Muscle Recruitment - Cycling Stroke (Page 2)

Yes, you do, but the ones primarily stressed through ST aren't the same ones primarily stressed during endurance training.

Sorry, my bad.

And I certainly didn't help matters. 

In an effort to get this back on track...

What would be the impact of using shorter or longer cranks?  KathyG mentioned that she has hip flexor pain at the point where it shows the greatest hip flexor engagement.  Would using shorter cranks decrease the contraction length of all the muscles through the pedal cycle, reducing the length of time each muscle contracts during it's portion of the cycle, potentially giving some relief because the muscle's ROM is less?

The back end (9-12) of one's stroke gets helped much more than a person thinks by the other leg's push with the quads.  One leg drills isolates that inefficiency.  Its tough to spin at 80 cadence for a few minutes and not clunk over the top while only using one leg.  Whether thats from lack of strength or aerobically, its still something that can be improved upon.  I agree that the muscles, when pedaling correctly, will indeed fire in the same order....just not in the same length.  Good call out Johnny.

I also think that there is a misconception that you should be pushing evenly all the way around the pedal stroke. especially in triathlon you want to push hard with your quads and glutes, but not overtax your calves, hip flexors, and hamstrings.

Nope not trying to derail the thread at all, but was just asking a question on the topic that is somewhat relational to what the OP said. That said, I think its a bit ironic this diagram was posted. Right now I am finishing up a project on the biomechanics of efficient running for long distance runners and have seen other diagrams similar to this with running. I'll try to post some stuff up when I get back from Knoxville this weekend. 

This is a 'side argument', like the ST stuff so I won't add any more after this.  One legged drills are simply an unnecessary distraction and probably forces your muscles to act 'unnaturally' (you want your opposing leg to do the work of turning the pedals when you are in the 'recovery phase').  Just ride and focus on the 'power phase'.  The rest will fall into place on its own.

Last summer I got custom bike shoes, new seatpost, changed my cranks from 170s to 150s and got an updated fit all in an effort to be able to ride my bike.

The one spot that is green on the diagram in the cycle stroke continued to get worse so much I could not ride up any incline. 

I finally just quit cycling.

New docs,hip MRI,  new PTs, and my hip flexors don't hurt all the time but I'm afraid to ride as in the past 20 minute ride would end up 8 days of hip flexor pain.

Johnny...Interesting, I've not heard that type of response about single leg drills.  I'm all for more watts while regular riding or racing, so agree, let's leave it there.

Fred and Dave...I do get calf issues on occassion.  Perhaps its the way I was trained to pedal in circles.  I'll look into it further.  Good points all the way around for discussion.

I haven't had pointing toe issues as my feet tend to stay flat, but have had some issues from cleat a bit too forward and from going harder than I have before/in awhile.

Just speculation, but I assume it wouldn't change the diagram.  Powercranks are like continuous one-leg drills.  You're simply going to have a lot more activation in muscles like your hamstrings and hip flexors as you have to actively pull up on the pedals.

Edit:  Some have argued that, I believe primarily for this reason, PCs could actually be a good additive tool to help running moreso than cycling.

I realize there are different opinions on the issue of whether or how much one should focus on the recovery phase.

I am somewhat "in between" the two opposing camps. Based on my own experiences, it does not seem to make any sense at all that the hip flexors and other relatively smaller, relatively weaker muscles that are active in the recovery phase could possibly be producing as much power as the glutes and quads that are activated in the downstroke.

However, I do believe that some focus on the recovery phase - perhaps just to make this more "active" where the leg is lifting itself back up rather that it just sitting there passively and adding to the workload on the other leg's power phase - has been very helpful to me.

I notice when I am getting tired or starting to lose speed in a longer ride, or starting to tire on a hill, that mentally focusing on an active recovery phase gives me a feeling of "free speed." I know it's not really "free," but I really do feel like it helps me. It is somewhat similar to when I am running and starting to tire or get sloppy, re-engaging my forward lean feels like I am regaining some efficiency. Similarly, putting some focus on being active through recovery in the pedal stroke feels efficient to me - increasing or maintaining speed without a corresponding increase in perceived exertion.