I HEARD SOMETHING RIDICULOUS TODAY
ON THE RIDE THIS MORNING I was assured that pedaling in circles is wasted energy and that the studies of one bike fitter in England done on pros are conclusive...
... I sprint to differ.
While it may be true that mashers have just as much power in certain situations, I'm 100% certain that is not true of all situations.
For example, any mountain bike rider can you tell you that on technical climbs it is critical that the power you put down is even and steady.
Why?
Because mashing will likely cause 2 problems...
- slipping the rear tire
- stalling out and falling over
... mountain bikers are generally really good at putting power down all the way through the pedal stroke.
You know who else?
Track sprinters.
I learned this from the great Gibby Hatton when I went to him for a bike fit.
After watching me spin warming up...
Have you raced on the track?
No, mostly MTB.
Oh, that explains it... trackies and offroaders are the most efficient at putting out power.
Why, is the question.
And I think I know why, because when traction is required and when explosive power is required the hamstrings are engaged.
I learned this a long time ago when sprinting with my friend who easily beat me. He taught me to extend my stride and pull myself forward. Sure enough, I got a little faster.
Sprinters of all types spend time developing their hamstrings for this very reason.
Which brings me to my next thought. The reason most cyclists don't have any power on the upstroke is because they are pathetically weak.
If they weren't, they'd engage the hammies more in certain situations: sprinting, climbing loose terrain and...
... cruising on the flat.
Lately, with all my Nordic Curl work, I've noticed I can cruise faster on flats and let my quads rest a bet by more fully engaging my hamstrings.
I'm just practicing bro-science, so take it or leave it...
... but, Joe Friel practices real science.
When I flew him out to speak to us a few years back he pulled up charts which definitively demonstrated the small gains to be made by learning how to pedal correctly.
Yes, mashers can go fast.
Yes, there are times to mash.
Yes, you should experiment with this in the off-season.
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165.5 lbs
7 hrs
PushUps and PullUps
20 minutes recovery
20 minutes reading + Journaling
