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Hi All-
Biking is such an easy thing, right? Well, I think I may have been doing it "wrong" for awhile!! DOH!
Outer quads are doing too much work and feel fatigued after more than 20 miles. Working on glute and
hamstring strength, but am thinking about converting my single speed to fixed gear to work on pedaling
technique. Thoughts? Has anyone tried this? Any other sore quad peeps?
Thanks-
M
I worked with a coach in college in the 1980s who said we should ride fixed gear bikes all the time for everything. That was way before commuting and fixies were A Thing. He was a former Olympic cyclist, so I assume he knew what he was talking about.
When I want to bring my hamstrings and glutes more into play on a long climb I’ll tilt my foot so my heel is lower than my toes all through the stroke. That can also rest my quads for a few moments. If you’re pointing your toes downward most of the time then you’re using your quads and calves more than your hams and glutes. At higher cadences that can also make for an uneven/unsmooth stroke.
Riding fixed helps in smoothing out my pedaling as I transmit force to the pedal throughout its motion rather than again just using quads on the down stroke. That also allows for more power and greater overall efficiency.
Thank you very much for the info. Quite useful.
another alternative for strengthening quads and improving pedaling is to do single leg work on a trainer or out on the road and to concentrate on pedaling in circles