I have had another eureka moment on my bike.
, I explain how I got the first step of traditional (old skool "French style" "bunched up at the back style" "ankling(?)", "glute intensive" style) by pushing forwards as if riding a go-cart ending my push at about 4 pm, and then whipping back with my glutes.
However, some days this really worked and other days it did not. Sometimes I could not get my glutes to engage. And when they did I could feel some leverage going on as if I were can-opening my bike using an old fashioned can-opener
Pedaling felt like opening a can
And then Eureka. I understood pedaling as being like an upside down trebuchet.This is a video of a trebuchet.
John Cobb, the saddle and pedaling guru mentions that one will eventually put ones femur on ones saddle. That seems strange from a modern toes-down and stomp kind of pedaling style.
Looking at photos of Moser, Merx and Anquetil they seem to be doing that, there femur pointing forward bunched over on the bike. What is going on?
If you put the base of your femur on the rear of your saddle you can use your short-pull but really strong glutes to catapult (or trebuchet) yourself forwards.I highly recommend especially to those who are not too fat (otherwise you can bunch yourself up) and not wildly strong since a more modern style of sprinty, time-trially, toes down pedaling may suit. I especially recommend it to old people like me since it is a great glute workout.
Personally I think that old style pedaling may be faster for everyone who is cycling alone on a road bike (unless they timtak-it a lot and make it into a funny bike), and that it is only the new, radio controlled lead line that made sprint relay style of modern pedaling effective but, I may be wrong!
Daub-whip-trebuchet technique? I explain in the video below. No adsense.