5 WAYS TO AVOID BICYCLING PAIN

Like any other sports, bicycling pain hits travelers and sportsmen vicariously. About 85 million bicyclists, both enthusiasts and competitive riders in the United States are exposed to bicycle-related injuries every week. According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), these injuries are usually caused by ill-fitting bicycles.

Erik Moen, PT, CSCS even said that bringing the bicycle is the first thing that he asks from patients who are complaining about bicycling-related pain. Thus, as an “Elite Level” coach at the US Cycling Federation, he quoted that, “In most instances, a poor bike fit is the root of their problem.”

Moen added that a few of the most common bike fit errors are the unsuitable saddle heights, handle bar reach and pedal and shoe alignments. Hence, he suggested the following measures to have proper bicycle fit and at the same time, avoid bicycling pain.

One of these suggestions include considering the proper level of the saddle. Since it’s given that that forward-tilting saddles cause a cyclist to slide too forward; and this cycling form creates too much weight on the arms, hands and at the lower back. Thereby, undue strain and pain occur at the lower back portion of the rider. The saddle should be placed at a secure distance from the handlebars - not too close or not too far.

Another suggestion given by Moen is on the handlebars because inappropriate position of handlebars often causes pain in the hand, arms, shoulder and even back. To avoid such bicycling pain, he strongly recommended that road bicyclists should have 25-35 degrees trunk angle and recreational riders should maintain a 35-90 degrees of trunk angle.

The third tip focused on the knee pedal to avoid stress on the knee. For this reason, Moen said that the closer the knee angle is to the pedal, the less strain is inflicted on the knee. For road cyclists, he suggested to maintain an angle of ranging from 30 to 35 degrees while recreational cyclists need to have an angle 35 to 45 degrees. With this, it is expected that the rider would function better while cycling.

Furthermore, Moen also noted problems that can arise at the pedal if the foot is not positioned properly. He revealed that putting the foot accordingly on top of the pedal spindle should be practiced by riders to avoid bicycling pain and to achieve leverage, comfort and efficiency of the rider. In view of this, he also encouraged using stiff-soled shoes to further the comfort and performance in biking.

Lastly, Moen didn’t fail to disregard the factor of physical condition. He even pointed out that good flexibility plays a vital role in bicycling because the hamstrings, gluteal and quadriceps muscles are very crucial to generate the greater part of the pedaling force. Thereby, he said that the ideal rate should be 80 to 90 revolutions per minute.

All these tips are truly helpful to minimize discomfort and avoid bicycling pain; thereby, whether for recreation or competition, they should be followed accordingly