Pedaling. It’s something we all have to do, and often, we don’t even think about it. Some of us never even regard it; it becomes something we just do mechanically every time we ride. Despite our (and my) oblivious attitude toward pedaling, there are many aspects of this seemingly simple action that need to be recognized.

1) Pedal in circles

Yup, this sounds stupid. Is it actually possible to not pedal in circles? Maybe if you’ve got a square crank. What’s really important here is that we don’t just stomp on our pedals in an up and down motion. In order to get used to a “circular” motion, try this. Next time you’re out riding, push down on your pedal to the point where you are near the bottom of the stroke. Then, pull back in a motion that would emulate scraping your foot against the ground. It’s best to do this with one leg at a time, switching back and forth as the other gets tired. Eventually this technique will become automatic and you’ll be able to pedal more efficiently.

2) Pedal fast instead of hard

This is more of a mental exercise than a physical one. When you are coming to a steep part of the trail and you don’t have enough speed, logic kicks in and screams “stomp stomp STOMP.” In reality, we need to be focused on simply pedaling faster. This mental trick will help us tackle quick rises with ease, instead of the usual clunky method some people use to “beat the hill into submission.” While angrily beating the pedals sometimes works, you can and will regret it at least some of the time. I’ve got wounds to prove it.

3) Learn the importance of cadence

That’s sort of a misleading title. The real truth is that, in mountain biking, cadence isn’t incredibly important. If you’re Lance Armstrong and you actually need to maintain a particular number of foot revolutions per minute in order to win a race, then yes, cadence is key. However, we all know that terrain never stays the same for long, and it may be impossible to maintain an “acceptable” number of rpm’s. It’s been said that on a flat surface, mountain bikers should maintain around 80 rpm. Who’s counting?

After almost 2 years of riding, falling, and crying, the most important thing I have learned is that you can never learn enough. Our chosen sport is an ever-changing, style based hobby in which one person’s particular ride habits may differ from another’s completely. This doesn’t mean there aren’t some basic “truths” that apply to all of us, though. If each of us practices just a little extra each day, there is no doubt that we will eventually reap the benefits.