Instantaneous Pedal Acceleration

Have you noticed that when you are riding on a slight downhill with a tailwind that it really feels good? Have you noticed that as you go over the top of a hill that your power naturally drops? Have you noticed that your power is different riding on the flats verses riding up a hill? Have you noticed that your cadence naturally falls when climbing?

This is not your imagination. These are real effects. In each situation, the acceleration at the pedal is different and is a function of the mass of the rider and bike and of the forces acting on the rider. Instantaneous pedal accelerations affect the rider's ability to put power into the pedals. This effect exists all the time, not just in these examples, but in every pedal stroke.

Setup the Pedal Force Simulator to model pedaling down hill with a tailwind: it feels right. Model riding on the flats: it feels right. Model riding up a hill: cadence naturally drops.

The Pedal Force Simulator gets the instantaneous acceleration right because it is a theoretically-sound simulation of pedaling.

The more sport specific your training, the better your training will be.