Improvement of Pull-up Action for Pedaling in Road Bicycle Racing

Development of Variable Pedal Trajectory System Embedding Independent Cranks of Controllable Crank-length

Abstract

For winning road bicycle racing, cyclists have been trying to acquire pedaling techniques to improve performance. One of the techniques is Pull-up action during upstroke that contributes to energy efficiency. However, it is difficult to realize Pull-up action while in high speed pedaling. In our group, methods to support learning the slow motions which are hard to realize have been discussed in terms of Neurocognitive Rehabilitation. Based on this idea, three elements are designed in order to support all processes of acquiring this action: (A) putting in the situation that the user required Pull-up action to rotate cranks continuously, (B) making easy to sense differences of that action and the need of the part of leg’s muscles doing it and (C) detecting the changes of legs. On the basis of these things, support system that has independent cranks placed outside of each legs embedding controllable crank-length mechanism is developed.