Originally Posted by BigBlueToe
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My feeling is that the idea that you have more power with clipped pedals is a myth. Do people really pull up on their pedals? I don't think legs are designed for that. The added power seems negligible. I tried it and my legs were tired after a few seconds.
Actually this has been studied, and nobody is putting out a lot of power pulling up on the pedal. However, 1) you're lessoning the weight that has to be lifted by the leg pushing down, and 2) the power that comes from being locked in comes from pulling back on the pedal at the bottom, and pushing over the top.
With a powertap, it is very easy to see the power gains from pedaling circles. When I'm doing steady state intervals and getting tired, and having trouble holding the specified wattage, I remind myself to concentrate on pulling back at the bottom and pushing over the top, and you can watch the wattage go back up.