Cyclists: Floppy Elbows

MUSINGS FROM A COACH - 19 MARCH '26

OK cyclists - here's one for you all to re-think.

If you've ever been told to "scrape mud off the bottom of your shoe", "pull up on the backstroke" or "pedal in small circles", you're not alone. I, in fact, have said all these things when I was a younger coach. Pedaling technique advice is everywhere. But here's the thing: the science doesn't support it. This is according to Professor Jim Martin from the University of Utah's Neuromuscular Function Lab.

Research published as far back as 2007 showed that when cyclists were coached to change their pedal stroke, they actually became less efficient — higher heart rate, more oxygen consumption, more effort for the same output. The reason? You don't pedal with your brain. You pedal with your spinal cord. Your natural motor patterns are already highly optimized, and consciously overriding them tends to make things worse, not better.

So if technique cues don't work, what does? It comes down to where your power is coming from.

Professor Martin references a study by researcher Brian Liry that found two groups of cyclists with identical fitness levels (they had the same lactate threshold when tested on a treadmill). But on the bike, one group had a significantly higher lactate threshold than the other. The difference? The higher-performing group was using their hips more. The other group was relying heavily on their quads.

When you engage the hip extensors, you recruit more total muscle mass and spread the workload across more fibers. No single muscle gets as stressed, lactate accumulates more slowly, and you can sustain higher efforts for longer. Think of it like the difference between cycling and rowing — rowing involves the whole body, which is why your legs don't burn the same way.

Research from Professor Martin's own lab found that how much weight you put through your hands is strongly correlated with how much hip work you do. When cyclists were simply asked to reduce handlebar weight — with no technique coaching whatsoever — they immediately shifted more power production to the hips. No pedal stroke changes. No cueing. Just less pressure on the bars.

The informal term for this is "floppy elbows" — riding with so little weight on the bars that your elbows feel soft and relaxed. In mountain biking skills, we say "light hands, heavy feet". Riders who have tried this on climbs report less quad burn, better sustained effort, and in some cases, faster times without feeling like they're working harder.

A few things worth noting:

• This isn't a position change. You can stay in the exact same spot on the bike and simply shift weight off your hands.

• Interestingly, a less aggressive front-end setup makes this easier to achieve and sustain.

• Hip extension strength training (think squats and deadlifts) may help you hold this position longer and get more out of it.

So if you ride, why not give this a try? Pick a climb you know well. Keep your elbows relaxed, minimize pressure on the bars, and notice how your legs feel compared to normal. You might be surprised. If you have power, see if it goes up with the same or less effort. You can also try this indoors on a trainer with power.

Interesting eh? You can watch the full conversation with Professor Jim Martin here. 

Gratefully,

Mark

CEO Team MPI