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Pelvic Rotation for Cycling Comfort and Efficiency

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 POSITIONWATTS
Sitting straight up in saddle. Hands off the bars. I call this Quad-Dominant cycling200
Dropping to hoods & roll the pelvis forward = glute activation, toe-pointing through 6 o’clock218
Same as above but feet flat through 6 o’clock232
Same as above but feet flat and pulling through 6 o’clock252

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.”

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11 Comments

  1. What is the magic range for pelvic roll? Do you have any illustrative photos or cartoons for this pelvic roll?

    2. 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.

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