficency of your position!!!
U guys are amazing
Awesome post! Thanks for the tips!
Detailed load analysis shows that Pros do pull up...but just enough to unweight the leg so as to not work against the other leg. They also start loading the down stroke 5-10 degrees sooner. THAT is all there is to it.
do you think you could try and make the music between links the same volume as you talking?? i have to spend my life in these videos with my finger on the volume button, i know I'm sensitive, but these are often pretty extreme swings in volume! thanks in advance if you read/ change anything, and keep up the great work!!!
Good tips
Can you sort out the volume adjustments?
Talking, next to nothing then screeching. Music, goodbye ear drums
How to get the strongest body core for any sport including cycling:
Go to the gym and do: deadlifts and squats, military presses and pull ups, push ups and dips.
(by order of importance, 3 groups of 2 exercises, 3 times a week, each time 1 group of 2 exercises)
You'll have your own wheelchair in no time!
I've also observed that riding a fixed gear bike leads to a very smooth pedaling circle, even on a normal road bike.
one of my favorite surf spots. ..
ThePanFrances Hi mate, could you tell me where that road is? Is it France?
It looks like southern California, US. I ride along the coast often and it looks familiar.
Manny me, this is my hometown, Ventura, California!
The one think I've learnt here is, lots of time is needed to get pedalling correct. This is time I just hav'nt got. Whatever way I get the bike moving will have to suffice.
Hi guys, is it good practice to try and pedal continuously for an entire ride?
I am working at building up my bike fitness and l wonder if continuing to turn the pedals over as I'm having a (rolling) rest is something that will benefit me in the future
Thanks 🚲🚲
What crank arm length? Unless that has been standardized or something.
Can't believe how many people (and pro's) thought pedaling circles was efficient. The quads would literally never get a chance to rest with the circle method. It would be like holding an isometric wall squat for hours. I disagree with the efficiency point too. If you're quad dominant, your peak performance will be a joke compared to glute dominant pedaling, and your likelihood of knee injury is much higher. Also cadence depends on the crank length you're using and your muscle activation/ motor control. The reason I know efficiency is the most important variable is because I typically increase LT and sprint power output by 200-400 watts in my client's first session- just by working on motor control. That's how much power most people are wasting, and they're usually not aware of it.
Great video, as always! I gotta say, though, that "kick the door, scrape the floor" corrected my feet position over the pedals through the turn, which in turn improved my pedaling efficiency. So, your mileage may vary, as they say.
Tomorrow on GCN: How to get your leg over
ephphatha230 Hey Dan was on the Cervelo Test Team you need to be nicer!! :)
...your wife (twirls mustache)
RedNeck Biker109 test test
Geth Plays Uke nice
Great video. It mentions that changing ones cadence is not recommended. Other articles mention training to keep your cadence at about 90 rpms. Which one is correct?
I see that when he's cycling his back is arched, I'm not sure because i'm new but should you keep your back straight?
@Frost .... I see that in races, especially when they have a longer torso due to height.
Matters on the saddle, they have sports saddle.
1. Ride a fixie in winter.
2. If a fixie is too scary, ride a single speed, low gear in winter.
I could do 30+ mph on a 60" single freewheel in my day. This is about 180 rpm. ;)
I've heard that some pros use a fixie (fixed gear/track bike) to help correct/improve their pedaling strokes. is there some truth to this? & could GCN make a video featuring fixies?
Hi just recently somebody told me to pedal just using my Quads. Pedaling by just using my calf and pedaling by using both quads and calf muscles. How do you do this?
Ventura PCH! Recognize it like the back of my head.
That just sounds wrong. Who recognizes the back of their head?
@@JustcallmeDebbieB hahaha meant to type back of my hand.
And maybe a few words on possible knee problems occurring if you haven't got your bike well set up and going for the 60 cadence power drill?
are you supposed to push with one leg or pull with the other?
Ventura, Ca. Seacliff.
I recognize that! Best place for a quick bike ride. I live in Oxnard myself
Is one legged pedaling still considered a beneficial exercise for an even stroke?
I cycled until I was 42, then I hung it up and got a motorbike.
I always found that if I timed it right, I could better progress by only pushing downwards when the pedal was also going downwards...
nice video
I like the white shoes, what are they ?
fi'zik
Sound levels all over the place guys. Good guidance though, thanks.
How do you train back pedalling?
Where were you guys riding in this video?
At 2:32 the graphical illustration of angle is misleading... I would say it’s 120 degree....
GCN, great vid, but please "Normalize" your sound levels in whatever editing software you use to create videos. The levels in this vid were all over the shop.
Where was this video filmed at? obviously west coast US. But where exactly? Thanks
i have the same bicycle in guy in first seconds, and i dont what is the brand.... any knows that bicycle????
If you want to learn how to pedal and stuff about bicycles watch Pedal (the anime series). I learned so much from that anime plus it was really fun to watch in general even if you have no interest in bicycle or bicycle racing.
+rbaleksandar You mean "Yowamushi Pedal" and I agree. The main message of the story is that cycling is fun and awesome if you put the dedication into it
I also came here after watching Yowamushi pedal :)
I just read this manhwa called 'Wind Breaker' so want to learn some techniques
Was this filmed in Southern California?
Yes, they are on a little strip of Hwy1 Southbound between Carpinteria & Ventura
Not sure guys. Wen your putting in a massive effort like a steep climb or a tt, focusing on pushing down through your heel and scraping your shoe is very helpful
Exactly!! Show scrapers especially on high gradient climbs and involving the hamstrings in a pulling action has payed off dividends for me.
Check out cyclo-core.com
The axe man!! That's exactly what we said! Sometimes you do it naturally, and that's the way it should be rather than forcing a different pedalling style on yourself.
I don‘t fully agree that you should pedal automatically. The smooth pedalling includes down and up movements, means press down with one leg and also lift up on the opposite side.
Why the bloody hell are you not out there surfing! Great waves in back ground
True! Ventura is a great cycling and surfing area though. Tough choice :)
So, does this mean we should disregard the older video you guys made about pedalling, and how we should practice pulling up as well by pedalling with only one leg and all ?
And I'm genuinely asking, I'm not being sarcastic, or whatever the word that I'm looking for is.
lonewolf This is the most up to date advice yep.
I completely disagree with not pulling on pedals. On high gradient climbs its best( at least for me) to involve the hamstrings as they are in a better position to pull you up vs just trying to mash the pedals and exhaust the quads.
Overall it's just common sense to rotate the different leg muscle.
Look up cyclo-core. com. He specializes in utilizing the hamstrings.
papis408 We did say that there are times when you will naturally want to pull up, we didn't say never pull up.
'make sure you do it on a climb'... And here I live in the netherlands where you can ride 60km with only climbing 50 metres. At least I can ride consistent straights of 10km with head wind.
I hate to say it but you missed the step of leveling out your audio... can be done easily with 30 minutes of work - This is such a surprise because all of your other videos are so polished.
I'm ready for clip in pedals but I am still healing an ankle injury. Will clip in pedals help strengthen my ankle or possibly overwork it? Thanks GCN ‼️
The best way to pedal is how Dan did it when he was on the Cervelo test team.
How does this arrive?
I. like to take on hill when I so hot & just moved with that same paddal speed over I love long rides
I'm really not sure you can discuss saddle height adjustment without considering setback. Just saying!
(i.e., if you raise your saddle, you may have to move it forwards a smidgeon -- and _vice_ _versa_ -- though this may affect your pedaling power or efficiency, so it's a matter of locating the sweet spot).
Hi GCN! Great video-as always. I have one question for you which is more suitable for your How to clean your bike video, but I am not sure whether you read and reply to comments under older videos. Anyway, my problem is that whenever I am cleaning my bike and degreasing the whole drivetrain it definitely looks cleaner on the outside but when I touch my chain or wipe it down there is always some black greas residual. So my question is whether is it possible to completely degreas your chain or am I doing something wrong.(Btw I am using brushes and degreaser just like Simon)
My cadence is averaging around 65 on a 2 hour ride but the advice l got from my bike shop, and also what l read online is trying to spin at 90 an above, but GCN contradict that im confused, who out there can advise? who's right?
+EmpiricalMind I think they're saying you shouldn't go out of your way to go as fast as you can from the start of your learning, but just gradually try to train your body into making higher cadence more efficient/comfortable/viable than what you're doing now.
KtB Barra ya makes sense 👍
Damn just notice this was recorded on my back yard
Are you serious with your sound levels? I'm a big fan of all your videos but there are a lot of sound issues with your last videos.
Very quiet when you guys are speaking, so I turn the volume up, and then bamm.
Please, be careful about this, and thank for all your efforts.