(1) Posture
The correct cycling posture is: keeping the upper body low, with the head slightly tilted and forward; arms naturally bent to allow the waist to flex, lowering the body’s center of gravity while also preventing the impact from road bumps from transferring throughout the body; grip the handlebars lightly but firmly, and sit firmly on the saddle.
(2) Pedaling
There are three main pedaling techniques in cycling: the freestyle, toes-down, and heels-down methods.
1. Freestyle Pedaling: Currently, many elite cyclists use the freestyle pedaling method. With this technique, as the foot completes a full rotation, the ankle angle changes according to the position of the foot. Freestyle pedaling aligns with mechanical principles—the direction of force follows the tangent of the circular path created by the pedal stroke—reducing the range of motion required from the knees and thighs, which helps increase pedaling frequency, smoothly navigate the dead zone, and minimize power loss. It also allows the thigh muscles to relax relatively. However, this method is relatively difficult to master.
2. Toes-Down Pedaling: The key feature of this method is that the toes remain pointed downward throughout the entire pedaling rotation. This limits the range of ankle motion, supports higher pedaling frequency, and is easier to learn. However, it keeps the leg muscles in a constant state of tension, which is not conducive to smoothly navigating the dead zone.
3. Heels-Down Pedaling: In this method, the toes are slightly upward and the heels are pointed downward at an angle of about 8–15 degrees. This technique is rarely used during normal cycling and is generally only employed by some cyclists as a transitional adjustment to vary muscle effort. Its advantage is that it allows the muscles to briefly shift their effort pattern, providing short-term rest and helping to alleviate muscle fatigue.