Efficiency drives cycling. Cycling is endurance sport and the more efficient an athlete we become, the better our overall performance will be. The more efficient we become the less energy is needed to produce the same results. The less energy we use to cover the same distance translates into extra energy for those hard efforts or higher average speed over the same distance.

So where can we gain efficiency on the bike? Pedaling technique! Pedaling technique allows us to accelerate the pedals quickly with the minimal effort. To develop an efficient pedal cadence there are a couple of things we will need to focus on: leg speed and reducing fatigue in upper body. Below are a couple drills that will help you increase your pedal efficiency.

One Leg Pedaling
This is a great drill that can be done either with a trainer or on the road. The concept is as easy as the title indicates. Take one foot off the pedal and maintain your forward momentum with the other leg. If you are using a trainer you might get a box or chair to place you loose foot on. The goal of this exercise is to maintain a smooth constant cadence. You will want to change legs every 10 to 15 revolutions.

While pedaling with one leg you will want to force on moving the pedal in a complete circle and not a push down only down pedal stroke. By forcing yourself lift your leg through the dead zone of the pedal stroke you end up engaging a wider set of muscles, specifically we are focusing on the hip flexors. The hip flexors are one of the muscles used to raise your leg towards you upper body. If you have done the sit-ups where you raised you upper body more than 20 or 30 degrees from the ground you were engaging the hip flexors.

You can gauge you improvement by the feel of the bikes movement on the road or the sound of your trainer indoors. The more efficient you become, the less yo-yoing or surging you will feel. On a trainer you would hear less of the whirl…whirl…whirl and instead hear a more consistent spinning of the fan or resistant unit.

Light Pedaling
Light pedaling is a trick I learned a long time ago. On long rides or even long climbs you can save energy and rest your legs by utilizing light pedaling. So, what is light pedaling? It is a technique in which a rider will rest one leg at a time for a half dozen pedal strokes. Think of it as a one leg pedaling with both feet attached to the pedals. You will be amazed at how good it feels to light pedal with one leg for a few strokes with one leg and then the other.

Fixed Gear Bike
If you’re not familiar with fixed gear bikes, they can be an excellent tool for improving you pedal efficiency. On a fixed gear bike the rear cog is “fixed” to the hub so that there is no coasting. If the rear wheel of the bike is moving so are the pedals. If the wheel is moving forward, the pedals are moving forward. If the wheel is moving backward so are the pedals! If you have watch any track cycling then you have seen a track or fixed gear bike.

Since the pedals are locked into constant motion while your moving you will feel more of the pedal stroke as it moves through it complete 360-degree rotation. Riding a fixed gear bike will build muscle memory and help develop a more efficient pedal cadence. Again, we need to be aware of how smooth we are pedaling and the amount of force we are applying to every pedal stroke.

Take a page out of Lance Armstrong’s book and focus on improving your pedal efficiency. Getting more out of every pedal stroke will allow you to go farther and faster than ever before.

5 Tips for Resuming Training after the Holidays
By Michael Ricci

With the holiday season behind us we can focus on the 2007 race season. Many athletes jump into training during the winter without really having a road map of where they want to go. I have listed some easy to remember tips that will help you get back on track and set yourself up for a good race season this year.

Get a Plan!
The most important thing you can do to get training back on track is to have a plan! It doesn’t matter if you use something from a magazine, on-line, or from a book – have a plan and commit to it. The old adage says, “It’s easy once you commit.” This has never been truer then once you are on a plan. Tell your friends your plan, write it down and post it up so you see your workouts every day. If you do these things, you are much more likely to follow the plan.

Set Attainable Goals!
Following up the above, don’t take on a twenty hour training week if you have only been averaging five hours for the last two months. Implement a plan that lets you slowly build up your hours and let’s you reach your goals. Setting attainable goals that you can reach will allow momentum to build and you’ll feel more confident as the race season gets closer. If you set a goal that’s unattainable then you’ll be disappointed in the first month of the season. And that’s not a good way to start the training cycle.

Weight Train!
Adding in a weight training program will let you not only increase strength and help avoid injury but it will help raise your metabolism and burn some of those holiday calories off. What a triple bonus. If you have been out of the gym for a while try some basic functional strength exercises such as: standing squats, one leg squats, lunges, side lunges, step ups, push-ups, dips, pull-ups, and or crunches. If you can learn to be creative, no matter where you are, you can always get in a good strength training session. Who needs a gym anyhow!

Get a Training Partner(s)!
‘Misery loves company’ goes the saying, so find yourself some friends to join you in your training. Having other athletes to hold you accountable for showing up is a strong motivator. This is a great way to push yourself to new limits and to make you show up in general. There are always athletes looking to train with a group, so form your own and keep the training going even on the days you don’t want to. . Knowing that Master’s swim is every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7AM helps you to make it to those dark, cold winter workouts which you would otherwise miss.

Get Flexible!
Learn a new sport – but not an aerobic one. Taking a yoga class or stretching class will increase flexibility, improve recovery time and promote lengthening of muscles. It will also help you relax and allow you to sleep better at night. As we get older we lose pliability in our muscles and keeping them supple with yoga or stretching will help us avoid injury.

These tips, while good for getting you untracked from the holiday rut can also be implemented all season long. Good luck in 2007!

Michael Ricci is a USAT Level III certified coach. He can be reached for personal coaching at mike@d3multisport.com