No wasted energy = more speed

Having the ability to burst into a higher speed to chase and/or drop a rider is no doubt a great feeling.
It’s a happy jolt when we call upon the body to power up with a burst of acceleration – and our reserve power, the gas in our tank, is right there, at the ready, answering the call.
The flip side of that, and we’ve all had this feeling, is when we call upon ourselves to step it up… and we find out pretty quickly that we don’t have it. Just not there. 
But chances are it probably won’t be there if we don’t have reserve energy from enough pre-ride sleep and rest, and from using our energy efficiently – by not wasting any -- while riding. Having needed rest is huge, because even if we know how to ride efficiently and conserve energy on a ride, if that energy level is too low to begin with, those techniques aren’t going to help much.

Energy conservation pays off
But after being fit and well rested for a ride, one of the biggest ways to keep from needlessly burning up energy, says at least one cycling coach, is to keep low in the saddle, down in the drops. There we can ride faster with the same pedaling effort against higher wind resistance.
That’s something we all pretty much get, but can sometimes forget. Sitting on the bike only slightly bent forward, but still nearly upright, is going to make the upper body a sail. Pedaling like that, we drain extra energy by pushing against high levels of wind drag that are minimized when we’re crouched low over the drops.
I tend not to ride low for extended miles, however, because sometimes the old psoas muscles in my lower back lock into that position if I don’t occasionally shift around in my saddle. One time while trying for an extra fast time on a long ride, I stayed low in the drops and pedaled hard all the way to the finish. As I pulled up to brake and punch in my time, my back muscles locked up. They didn’t really want to relax enough to let me sit upright without, hey, pain!
So, sure, I got a fast time probably because I was very aerodynamic through most of the 51-mile ride. But my back muscles rebelled enough to make me think about not doing that again! It took several days of stretching routines to relieve the back muscle tension.
Mind you, this may not be a problem for riders with no back spasm histories like I’ve had. You’ll definitely ride faster if you stay low in the saddle. For me, though, it’s a good idea to move to various positions in the saddle for short periods to keep the back muscles loose, even if it does slow me down a bit. Because a tight, stiff back pretty much has to be relaxed through a bit of physical therapy over a few days before the back is happy enough to ride again.
Efficient pedaling is another way to conserve energy, say the video coaches. And that, I have learned, includes keeping mindful of your toe position on the backside upswing of each pedal stroke. When we drop our heels on the backstroke, we lose momentum, disengage our lower leg muscles and waste energy. To keep that momentum on the upswing, we keep the heel up slightly and the toe down. That keeps the lower leg muscles engaged through the backstroke and boosts the down-pedal power of the opposite leg.
Sometimes when I’ve been desperate to power up with my pedaling, I’ve actually pulled up on the backstroke, which seemed to strain the ligaments connected to my knees. So I stopped doing that!

Other (sometimes) available energy savers
Other riders as well as wind can also help conserve a rider’s energy. When I’m tired and get passed by another rider, I try to catch his or her wheel and draft off of them to give myself a rest while maintaining a higher speed. Or, I can save energy while a tailwind pushes me at a nice clip.

Til next time, remember to pull on a helmet every time you get on the bike. Then keep the rubber side down, ride safely, and don't forget: Have a blast.
-- Mark Eric Larson