Excerpt from Dan's Q&A with John Cobb elsewhere on this site:
DAN EMPFIELD: It sounds to me like it's a good thing to keep the wind out of the area between the rider's legs. This brings to mind a trait that I've noticed with good timed racers—that their knees are always close to the top tube all the way around the pedal circle. They ride sort of knock-kneed. It seems to me that this is not only a good habit as far as aerodynamics are concerned, but it also may help isolate one's vastus medialis––that muscle just above the kneecap that good cyclists seem to develop.
JOHN COBB: Yes, we've tested different leg positions during the pedal stroke. This makes a big difference. You know, it's taken as a given that a rider represents 80 percent of the drag, and the equipment is the other 20 percent. But I think we can get a rider's position such that it may be only 50 percent of the drag. That way you describe the knee position, that's the sort of technique that makes a rider's drag disappear. Once we can accomplish that, then the importance of his equipment starts to again become the chief concern.
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My question is, how many people focus on riding with their knees in this position? Have you noticed a big difference in doing this? The numbers mentioned above are pretty astounding, and would potentially dwarf gains from aero wheels or other such enhancements. What's the best way to train this- riding on the trainer in front of a mirror? Anyone have any data quantifying improvements from this change? Sorry for the barage of questions, but I just re-read this article and this really jumped out at me. I don't know why I didn't catch this the first time.
DAN EMPFIELD: It sounds to me like it's a good thing to keep the wind out of the area between the rider's legs. This brings to mind a trait that I've noticed with good timed racers—that their knees are always close to the top tube all the way around the pedal circle. They ride sort of knock-kneed. It seems to me that this is not only a good habit as far as aerodynamics are concerned, but it also may help isolate one's vastus medialis––that muscle just above the kneecap that good cyclists seem to develop.
JOHN COBB: Yes, we've tested different leg positions during the pedal stroke. This makes a big difference. You know, it's taken as a given that a rider represents 80 percent of the drag, and the equipment is the other 20 percent. But I think we can get a rider's position such that it may be only 50 percent of the drag. That way you describe the knee position, that's the sort of technique that makes a rider's drag disappear. Once we can accomplish that, then the importance of his equipment starts to again become the chief concern.
--------------------------------------------------
My question is, how many people focus on riding with their knees in this position? Have you noticed a big difference in doing this? The numbers mentioned above are pretty astounding, and would potentially dwarf gains from aero wheels or other such enhancements. What's the best way to train this- riding on the trainer in front of a mirror? Anyone have any data quantifying improvements from this change? Sorry for the barage of questions, but I just re-read this article and this really jumped out at me. I don't know why I didn't catch this the first time.