SEND ME ON MY SWAY

The theory behind sway is that it lets your feet find their own inclination throughout the pedal stroke rather than forcing them into a fixed position. Edco cites research, which found that this reduces energywasting lateral knee movement by an average of 17 per cent compared to a standard pedal. Another study appeared to show that riders generating a fixed 2.5W per kilo of body weight in a controlled test used on average 3.3 per cent less oxygen, so they were burning less energy. We can’t say with certainty whether these figures are representative of realworld riding, but they are at least intriguing. We’re used to the idea of fitting custom insoles or special inserts to improve foot stability, so intentionally allowing extra foot movement sounds odd. If it means not locking your knees, ankles and feet into a fixed range of motion that causes problems, it could make sense.