garbagehead

Hey again,

I'll try to explain this best I can. Normally pedalling up hills is hard work, legs get tired, especially the quads. Let's call this type A pedalling. This occurs when I pedal butt back, use the glutes, small front ring, control breathing, etc...all the stuff we do or are supposed to do.

I also at times find a sort of type B pedalling, in which it seems somehow my power is uncommon, I can large ring it up a shorter 4-6% gradient in which each pedal stroke seems connected up the leg all into the lower the back and the power is just flowing without hard breathing. I almost feel like I'm sitting back in a lounge chair or on a bench press. When type B pedalling feels like it kicks in, I can it seems easily blow past people who are small ringing it up. That said I don't have the power to hold Type B on climbs that are about 1-2k long.

Type B is not that common, it seems I have to be pretty warmed up for it to occur, and I don't seem to be able to predict when I might have it.

Ok, Questions:
1.) Is type B pedalling the sort of pedalling that pros use?
2.) Does the type B pedalling mean I'm actually pedalling more correctly in which the glutes are activated as they should be?

Followup Question:
3) If the answer to question 2 above is yes, I've been doing glute strengthening and activation exercises, squats, sideways band steps, bridges. Should I be doing anything else while riding to help engage the glutes to tap into the type B pedalling?

Thanks again in advance everyone for your great advice! I can't wait to hear what you say or if you've discovered something similar.

f4rrest

Use both, mix it up, since standing and powering isn't sustainable on long climbs.

I've found that getting into the drops on shallow climbs and pushing at threshold power engages the glutes too.

f4rrest

You can also modify the force direction on your trainer to target glute activation for hills like this

ckindt

Explain contraption please.

silversx80

With the exception of neuromuscular efforts (sprints), I've found the best exercises to improve a certain type of cycling effort is more cycling with that type of effort. Basically, I've only gotten stronger on the bike by actually riding my bike.

dorkypants

Glutes and hamstrings are larger muscles than quads and should last longer for climbs. I find a few visualization techniques useful for engaging the glutes and hamstrings: (a) visualize power coming from my hip joints rather than my legs, (b) keep my heels pressed against the backs of my shoes, (c) try to keep my feet "light" rather than pressing down on my pedals with them.

OldTryGuy

WAY TOO MUCH thinking for me.

StanSeven

^ This exactly. Also just ride to get stronger. All that stuff to make your glutes stronger isn't nearly as effective as plain riding. If you want to do stuff like bridges, squats, etc., those are good as part of overall fitness and conditioning but won't do much to make you a faster rider.

Lazyass

You only need to activate the glutes when you're trying to drop someone. When you're just cruising you should deactivate them. You don't want them activated the entire time.

gregf83 

+1. All that heavy work on your legs and subsequent recovery takes away from quality cycling time. Just mix it up on the bike to target different muscles, i.e. grind up a hill at 50RPM and 90-100% of threshold power.

Northwestrider

just spin , at somewhere 80 or more rpm , IMO that is all that matters , hills or none .

FullGas

the only types of pedaling I use is while seated or out of the saddle...

f4rrest

For most of us riding more is the answer, but if you have or develop a muscle imbalance and you repeat the pattern grinding away on the bike it will become ingrained, other muscles will compensate, and just riding more can lead to an overuse injury in the compensating muscles. It happens in very experienced runners and cyclists.

The reason I mention this is that the glutes can be easily inhibited in cyclists, and the need for overall fitness and balance is worth repeating.

f4rrest

This is true. If you're doing 200 mile weeks, then you might only be able to handle 1 gym session/week and maybe only 1 or 2 sets of a single leg exercise, depending on age and training load.

f4rrest

Resistance band wrapped around stem then looped over a PVC pipe tied to the bars. Hook the bands into inversion boots that are clamped onto your calves upside down. Clip in and ride 30 minutes.

The angle of the resistance bands applies a forward force against your normal pedalling motion, and your legs have to push backwards just a tiny bit, recruiting a bit more of the glutes during the pedal stroke. It's like the "scraping mud off your shoe" motion. It's not intended to be a strength exercise, but through repetition over a 30 minute session the motor control learns it. (Removing the bands and pedalling normally is a total trip.)

PepeM

So, 'A' pedaling is regular pedaling on a long(er) effort which you can hold for a while and 'B' is a short(er), more explosive effort where you go harder but can only hold it for a short period. Well, that's just how things work. It is not about pedaling style, it's just about how much power you're putting out. More power = shorter duration and viceversa.

kbarch

Whatever it is, it sounds like you've happened upon a very efficient (if not very sustainable) pedaling situation, and if it's anything like what I've discovered, cadence plays a part, too. What I've found (and like you, not very often and only when well warmed up) is that on certain little hills or ramps, it's mentally easier to accelerate than not to - spinning up from 90 to 110 seems like a better idea than shifting to bigger cogs. It's like I've found some sweet spot of efficiency where everything just clicks and each extra ounce of effort seems to pay double, much like riding on the rivet, but while still sitting back. It's like some muscle fibers suddenly WANT to work, when previously they've been sandbagging or downright resistant. But this is generally on shorter bumps. I can't recall a situation where I've gotten that feeling on a regular hill longer than half, maybe 3/4 of a km.

I haven't experienced the "power flowing without hard breathing, sitting back in a lounge chair" feeling much on real hills, but something like it typically comes on slight grades following a steep bit where I "dialed up the watts" over the very last bit and managed to maintain that same sort of delivery as the grade eased up to something like 1-2% average. But in that case, it's more like a half sprint than a climb, and can go on for a couple of miles.

joejack951

Any time I've had that feeling I've eventually realized it's due to a massive tailwind and has nothing to do with the perceived 'fitness miracle' I hoped it was.

spdracr39

I think it has to do with the speed and cadence of your attack on the hill. With the proper cadence and momentum sometimes the hill just flies by with little effort. I have yet to be able to find that sweet spot on purpose though but I am getting closer to dialing it in.

wheelreason

my knees said they would vote for Trump if I even considered climbing like that...

gregf83 

If the force required to climb at 50rpm bothers your knees lifting would likely cause similar pain as the force is higher.

joejack951

But in the gym you aren't typically doing 50 reps per minute for several minutes as you would on the bike.

Lenkearney

gonna sound stupid, but what part of the stroke are impacted by the glutes? I thought it was the down stroke up front and have been trying to push down from my butt - not the quads. Is this saying the glutes are really used on the pull at the bottom of the stroke?

Len

DrIsotope

If I read the post correctly, Type A is what we call "spinning," and Type B is what we call "mashing." There's a time and place for both.

I personally don't think about what muscles I'm using. I take whatever hill at whatever speed I'm comfortable with in that moment.

smarkinson

User name checks out.