Over the course of my coaching career, I’ve grown into the habit of studying riders; good riders, bad riders, tall and short, all kinds of riders. If there is one common flaw I see in most riders, its poor pedal stroke. An efficient pedal stroke does not push down and then pull up, but rather has an oval-shaped motion. I found the following quote on line, which sums it up in just a few words. “Pedaling a bike is more than clipping in and letting the circular mechanics of the chain ring and crank arm do the work for you. Riders need to direct the motion of their feet.”