At fit my bike we have the latest pedalling analysis provided through the Shimano bikefitting.com 3D Pedalling Analyzer.
The jig has the benefit of a fully adjustable crank. We can adjust the crank length between 155 and 180 millimetres. Each crank arm has a built in power meter. This enables us to understand what the individual leg is doing in great detail.
The bike fitting.com 3D Pedalling Analyzer uses a metric called the total 3D effective force ratio. That sums up nicely a cyclist’s ability to pedal efficiently. The higher the score the more efficient the cyclists pedal stroke is. There is a marked difference between professional cyclists and recreational cyclists. It is possible through using the 3D Pedalling Analyzer to see how a cyclists pedal stroke could be improved.
Bike fit position, bike components such as pedals, crank length and saddle, flexibility, injuries. As well as, leg length discrepancies, power output and fatigue are some of the factors that can affect pedalling technique. The bike fitting.com 3D Pedalling Analyzer records data such as total power, right and left leg individual power total 3D effective force ratio. As well as, left and right leg efficiency, peak force, cadence, braking force, force distribution on the pedal i.e. stability. 3D pedalling analyzer can also show us the differences between rider force from those that are effective and those that are not effective through visual force vector diagrams.
It is possible to see where a cyclist pedaling technique is actually slowing them down and not driving them forward. All these metrics are detailed in a report with useful visualisations. This helps the cyclist understand their own individual pedalling technique.
How a cyclist pedals can help give an insight into their position
For example where the maximum force is applied in the pedal stroke can give us information about the fore and aft saddle position. Outboard force distribution on a pedal can indicate a potential varus tilt perhaps benefitting from shoe wedging, or muscular flexibility stretching exercises.
Incorrect position, injuries and poor flexibility can lead to inefficiencies in pedalling technique. Often when we see a cyclist with an imbalance between their left and right leg power it can be attributed to the leg doing more work having to overcome an inefficiency in the weaker leg usually pushing down on the pedal around the back of the pedal stroke. In effect if the trailing leg cannot easily get around the back and over the top of the pedal stroke then the leading leg must push down harder to lift the trailing leg. It’s not so much that the rider has a dominant, preferred leg rather they have a less efficient leg.
A pedalling analysis can be a useful tool within a general bike fit. However, for a cyclist who wants to gain more detail into their pedalling technique or even understand what the best crank length is to enable their pedalling technique to improve, a session concentrating on pedalling analysis alone might be worthwhile. Doing back-to-back tests of different crank lengths at different power outputs can give measurable data to help find the optimum crank length. This can be a particular benefit for cyclist with shorter legs, cyclists with injuries or knee and hip replacements, triathlon and time trial cyclists where the acute hip angle can negatively impact performance, the hip angle can be opened with shorter cranks.
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The jig has the benefit of a fully adjustable crank. We can adjust the crank length between 155 and 180 millimetres. Each crank arm has a built in power meter. This enables us to understand what the individual leg is doing in great detail.