3 Drills That Will Improve Your Pedal Stroke

When you learn to ride a bike, pedaling is a distant second in importance to balance. As a child, you pedal simply to move forward. Once you conquer that without falling over, how you pedal—your upstroke and downstroke—gets lost in the details.

As an adult rider, especially if you're looking to improve your performance beyond commuting to the office—the minutiae of the pedal stroke and the idea of an efficient pedaling cadence becomes more important if you want to become a faster cyclist. Instead of just pushing down, you'll need to teach yourself to pedal evenly in smooth circles.

While this might sound easy enough, it can be a lot harder than you think. Use these tips and drills to correct your bad habits and become more efficient at pedaling your bike.

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Work On Form First

The downstroke is where the majority of your power is generated, but improving your upstroke is where you'll see the most gains in your overall pedaling efficiency.

It used to be a common belief that the quadriceps are used in the downstroke and the hamstrings in the upstroke. Modern physiology shows that the ideal pedal stroke doesn't involve isolated muscle movements and that each segment of a pedal stroke involves multiple muscle groups.

The quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and hips should all power the down stroke as a unit. For the most efficient full pedal rotation, the hips, glutes and hamstrings should work together to initiate the power of the upstroke as well. Without focusing on this proper pedal form first (i.e. spinning in circles), high-cadence drills can be a knee or hip injury waiting to happen.

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Find Your Cadence

As you begin to start cadence drills, you'll need to figure out your base cadence. Some people tend to be on the high end of the spectrum, while others are "grinders," or people who prefer to chug along in a larger gear with fewer revolutions.

An "ideal" cadence is between 85 and 95 revolutions per minute. Many professional riders such as those riding in Le Tour, can cruise along between 105 and 110 rpms because their cycling efficiency is so incredibly strong. For a beginner or a cyclist looking to improve efficiency, pedaling around 90 rpms on a long ride is a good goal to begin with.

You should have a bike computer with a cadence sensor so you don't have to guess your cadence. If you don't have a computer, there are many different formulas you can use to determine your cadence per minute. One of these is to count how many times your right knee lifts up in a 30-second period, then double it to find your rpms.  

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Isolated Leg Drills

To complete isolated leg drills, start by unclipping one foot from the pedals. Rest it on a box or other platform where it'll be out of the way. Try to keep both hips in a normal riding position if possible.

Pedal using only the leg that's clipped in for 30 seconds. At the end of 30 seconds, clip both feet back into the pedals and spin easy for 15 seconds. Repeat with the opposite leg and complete this cycle 4 to 5 times.

If you notice during this drill that your stroke is jerky or uneven, pay attention to where it occurs in the pedal stroke. This is an indicator of where your stroke inefficiencies are. Remember to try to keep your hips, glutes and core activated throughout the stroke, which will help to make each revolution more even.

Push-Push-Pull

This drill can be done on a trainer or on the road. It's a great way to stay mindful of your pedaling efficiency and form. The drill is simple: As you pedal, focus on the push-phase (down stroke) for two revolutions and then the pull-phase (upstroke) for one. If you perform this drill on an extended climb, it can help to keep your rhythm constant, which will help generate more power.

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When you're on an indoor trainer, do this as part of your warm up to activate each muscle group before you begin your workout. You can also sneak a couple of these drills in during the ride.

Cadence Progressions

A great way to maximize efficiency is to learn to hold the same power (or perceived exertion or heart rate if you have no power meter) across different cadences. To begin, you need to find a power output to maintain throughout the progression. Zone 3, which is between 75- and 90-percent of your functional power threshold, is ideal for most cyclists.

If you're training by heart rate, stick to Zone 4, which is between 80 and 90 percent of your heart rate threshold. If you're going by perceived exertion, try to maintain an effort that you could maintain for one hour.

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1. Pedal at 80 rpms and hold for 5 minutes.

2. Once you reach the 5-minute mark, increase your cadence to 85 rpms and hold for another 5 minutes.

3. At the 10-minute mark increase to 90 rpms.

4. After you've ridden for 15 minutes, increase your rpms again to 95 and hold for a final 5 minutes.

5. Spin easy for 5 minutes and then repeat this progression for a second time.

Putting It All Together

To improve your pedal stroke, it needs to be the focus of at least one workout per week. Here is a trainer workout that combines all of the above drills into one program that'll get you started:

1. Start with 5 to 10 minutes of easy spinning.

2. Complete 5 minutes of isolated leg drills.

3. Do 5 minutes of push-push-pull drills.

4. Spin easy for 2 minutes.

5. Begin cadence progressions:

* 5 minutes at 80 rpm, 5 minutes at 85 rpm, 5 minutes at 90 rpm, 5 minutes at 95 rpm

* 5 minutes easy spin

* 5 minutes at 80 rpm, 5 minutes at 85 rpm, 5 minutes at 90 rpm, 5 minutes at 95 rpm

6. Cool down with 5 to 10 minutes of easy spinning.

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