RE: [CR]Re: pedaling circles -- myth

(Example: Framebuilders:Masi)

Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 17:44:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
Subject: RE: [CR]Re: pedaling circles -- myth
To: Eric Goforth <ewgoforth@earthlink.net>, hersefan@comcast.net, Morgan Fletcher <morgan@hahaha.org>, Hillery <rhillery@hawksi.org>
In-Reply-To: <E1Jx8aB-0006w0-Nu@elasmtp-dupuy.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

My confidence in "Sports Scientists" is about 20% as great as my confidence in witch doctors, TV evangelists, and used car slaesmen. I take these studies for what they're worth, namely nothing. I become increasingly weary of self-appointed experts masquerading as "scientists" conducting "studies" which conclude exactly what the "scientists" had already concluded before the study began. I think they write the report and conclusions first, then gather the data as an afterthought. Certainly saves time and expense, as you only need gather the evidence that supports your conclusion.

The greatest example of successful "Sports Science" was the former German Democratic Republic. Excellent documentary on them just recently on PBS. Their "High Science" consisted of pumping teenage athletes full of massive doses of dangerous drugs that won them Olympic medals in their teens and often killed them before their 40th birthday. A true testiment to the value of science in sport.

Sorry, but I'd believe the casual observations of an occasional cycle tourist as to the effectiveness of various pedaling techniques sooner than I'd believe three dozen so-called "studies".

Regards,

Jerry Moos Big Spring, Texas, USA

Eric Goforth <ewgoforth@earthlink.net> wrote: I was surprised by this study when it came out too. Apparently pedalling i n circles isn't as important as we all thought, however I'm sure they are p ulling back to an extent. I was never a top racer, but I used to know it w as time to buy a new pair of Binda Extras when I'd pull out, usually during an acceleration on a hill.

I imagine they'd see more pulling up and back during sprints and climbs. T esting has shown that mountain bikers have the smoothest pedal strokes (to minimize tire spin on loose surfaces).

Eric Goforth Durham, North Carolina USA

-----Original Message----- From: hersefan@comcast.net To: "Morgan Fletcher" ; "Hillery" Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: 5/16/2008 6:11 PM Subject: Re: [CR]Re: pedaling circles -- myth
>From an analytical standpoint, the work of the mythbusters leaves many que stions unanswered for the majority of cyclists.

1) The optimization results are for a 40K time trial. Is this relevant for real world cycling done by many of us - i.e longer rides and hills?

2) Even if the elite riders are pedaling unevenly, they may still be doing a lot of "pulling up" - if not their peak torque differentials might even b e much larger. So to be an elite cyclist perhaps it is first important to have a strong "pulling up" ability.

3) For the slower control group, might it be that there are countless indiv iduals who couldn't make it up to even the "slow" level becasuse they don't pedal smoothly? Perhaps a very large sample size would show that the smoo th pedlers are more likely to be excellent racers, but not in the elite gro up!

4) Even the study cited notes that for many riders, having non-round pedal stroke may have negative influances on long term cycling health.

So in conclusion, be wary of those who see correlation and infer that it im plies causality!

Mike "Binda Extra Straps really were better" Kone in Boulder CO USA - where the mashers blow up their knees.

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