Originally Posted by
79pmooney
Most of the time my foot keeps a constant angle, toes down throughout the pedal stroke. I vary that angle and hence knee bend some as I ride but pay little attention. And it works. If you look at the pro peloton, you will see many different foot angles. There is no one "correct" way to ride. Some of the most famous riders ever had very different styles. Our challenge is to find what works for us. If you have to work too hard at doing a particular style, it may not be the best for you.
It is often said, but I am not sure that there are all that many styles of pedalling, toes down and heels down being the main two (flat midfoot may be another, especially useful for triathletes but I am not sure)
The toes down is the rage at the moment, using ones quads predominantly as if sprinting all the time. Predominantly using ones quads there is little need to change foot angle. And little need to think about it. I think that this is so fashionable now because the teams with radios have turned the sport into a sprint relay with such a well disciplined pace line, and so few breakaways.
The heel down style is where you push over the top forwards (rather than down) and pull back with your glutes using a "trebuchet" whip like action. The pro peloton proves that it is not as fast as the style you are using, when cycling in a peloton because it is possible to sprint all the time if you are only taking the front for 10% of the time (or if you are on a time trial bike).
However the old style has advantages in that it is
Less harsh on the knees because you are never pushing to the bottom nor likely to push too far (attempt to lengthen your crank)
A longer application of force using two muscle sets so better for longer distances (again if not in a peloton nor on a trial bike)
A longer application of force reducing maximum force and thus helpful in situations when the load is already high when climbing.
Appropriate to people who are riding a road bike on their own and have to be on the front all the time, and can't be sprinting all the time (unless perhaps they set up their road bike like a "funny" trial bike road bike).
A good glute workout which seems help older people