News: Reviews

"VeloNews" spots Stefano Garzelli with PowerCranks on his training bike:

Lennard Zinn takes tech Q&A on the 2005 Tour de France and offers photo of Garzelli's bike with PowerCranks. "The use of these cranks... by top riders is another sign of the influence that Armstrong's Tour domination with his calculated, scientific approach is having on the peloton." For the full article, please refer to: velonews.com

From "PezCranking: Five Month Report" by Stephen Cheung, Ph.D:

"There is little doubt in my mind that the PowerCranks have made me a stronger cyclist." from the July 26, 2005 article in Pez Cycling News. For the full review, please refer to: pezcyclingnews.com

From "PezCranking: Two Months Down Under" by Stephen Cheung, Ph.D:

"The first ride back here in Halifax with the boys, however, was an amazing revelation. After taking them around town for a day, I faced the usual climb up Cowie Hill, 70 m elevation in about 1.2 km. Keeping in mind that the boys grew a collective 4-5 kg over the winter, and that this was my first ride of the year with them, I still climbed comfortably up Cowie in 2 (!) gears higher than I ever have, even at the end of last summer after training for France and riding the climbs there!"
- pezcyclingnews.com

From "PezCranking: PowerCranks Baseline" by Stephen Cheung, Ph.D:

"My Power Index (an indicator of pedaling smoothness based on the ratio of your minimum power versus your maximum power during a pedal stroke) on my Polar 625x was a measly 17% or so on flat rides pre-PC. My Power Index is now consistently up to 19-21% on flat rides, indicating a smoother application of power throughout each pedal stroke."
- pezcyclingnews.com

From "Divide and Conquer" by Rick Crawford:

"The solution is awareness and action. If you discover a pattern in your single-legged pedal action, make an effort to reverse it. Doing single-legged drills daily will begin the plan. If it is apparent that you have anterior pelvic distortion, the cure is to stretch the quads and strengthen/shorten the hamstrings. The sagital disparity will be addressed as the single-leg drills reveal your weaknesses.

When you pedal normally, be aware of your tendencies to revert to your inherent program, and correct it. Do this in training, and don’t worry about it when racing. Neuromuscular patterns that are as old as you will take time to correct: be persistent and patient. Training aids like PowerCranks, for example, were created for this purpose and are a viable tool for the job."
- www.bike.com

From "Tune up your Efficiency" by Rick Crawford:

"Analysis of the stroke will reveal different results for different people. But let’s look at some general trends. If one just starts banging on the keys without instruction, it’s not too pretty. The hip flexors tend to progressively atrophy, and the hamstrings do the minimal to accommodate the more dominant prime-movers (quads). This tells a big story. Hip flexors are hugely under-utilized in cycling. An hour on some PowerCranks can change your life, and show you how weak a hip-flexor can be.

To show relevance, consider that much of a 100 meter track runner’s mechanical duty is to recover each leg to a power-producing position independently of the other leg, as fast as possible. More and more, hip flexors are being shown to be a limiting factor for the fastest runners in the world. Cyclists don’t have to worry about independent recovery because the cranks make it automatic, but that doesn’t make it any less important."
- www.bike.com

From "PowerCranks: Crank it up" by Ben Larsen:

"Whatever your level of pedalling efficiency, it is hard to imagine that these cranks won't make your training sessions more effective. Initial adaptation is challenging and some initial discomfort (especially on your rear end and lower back) from staying seated for longer periods is experiened during those early weeks; however, in a comparatively short period of time, PowerCranks have forced marked changes in my pedalling technique and application of force on each pedal stroke. Follow-on benefits to running and your body's core stability are also a plus."
- CyclingNews.com

From PowerCranks: Long Term test by Charles Manantan:

"The next call of the day was from Max Testa! Yes, that’s the same guy that has basically done it all seen it all and coached em all. That’s Motorola, 7-11, MG-Technogym and my all time favorite team (who need to get back into cycling!) Mapei.

Dr. Testa was quick to indicate that fully controlled study is still needed, but that preliminary impressions from several high caliber athlete’s had been very positive. With riders like Danielle Nardello and Stefano Garzelli liking the results and producing more even power output from using them. He had also seen some 25 – 30 watt gains at LT (lactate threshold) in people using them for the first time, but also said that other training stimulus were present. He calls them a “very valuable tool” and something that forces everyone, pro’s and amateurs alike, to be more efficient by forcing you to carry the weight of the up stroke leg and also maintain force through the entire range of motion. “It’s something that nothing else forces you to do and it makes you do work that is without a doubt of benefit.”"
- pezcyclingnews.com

Extreme Tri Magazine evaluation under Bike Tech by Tom Demerley dated 1 May 2001 article entitled "Get fast, fast":

"Without a doubt the finest tool available for learning a better pedal stroke are PowerCranks™. . . . . . Power Cranks brings results faster than a CompuTrainer, weights, a fixed gear bike or any other training technique I am aware of. . . . . The cranks may seem expensive, but they are worth it in terms of the results you get and how fast you get them. If you use them you’ll get faster, fast."
- www.xtri.com

Asphalt Magazine - product reviews:

"It's rare that the use of an accessory will make you stronger. . . . Power Cranks, I'm amazed to say, are quite different. Power Cranks are traditional, if bulky-looking (and easily the heaviest cranks on the planet), crank arms that take Shimano chain rings. . . . It is designed to force users to develop strength through the weakest portion of the pedal stroke--from about 5 o'clock to 1 o'clock for the left leg and 7 o'clock to 11 o'clock for the right leg. Thanks to the roller clutch design there is no pause before the pedal stroke engages, unlike the pawl system with a freehub."
- www.asphaltmag.com

September 1999 issue of Triathlete; "CUTTING EDGE The Power that Spanks" by John Howard, pp. 68:

"The damn things actually insist (it's easy to attribute will to these things) that you pedal properly in order to get power and pedal efficiency. ... Typical first-time users (including pros) can only pedal properly for about 40 seconds before losing it."

July 1999 issue of VeloNews, product review:

Likes: the way they work the hip flexors.

Dislikes: the bolt holes for the chainrings were too small (Problem fixed), wider than most low profile cranks.

July 1999 issue of Inside Triathlon. "Free speed - Putting the power to the pedal" by Lennard Zinn, pp 50:

"One way to learn better pedaling technique is by using PowerCranks™. ... It will take about 30 seconds to see just how little you pull up, back and over in your pedal stroke. ... I can only report my bubble was burst and I pay a lot of attention to my pedal stroke ..."