One-legged wonder

-- DIY footrest installation guide

One-legged pedalling won’t win you many points for panache but it may improve the coordination and synchronization of cycling muscles.

When you’re down to one leg you have to pull through the bottom of the pedal stroke and lift the pedal back up and over. In demanding consistent full circle efforts dead spots at the bottom and top of each revolution will soon disappear when both feet are clipped back in.

For best results you should one-legged train like this guy.

However, before leaping into one-legged action, first you should find a safe spot to rest your dangling leg – a crate, small child, or family pet might do.

For others who demand more precision, Lunn Ave rider and Doctor of Bicycle Engineering Mike P has designed and assembled a spare-foot-rest kit.

Components:

· Zenith shelf brackets, Placemakers, $10

· Mountain bike handle-grips, Torpedo, $10

· Foam rubber packer

He adds:

The brackets are a bit bendy, but not if you rest your shin on them ordinarily.

No mods required to the brackets or the handle grips.

It works out quite comfortable, with the spare leg well clear, but not too far. Easy enough to move to while pedalling with the other foot.

I can do it on the rollers, but it’s like the early days of unicycling. A few minutes and I’m about fucked. I get tired, clunky and uncoordinated. I’m definitely not pedalling in circles. So room for improvement here for sure.

Forgot to mention – installation is as easy as taking out the quick-release, putting the little springs to one side (not essential, but saves damaging them due to the brackets’ holes being bigger than the hole through the axle), then replacing the quick-release, brackets included.

Of course the brackets need to be rotated to an angle where they don’t foul the ends of the seat stays or chain stays, but I think doing that would come naturally enough for any installer.

The worst-case scenario is that a notch, or maybe two notches, may need to be filed into the brackets if the seat and chain stays come very close to where the quick-release bears on the frame.

Note that the only disadvantage here is that when “the others” enhance their technique this way, you may have some serious competition on Mountain Road.