>From an analytical standpoint, the work of the mythbusters leaves many questions 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 be 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 individuals 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 smooth pedlers are more likely to be excellent racers, but not in the elite group!
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 implies causality!
Mike "Binda Extra Straps really were better" Kone in Boulder CO USA - where the mashers blow up their knees.
> This myth has also been debunked on the wattage* mailing list. The truth
\r?\n> is that the fastest bike riders just push down really hard, and
\r?\n> conversely pushing down really hard remains the best way to make a bike
\r?\n> go forward as fast as possible.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> All those years working on my souplesse were for nothing. Well, almost.
\r?\n> I looked good.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Morgan "like butter, baby" Fletcher
\r?\n> Oakland, California, USA
\r?\n>
\r?\n> * http://groups.google.com/