Most of us rode a bike when we were children, and even if you haven’t sat on one for years there’s nothing to it, is there? After all – as they say – it’s justlike riding a bike! That may be true, but whether your aim is to maximise enjoyment or improve performance there’s a little more to it than just throwing your leg over and turning the pedals.
Making sure your bike is a good fit for your body will not only make it a more comfortable experience, but will also help you ride much more efficiently and safely.
Eyes
You should always try and look about 50 metres in front of you.
Arms
Your arms should be sloping forward, but not stretched.
Hands
Your hands should be relaxed, able to reach brakes and gears quickly and easily.
Handlebars
The height of the handlebars depends on the type of bike you have, the kind of riding you are going to do and how flexible your back is.
To find the best height, try bending over to touch your toes while keeping your legs straight. If you struggle to touch your toes, then you should start with your handlebars higher than your saddle. If you can touch your toes, try having your bars at a similar height to your saddle. If you can put your palm on the floor, set your handlebars lower than your saddle.
Saddle
A narrow saddle is better for long rides, allowing you to pedal without rubbing the insides of your legs. Try sliding to and fro to relieve different areas on your ride. Wider saddles tend to have more padding, making them softer, but they tend to keep you fixed in one position.
Feet and toes
Your feet should normally be horizontal, pointing straight forwards on the pedals. But for really efficient cycling, try pointing your toes slightly upwards at the top of the stroke (when your foot is at 12 o’clock on the pedal) and slightly down at the bottom. This will make your calf muscles do extra work during the “dead spots” between up and down pedal strokes.
Legs and knees
Your legs and knees should never feel as if they are over-stretching at the bottom of the stroke or being crushed at the top.
• Extracted from Cycle for Life by Nicole Cooke (Kyle Cathie, £14.99)
Are you sitting comfortably?
“In an ideal world,” says physiotherapist Phil Burt, “your bike would be made to fit you, rather than you having to adapt to fit the bike. Unfortunately, unless you are a pro, it doesn’t really work like that …”
That said, there are many ways of making your ride more comfortable and your technique more efficient – usually based on working out the correct position of the bars, pedals and saddle for you. Here, cycling specialist Phil suggests some remedies for common complaints …
Knee pain
There are many potential causes of knee pain: not enough float in the pedals; poorly positioned cleats; incorrect saddle position. It could be too low, too high, too far back, too far forward) Is the iliotibial band (the muscle and tendon mass that runs down the outside of the leg) tightening, pulling the kneecap out of line?
Saddle soreness
Saddles vary in size and material and come in different shapes for men and women. The wrong choice of saddle is common and can lead to erectile dysfunction in men and genital soreness in women – so don’t grin and bear it. Other causes can be: different leg lengths, weak core muscles causing the pelvis to move excessively, and incorrect saddle position.
Lower back pain
A common complaint among cyclists. Your saddle or bars may need adjustment. You may have poor movement strategy (using one set of muscles too much), or you may be over-reaching.
Calf imbalance
Feel as if one calf is doing all the work? This may be caused by one leg being longer than the other. This can be diagnosed by a physiotherapist and corrected using a stack build-up kit (these are wedges that fit underneath the cleat), which are available from bike shops.
Foot cramp
This may be caused by the toes clawing or tensing up. Treat with orthotic insoles or look at upping your shoe size.
Hip flexor tightness
Because we cycle predominantly with the hips flexed, these muscles can become tight and inflexible leading to pain on or off the bike. Stretching can help.
Pins and needles in the feet
Your shoes may be too tight or your saddle may be too high, affecting the sciatic nerve.
Neck soreness
Your handlebars may be too low, so you are bending your neck too much when you look up. Try raising the bars a little or adjust your reach forward or backwards.
Shoulder wobble
This is often the result of poor core stability.
Numb hands
Check the bar set up. You may be reaching too far or the bars may be too close, causing you to put too much weight on your hands.
• Phil Burt is the lead physio therapist for British Cycling
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