How to place your feet on the bicycle pedal

The adjustment of the position on the bicycle, from the height of the saddle to the handlebar, is an alchemy that is always difficult to find, even for professional cyclists. But of all the adjustments that can and must be done to find the ideal position in the saddle, the one that concerns the part of the foot to be placed on the pedal of the bicycle is probably the most delicate. For two reasons: the first concerns the ability to impart force on the pedals and therefore the thrust or speed with which the bike proceeds; the second concerns biomechanics since, pedaling cycle after pedaling cycle, an incorrect position of the foot on the pedals can lead to serious joint consequences.

Which part of the foot to rest on the bicycle pedals
When it comes to putting your foot on the pedal of the bicycle there are basically 3 possibilities: to support and push with the heel ; support and push with the tip of the feet ; support and push with the forefoot , or rather with the part corresponding to the metatarsal. Each of these positions has its strengths and weaknesses but only one is the really correct one and the one required by the shoes with the quick coupling and release device.

Heel pedaling
It is the typical pedaling when the saddle is set too high. It is not necessarily the heel that rests on the pedal, but surely in this case the heel is lower than the axis of the pedal when it is parallel to the ground in its lowest position. From the biomechanical point of view this pedaling is incorrect because it involves two problems: the first is that the ankle joint always remains too closed, keeping both the tibial muscles and the calves in tension; the second, consequently, is that there is less power on the pedals than could be expressed with a correct and effective position.

The peak ride
This is the opposite of the previous one and occurs when the saddle is set too low . In this case, the ankle joint always remains too open and only the fingertips rest on the pedal. In this case, the calf is always too tense and in the calculation of the directions of the forces impressed by the legs on the pedals, the useless one that wastes energy is too marked.