In the last few years the cycling sport has evolved from an endurance sport to a power endurance sport. In the 1940s and 50s it was common to use gear ratios of 49 x 17. At present, gears of 53 x 11 or even larger are no longer exceptions. In order to use these gears over a longer period of time, it is essential that the power that is supplied is used as efficiently as possible.

Figure 1
The power that is exercised exactly under a 90 degrees angle on the crank is effective.

Figure 2
The red line represents the effective pedal load during 1 rotation, starting at the top dead point.

The purpose of power maximization is to position a cyclist on his bicycle in such a manner that the percentage of effective power yielded by the cyclist is as large as possible. Only the power which is exercised vertically on the pedal arm (see figure 1) is effective. When the pedal is positioned at the lowest or upper 'dead' point, the effective power that results is practically negligible (figure 2). This means that especially when the crank is in the 90 degrees position (maximum leverage), the adjustment of the bicycle must be such that the power that is exercised, is exactly under a 90 degrees angle on the crank. This also means that the forward and backward adjustment of the saddle plays an important role. If the saddle is placed too much in a backward position, it will result in a pedal position that corresponds with position 2 of figure 1. If, on the contrary, the saddle is placed too much in a forward position, the pedal will correspond with position 3 of figure 1. The blue arrow represents the power that is exercised, green represents effective power, and red represents loss of power.

It goes without saying that the most efficient position and the position that leads to the most effective exercise of power does not necessarily have to coincide. Where exactly to find the optimum between the two is still a matter of research and debate. This optimum is likely to vary, depending on the cycling event and the type of cyclist. For cycling competitions lasting more than one day, the emphasis tends to be on an efficient position on the bicycle, whereas in time trials the aspect of power is given a higher priority. Cyclists with a relative "slow-twitch" physiology of the muscles will choose for power, while cyclists with a "fast-twitch" muscle physiology are more likely to opt for suppleness and flexibility

Yet, it is justified to draw some conclusions based on empirical evidence. Generally, it can be asserted that in case of an increase in saddle height, the extent to which power can be exercised will increase; however, this will lead to a loss of speed of the cycling movement (cadence) which, in turn, determines the level of efficiency of the cyclist. In other words, a high position of the saddle is only recommended in short-term efforts that require a lot of power such as off-road cycling, mountain biking and uphill time-trials. A high position of the saddle very often leads to use of heavier gears which, in the long run, could lead to complaints and injuries. The same can be said about crank length. Longer cranks lead to more power, but they decrease the number of pedal rotations per minute. For the moment the aspect of power maximization will remain a matter of trial and error, with biomechanical elements as well as elements of injury prevention and physical straining.

Research into power maximization in the cycling sport has led to the development of the ellipse-shaped chain-wheel. The purpose of this ellipse-shaped chain-wheel is to increase the angle speed of the crank when it is in the lowest or upper 'dead' point at a constant chain speed. The moments in the pedaling cycle that yield little effective power will thus be made shorter; however, research has never been able to prove the effectiveness of these chain-wheels and, as a consequence, they are no longer used in competitive cycling. It is assumed that the element of muscle coordination is decisive; trained cyclists only want to exercise a steady and regular pedaling movement..