A, The best way to move in endurance activities is to use big muscles (starting with the core, then to glutes/thighs/hamstrings) for the bulk of the work. A seat height that requires reach of the foot, extension of the leg too far (debatable how far that is, just go by feel) changes the power generation so it has to come less from big muscles and more from small muscles (calf and foot muscles). All of this is complicated for many riders by having weak feet muscles due to shoes that coddle (non-minimalist shoes, most shoes, have cushion, raised heel, support, etc, that weaken foot muscles).
I’d suggest intentionally do a ride with your saddle lowered so you ride with your heel on the pedal spindle. This will give you a feel for big muscles only. Not a long ride, but enough to get past the “this feels WRONG!” feel to “Huh, this is different, but not wrong.” What is missing is the small muscles giving refinement to your pedal circle via calf and foot, so the strokes will feel clumsy. Then, without raising the saddle, ride with your usual foot position on the pedal. This will likely require your knees remain bent and your foot level even at the bottom of the stroke. Feel how your body moves, where your power comes from. Initiate all movement from your core muscles first. In essence, you are doing a medium squat with each pedal stroke, instead of a toe rise. Keep this saddle position for several long rides, then play with various heights and see where you go from there and what works for you. Also, if you want to increse core strength and hip/leg flexability, sit on the floor every chance you get instead of in a chair. WHen you get uncomfortable (every 3.5 seconds at first), shift positions. In three months you’ll be amazed how you sit cross legged and have a solid core. With abandon, Patrick -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
