By Rick Schultz
During my bike fits, one of the value added benefits I provide my clients is to show them how to sit correctly and pedal effectively on their bikes. Coupled with correctly-sized crank arms, they cannot believe how much easier and pain-free cycling is.
Here are the typical results I see. This recent client is pedaling at the same steady perceived level of effort riding on a simulated 1% grade.
| RIDER POSITION | WATTS |
| Sitting straight up in saddle. Hands off the bars. I call this Quad-Dominant cycling | 200 |
| Dropping to hoods & roll the pelvis forward = glute activation, toe-pointing through 6 o’clock | 218 |
| Same as above but feet flat through 6 o’clock | 232 |
| Same as above but feet flat and pulling through 6 o’clock | 252 |
P.S. here’s what Hunter Allen, cycling coach and co-author of Training and Racing with a Power Meter, has to say:
“The glutes have 50 watts in them! Roll that pelvis forward and engage the glutes. Most people don’t do this because it pinches their peroneal nerve and makes them numb, so seat choice is critical! And they have to be taught ‘how to address’ the bike. Similar to ‘addressing the ball’ in golf.”
Coach Rick Schultz is an avid cyclist who trains, races and coaches in Southern California. Rick is an engineer by trade, and in addition to being a coach, he's a bike fitter and prolific product reviewer. He's the author of Stretching & Core Strengthening for the Cyclist and Bike Fit 101: Your Toolset for a Great Bike Fit in the RBR eBookstore. Check his product reviews website, www.biketestreviews.com, and his coaching site, www.bikefitnesscoaching.com. Click to read Rick's full bio.
What is the magic range for pelvic roll? Do you have any illustrative photos or cartoons for this pelvic roll?
Sam, agreed. A video would be very helpful. Hard to visualize this….
Also, can you comment and further changes when riding a TT bike?
While riding, try to touch your belly-button to your top tube. This will rotate the pelvis and flatten or hyper-extend the spine. Practice this many times on every ride and before long it becomes the new normal. My physiotherapist had me doing this to cure decades of backache while riding. I went from a 100mm stem to a 130mm stem.
I like the comparison of watts in different positions.Thanks Rick !
Some illustrations would be helpful.
Rick, is that it???
What is your view on intentional ankling? It does get more muscles involved…
My bike fit guru told me to sit properly on a bike, you need to stick your rear out like you’re J-Lo, and your chest out like you’re Dolly Parton (he’s a music fan, not a sexist, btw). There’s a good YouTube video to illustrate here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww51IPITmfE