PowerCranks were originally designed as a tool to help cyclists, a tool that could be used to help the cyclist to better "pedal in circles". (Note: pedaling in circles does not mean putting equal pressure on the pedal around the entire circle - this is impossible - but, rather, it means doing some positive work (or, at least, no negative work) around the entire circle). While they do that and do that very well, it seems they do much more. From that initial concept we had no idea how good a tool they really could be and how much improvement was possible in the average cyclist.
During our initial evaluation we gathered some local competitive riders and had them train on the PowerCranks to assess the potential and so we would know what claims it might be reasonable to make. In about 6 months we were seeing 40% improvements in power in a ramped power test). While not every rider sees such improvements, on average most of our new users do. The better you are now the smaller the improvement you can expect (of course, even small improvements are hard to come by when you are already really good) whereas the more average or below average you are now, the bigger the improvements you will probably see. Because we can't know how much each person might improve we offer a 90 day moneyback guarantee such that each rider can assess the potential for themselves and determine whether the improvement they see is worth the cost. About 2 in 1,000 send them back for a refund.
Now, such large improvements are unlikely from simply making the rider unweight on the backstroke. Theoretically the best we might expect in the way of power improvement from that simple change is about a 10% power improvement. So, how can we account for the large improvements usully seen? They can only be coming from a combination of smaller improvements piled upon one another. These improvements can include:
1. Increasing the muscle mass being used when pedaling. This can result in an increased VO2max (as has been shown in a University study).
2. Improving the direction of the forces applied to the pedals to something more tangential to the circle (see actual changes in tangential forces shown to the right), which would substantially increase pedaling efficiency (more power out for the energy put in). (A substantial increase in pedaling efficiency has also been shown in an independent University study.)
3. Further improving efficiency by fully unweighting on the backstroke (see actual measurements at the right). This means, for the same power, the "pushing muscles" need to push less hard such that fewer of the less efficient fast twitch fibers need be employed at high power. This keeps all the major pushing muscles further from their lactate threshold.
4. Helping the user find and train more efficient pedaling cadences and cycling positions.
Most competitive cyclists can benefit from training with PowerCranks. Find out a little more for the type of riding you do by clicking on the appropriate link.
Check out more specfics regarding different cycling disciplines.
Road cycling
Cyclocross cycling
Mountain Bike cycling
Track cycling
BMX cycling
Used by a large number of Olympic, World and National Champions in several of the above disciplines. Surely they have something to offer you!
Talk to me about something real, speed and times!
The power required to move your bicycle at any particular speed is, generally, proportional to the cube of the speed. So, a 10% increase in power only increases speed about 3%. Or, to see a 10% increase in speed would require about a 30% increase in power. PowerCranks have been demonstrated to increase power to the wheel in a typical user by about 40% in about 6 months, although, of course, already elite users can expect somewhat smaller increases as their technique is starting at a higher level. Here are some examples:
- Phil Holman of Seattle, a 50 year old track rider increased his top speed from 35 to 38 mph and his pursuit speed from 30 to 32 mph in only seven months . These calculate to be a 28% and 21% increase in power. At the end of this period Phil won a bronze medal at the 2000 World Masters Track Championships!
- Sam Whittingham increased his own HPV World Land Speed record from 72 to over 81 MPH the season after starting on PowerCranks! Assuming no increase in aerodynamics this caluclates to a 41% increase in power. Sam subsequently set the hour record, going over 51 miles in one hour.
- Ellen Van Vught set the womens HPV World Land Speed record of over 62 mph. This was faster than than men's record just 10 years earlier.
- Another user, in one year, increased his average speed for a 12 mile time trial he did in training once a month from 20 to 25 mph and, again, to over 27 mph in the second year and to 28 mph the third year. This calculates to a 170% increase in power over 3 years!
- World and Olympic champions in Track, Road, and Cyclo-cross train on PowerCranks
PowerCranks have gained a widespread acceptance in the cycling world, and are already in use by some of the top road and mountain bike professional cyclists including Olympic, World, and National champions.
This all having been said, it is not necessary to take our word on this. Take advantage of our 90 day money-back guarantee and try them for yourself to see what they might have to offer to you. We are comfortable you will be impressed.