Pointing toes while pedaling normal?

[Faust]

I also pedal "pointy-toed" at times. When I catch myself I focus on pedalling in a circle and pretend I am scraping mud of the bottom of me shoe. Works for me

[Kalidurga]

This is an interesting topic. I've been reading a lot of articles about cycling since last year when I decided I wanted to get serious about it and began paying attention to my form. According to one article, it was apparently Greg LeMond who used the analogy of scraping mud off your shoe in describing how to achieve a proper circular pedal stroke: "You've probably been taught to pull up on the pedal with your hamstring. Don't. Instead, emphasize pulling back on the pedal as it comes around the bottom of the stroke. Pretend that you are scraping mud off your shoe." This is definitely easier to do with the ball of the foot firmly attached to the pedal and the foot relatively flat.

The other thing I've begun doing is watching the form used by pro riders in the Tour de France and other races. What I noticed last year is that most pro riders tend to alternate between a flat foot and a pointed toe. Take Lance, for example. When he's got a good, steady cadence going, his foot remains relatively flat. When he stands and begins "dancing" on the pedals as only he can do, or when he wants to kick it into high gear, his foot takes on a definite downturned angle. Between last year's season and so far this season, I think the only pro I've seen who consistently has a flat foot is Alexandre Vinokourov. His feet seem to always be perfectly parallel to the road, no matter what the conditions. Could it be that pointed toes are considered unmanly in Kazhakstan?

Personally, I vary my foot position depending on road conditions and the situation, always keeping in mind that I need to pedal with a circular motion. For me, form is fairly easy as long as I keep the proper picture in my head. If only I could find a simple way to think myself into better cardiovascular condition...