Pedal with one leg!

Skilled riders have a smooth, fluid, round pedal stroke. Many rookies are choppy.

It takes lots of miles to pedal like a pro. But you can accelerate the learning curve with one-leg pedaling.

Winter, when you're on the indoor trainer, is a great time to try it. One-leg pedaling is an effective way to build strength, too. Here's how:

Warm up for 15 minutes. Then unclip your right foot and hook it to the rear over the trainer or rest it on a box or stool.

Choose a moderate gear. It should let you pedal with the left leg at a cadence of about 70-80 rpm. Don't overgear, especially at first when you're accustoming your muscles and connective tissue to the full-circle pedaling motion.

Concentrate on a smooth stroke. Without the right leg to help, your left must do all the work. You'll soon find that it's hard -- if not impossible -- to pull your foot up the back and over the top. You'll know you're getting ragged when the chain clunks on each stroke. When you can't prevent that, switch legs.

Aim for 3 reps of 2-3 minutes with each leg. Do this workout once or twice a week. That's not a great investment of time to gain benefits you can really feel.
You can do one-leg pedaling outside, too. Simply unclip one foot and hold it to the side just beyond the pedal circle. Choose a slight uphill or a headwind, and be safe by saving this drill for roads with little traffic.

Be ready for strange looks, though. Once when Fred was one-legging up a hill, a driver pulled over to ask if he had hurt his knee and needed a lift