Mountain Biking Pedalling Technique

We all know how to hop on a bike and pedal but by studying pedaling technique closely, it’s possible to maximise our cycling efficiency – a handy benefit on a long day in the hills. When we learned to ride – perhaps racing the bus to school - it was all about pushing down hard on the pedals, rocking the shoulders and going lactic. Looking around at many cyclists today, it appears little has changed. Emphasising the downward push - or “mashing” the pedals - is very energy consuming and over works the quadriceps muscles. Pedaling in irregular jerky “squares” means that there are dead spots at the 6o’clock and 12o’clock positions where muscular effort is not being transmitted to the forward movement of the bike.

Contrast this with the smooth pedaling action of professional cyclists on long hill climbs. The pros pedal in a circular motion, exerting an even force all the way through the pedal stroke. It utilises both the hamstrings and the quadriceps, offering you a whole lot more muscle to get those wheels turning. This continuous flow of energy from the leg muscles to the pedals allows you to pedal for longer and puts much less strain on the knees. It also helps you to climb as you are driving the wheels into the floor and maintaining traction on a loose surface.

So how do you pedal perfect circles?

• Pedal through the 6o’clock position as though pulling your foot back to scrape mud off the bottom of your shoe. Begin the pulling-scraping motion at 3o’clock.
• To get through the 12o’clock dead spot, pedal as though kicking a heavy door shut with your foot. Start the pressure at 10o’clock and keep pushing to 3o’clock.
• Using SPD type pedals rather than toe clips will help you with this technique a lot, although you should still be able to try it whatever pedal design you use.
• Pedaling in circles does take practice and a conscious effort to change. When first trying it out, find a smooth flat track and concentrate on the action of one leg at a time (keep the other foot on the pedal though!) As you get the feel for things, try to maintain the action on slightly steeper hills and rougher terrain. Each time you hit the trails, spend a few minutes thinking about your technique so that eventually it becomes automatic. Once you have the hang of it, pedaling technique can be improved by pedaling with a single leg clipped in at a time – we recommend an indoor training for this, as it’s far too embarrassing to try in public.

Cadence (or the speed of your pedaling) is the other important component to pedaling technique. A high cadence reflects a high number of revolutions per minute. Road cyclists often “spin” at a cadence around 90rpm for long distances, but for mountain biking this cadence is often much lower due to the terrain. Your cadence will vary according to the trail conditions and there may be some hills where you don’t exceed 30rpm. As a rule, you should try to pedal at the highest cadence that allows you to maintain a smooth pedaling action. Don’t pump a big gear on hills and revert to “mashing” the pedals, and don’t select such a small gear that your legs are running away with themselves and you’re wobbling all over the place. Experienced riders pedal with a cadence between 80 and 100 RPM depending on the terrain. 95 RPM is the target cadence, as it is the most efficient.

Cadence is very important for making it up those big uphills. Using a proper cadence will mean you will make it to the top of that hill instead of burning out half way – so this is good point to practice!

References: http://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/index.php