What are some good techniques for fixing dead spots in my pedal stroke? Right now, the only one that I am aware of (and perform regularly) is ILT - and all that really does is point out the fact that I have dead spots. I absolutely do not pedal in circles, and while my quads are becoming more beach-worthy, they simply can’t carry the full load of a sub-50% stroke utilization.
How do you know you have “dead spots” in your stroke? Are you using Spin Scan or something?
And no one should be “pedaling in circles” as it is not as efficient.
That’s what rotor cranks/Q rings are supposed to do. I’ve been using Q rings for a few seasons now and like them.
First up, in my experience most of the power comes from the downstroke and the main thing is to eliminate the rear foot sitting heavily on the pedal on the upstroke. You can also work on getting a bit more power through the top and bottom of the pedal stroke.
The drills I use are:
One footed pedaling on the trainer and on quiet roads. Unclip one foot and let it dangle and pedal with the other one. Use the easiest gearing on the bike as this will show you straight away where the dead spots are. Do 30 circles on one leg, then 30 on the other, then 30 together and repeat this drill about 5-10 times in a session. Try and keep cadence close to your normal cadence or even a bit higher as you get better.
When you have mastered the above, then instead of unclipping one leg, you can just mentally focus on one leg at a time in the same pattern of 30/30/30. I do this frequently on rides and in races.
I think the main thing you are training with the above is a neuromuscular ability rather than strength. For me the main benefit is, as you hinted, spreading the energy output over more muscles and a longer time period which helps with endurance.
I’ve taken my IM bike time down from 5:50 to close to 5:00 I think the above has helped a bit with that.
Hope this helps.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Come on Dr. Frank, you sleeping or something?
Hey!
Whatever you do, don’t move.
You see that thing on the ground there? That little wire sticking up?
Yeah, that’s right… you’re standing on a land mine.
You’ve already set it off, so there isn’t much you can do but get ready to jump…
so look for some cover, and on my count, get ready…
1…
2…
3…
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PowerCranks
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Vote #2 for the 1 leg drills. At first they are quite hard, but after a few weeks I was doing 1 mile at a time with each leg for a total of 4-6 miles. I always did this on climbs. It helps alot!
I’ve been on Rotor Cranks for about 5 years and recently on Qrings on my TT bike. After switching from the Rotor Cranks to the Qrings on the TT bike I found that I had a “skip” in my pedal stroke, especially when I first stood up on the cranks. After a few rides the “skip” is starting to disappear.
1 leg drills are a good drill to use to even out your pedal stroke.
or, PowerCranks 
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spend a few months riding fixed. For the price of power cranks, you get a complete new bike, and it’s a hell of a lot more fun
And no one should be “pedaling in circles” as it is not as efficient.
Seriously?
Should you pull on the upstroke at all or make an effort on any other part of the stroke?
One-Leg drills will show you those dead spots right away.
How do you know you have “dead spots” in your stroke? Are you using Spin Scan or something?
And no one should be “pedaling in circles” as it is not as efficient.
Dead spots (aka hic-ups) are very easy to identify. Try to spin in full revolutions, and if you get slack between your stroke and the freewheel motion you’ll feel a jerk on the crank when it catches up (typically leading into the start of the downstroke). Sorry for being unclear in my OP. The ILT I was referring to is actually the single-leg drill that everyone is referring to (ILT = Isolated Leg Training). While I’m not the smartest cyclist in the world, I do know more than enough about physics to say that you should definitely be pedaling in circles. Obviously you’re not going to be applying a constant torque over the full 360 degrees, but if you only apply power on the downstroke then you’re going to burn out your quads - thus negating the running benefits of riding an aero positioning. I typically do single legs with a moderate torque, so perhaps I will reduce the pressure on the pedals and focus more on maintaining 360 degrees of tension at a higher cadence. Mostly good advice here.
Oh no you didn’t!!!
jaretj
Oh no you didn’t!!!
jaretj
I did, and I ride them.
Try holding back with your rear foot on the upstroke - putting more force back on the pedal on the upstroke. This forces the power from 6 to 12 to go up. Soon your upstroke becomes more powerful than your downstroke. Then all you have to do is get a longer chain, cross it and ride on with unsurpassed power. Your previous “dead” spot has come alive, it is now a monster!
Trust the ST experts.I guarantee at least 40% power increase with this method.
Oh no you didn’t!!!
jaretj
I did, and I ride them.
Pics or…you got them on the 3 wheeler or the unicycle?
How exactly could a person not pedal in circles?
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