Torque Them Cranks: Part I
Let’s talk simple physics. Think about sitting on your bike with both crank arms completely perpendicular to the ground. With both feet on the pedals, it is very difficult to produce any rotational movement. This is because your leverage, or the amount of torque your leg muscles are able to produce to move the pedals, is technically at zero. Torque is basically a product of the amount of force produced by your legs, and the distance of the force from the axis of rotation, in this case, the cranks. With the cranks at 12 and 6 o’ clock, the distance between the force application of your leg muscles (in this case, the feet), and the axis of rotation (in this case, the crank) is zero, so the torque is zero. By beginning with the cranks rotated slightly forward, you would increase the distance of the force from the center of rotation, and gain the ability to produce torque.
Now think about your actual pedaling revolution as you are riding the bicycle. Do you ever reach a point in the pedal stroke where the cranks are at 12 and 6 o’clock? Of course! Every time you rotate around, this position is achieved. Therefore every time you pedal around, you reach a point where, theoretically, you can produce zero torque - a veritable ‘weak link’ in the cycling cadence.
Here’s the catch: the actual direction from which the force is produced can produce torque in this situation. That is, if a force is coming from a direction other than straight up or down through the pedal, torque is achievable with both crank arms perpendicular to the ground. This is the entire concept behind pushing the top foot forward and pulling the bottom foot back. It allows you to produce torque in a situation where it would otherwise be impossible.
One of the best drills to practice this “push-pull” motion is by using unilateral, or one side only, pedaling. On a stationary bike, or on a slight outdoor grade where speed is not a problem, remove one foot from the pedal, and push forward, down, and pull back with the other foot. Your focus should be on a “circular” pedal motion, rather than straight up-and-down movement (i.e. not like pistons!). It should feel like you are scraping mud off the sole of your shoe at the bottom of the pedal stroke, and forcing your toes towards the front of your shoe at the top of the pedal stroke.
Practice this in the off-season and base training periods, and you’ll remove those weak links from your pedaling revolution – giving you more torque when it matters! In Part II, you’ll learn how to adjust your actual foot angle to maximize force production.
Until next time, train smart,
Ben Greenfield