Powerful Starts

When you are about to start pedaling, the most powerful position to have your pedal in is where you can immediately push it down and begin riding. 

This is called– Pedal Power Position.

Essentially, you want to be able to immediately push down fully on one pedal, so that you’ll gain momentum immediately and be in balance! If you need a solid visual, this kid below has her pedal in pedal power position!

The reality is that usually when I get to a stop, my pedals are not in pedal power position. So, while I’m waiting at the light, in the empty moments, rather than checking my phone or watching clouds, I push my pedals backwards, so I am ready to go in Pedal Power Position. It takes maybe 4 seconds, but it makes a tremendous difference when the light turns green or when I’m about to get back on the bike path. 

And I believe this action of getting yourself into pedal power position, is transferable to other areas in your life where you want to start off: in balance, powerfully and moving towards your desired destination. 

New Year’s Resolutions are so often broken and so if you are feeling disappointed and banging your head that yet again you’ve not become Usain Bolt in the first 5 days of the New Year, I offer you two musings on integrating the why of getting yourself into Pedal Power Position for your life NOW, so that you are: in balance, rooted powerfully and moving towards your desired destination. 

Checklist Babe!

• Want to get out the door to go biking, but find yourself overwhelmed figuring out what gear you need?

  • Consider using a checklist that you return to over and over again.

  • I use a checklist, otherwise I would leave my house without some key item and would waste a solid 10 minutes. Email me if you want my “Getting out the door to ride” checklist and I’d be happy to share it with you. 

Map the day in advance

• If you are meeting a friend for a bike ride at 10:30am outside your building, waiting until 10:29am to get yourself ready is too late.

  • Map out in advance what you need to do to be ready for that activity, whether biking, spending time with a friend or journaling.

  • You need to map out in advance all the steps, like hitting the bathroom, filling up your water bottle and unlocking your bike. I’ve found writing out my day in steps and times, the day prior helps me to realistically build in the transition times and steps, so I am on time and do not feel rushed. This executive functioning planning explanation spells this out clearly! 

Whether you are soaring into 2026 or feeling down, I hope these tips help you to find some balance and power to move towards the goals and aspirations you have. Drop me a line at [email protected] if you integrate any of these learnings or have other personal tricks to gain momentum and balance like setting yourself up for pedal power position! 

Wheels up,

Ellen

PS: As we step into 2026, I’m scaling back newsletters in the first 3 months of 2026 to the first Monday of the month. Be back in your inbox on February 2nd!