Pedalling Technique

Build a more powerful, smoother, more efficient pedalling stroke with these drills.

Lots of mountain bikers don't focus on their pedalling technique because they're focused on descending skills or it's just something for roadies.

In truth, pedalling is a skill that can be progressed to help you climb faster with less fatigue, riding trail smoother and more efficiently.

Practicing the drills and concepts below on the training during the winter or on your next gravel road climb will create instant progress and if you apply them consistently they will start to become automatic while you pedal to the next trail.

Pedalling Technique

The term "ankling" has been used to describe using your ankles to increase the distance you put power down during your pedalling stroke.

In the diagram above, the red arrow is when power is being put down, and green arrow in where the leg is recovering and the other foot is putting power down. The black arrows show where the attempt is made to extend the range of the power phase by either dropping the heel in the forward phase and dropping the toes in the backwards phase.

Understandably, not every pedal stroke will have the exact same timing and look as perfect as this diagram. Pedalling technique adjusts based on the speed of pedalling (cadence) and torque (how hard you are pushing).

In the video below I describe in detail how perform ankling technique and how to adapt it based on how you must pedal for the situation.

Pedalling Drills

Once you have a hang of the the technique above after several trainer rides or deliberately focusing on it to entertain yourself on your next gravel road climb, it's time to further engrain this skill into your motor cortex with the drill below.

Hint: You may see these pop up during structured trainer workouts 😉.

Single Leg Pedalling