Originally Posted by
ryan_rides
This is something I struggle with. Not sure why but I have to actively think about dropping my heels throughout my pedal strokes. I usually don’t do it. I have a bike fit. My bike is comfortable to me. I just know that you’re supposed to drop your heels and recently a rider last Saturday told me that I should drop my heels while riding. Is there a way to train myself to change my pedal strokes so that it becomes natural?
If you were under the impression that "dropping your heels" means riding with your heels
below the ball of your foot, I think you see from the other posts and videos that is not usually a thing (although some people may do that).
You see from the videos posted that there is a wide variety of pedaling technique, but it almost universally involves flexion and extension of your ankles
to one degree or another and getting different and additional muscles involved in the pedal stroke. While its wrong to thing that there is only one "correct" way, it's also wrong to just not worry about it. Otherwise you develop bad habits which become muscle memory, and then that feels more natural to you. So it does pay off in the long run to experiment and develop a smooth "ankling" technique that is right for you. Nobody is going to recommend that you just keep your ankles fixed and just stomp the pedals.
As with anything else in sports, it pays to practice and find your best technique, then practice until muscle memory takes over. A trainer is particularly good for that when it comes to developing a more efficient pedal stroke that's right for you. I increased my pedaling efficiency a lot that way. If you don't have a trainer, just ride on nice flat ground. Experiment and practice.