Knees in – knees in – knees in!
Coach O'B says keep your knees tucked in while cycling!
I see bike riders who spend thousands and thousands of dollars on fancy bikes, TT equipment, tricked out wheels, etc. HUGE $$$! And they are missing one of the key fundamentals of efficient bicycle riding – KEEP YOUR KNEES IN! You can save yourself a few grand in aerodynamic equipment, and BE JUST AS FAST, if you keep your knees tucked in!!! It is more aerodynamic and it is so much more efficient! Think of your legs as the pistons of your car engine. Do the pistons bow outwards as they go up and down? That would reduce the amount of power if there was a curve to the movement.
Same with your legs. Your legs will transfer more power to the pedals if there is a straight up & down motion without any “bowing”. With your knees in, or just simply in line with your hips, you are able to fully engage all the muscles in your legs, hips and butt in the down stroke. AND the up stroke, so much easier to pull the pedal upwards!
Think how much more aerodynamic it is!!! Less drag to slow you down. Keeping your knees tucked in is one of the first lessons I teach to all of the young cyclists I coach. If you learn at the beginning of your cycling experience, you will hold onto that principle for the rest of your cycling career.
So, KNEES IN!
