Originally Posted by
subgrade
Sorry, I'm not bying it. I spent several years of my childhood/adolescence pushing the pedals with the arch of my foot (mostly because the pedals that were available to me at the time didn't offer much grip and so that was the safest position to prevent slippage). Once I changed my riding style to pushing the pedals with the ball of my foot, there was a notable difference - I felt I could get more power down and it was overall more comfortable, and not only because of the load distribution on my feet, but also due to better engagement of lower leg muscles.
Agreed. I'd like to see some empirical justification for the claim of increased "efficiency" in placing the pedal axle under the arch of the foot. If it were true, you'd have to wonder why professional bike racers still all use pedals that position the ball of their foot over the pedal axle. I suspect it's more of a "personal comfort" type thing, like the crank-forward frame designs.