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Cold-Weather Injuries | Hamstring Injuries | Swimmer's Shoulder | Cycling & Cycling-Related Injuries

Cycling & Cycling-Related Injuries:
Low Back and Neck Pain in Cycling | Knee Pain in Cycling | Proper Bike Fit | Riding Tips

Proper Bike Fit

Without a doubt, the single most common cycling injury is the overuse injury, and the most common cause is an improper bike fit. Overuse injuries occur gradually over time, so the most important thing you can do for injury prevention is to get your bike properly fit by a well-trained professional as soon as possible. Don't wait for the pain of a long ride to discover that your bike was improperly fit. Keep in mind that as you train, you will probably need to use trial and error in making minor adjustments to achieve your optimal fit. In doing so, you may find the following guidelines helpful:

Choosing the Type of Bike and Helmet
Generally, for long distances, a sport/touring or racing road bike is ideal. However, many people have comfortably completed long rides on mountain or hybrid bikes by switching to a thinner, smoother road-type tire. A lighter helmet may help to reduce neck pain.

Proper Frame Size
Allow 1 to 2 inches between crotch and top of frame tube on a road bike. If using a mountain bike, the clearance between the crotch and top tube should be 3 to 6 inches.

Seat Height
Several methods have been developed to determine proper seat height. The two most generally accepted are as follows:

1. While on a bike trainer, place your heels on top of the pedals and pedal backwards. The proper saddle height is the point where the heels maintain contact with the pedals, but the hips do not rock side to side. Also, when sitting with the pedals at six and twelve o'clock position with your heels on the pedals, the seat should be adjusted until the leg is nearly straight.
2. When placing the pedals at six and twelve o'clock, with the balls of your feet on the pedals, there should be a 25 to 30 degree bend of the straighter leg. Note that a mountain bike used off-road should have the seat lowered slightly. A seat that is too high may lead to pain behind the knee. If too low, pain may develop at the front of the knee.

Fore and Aft Saddle Position
A straightedge should be 90 degrees to the ground extending from the front end of the knee cap to the end of the crankarm when the pedals are in the three and nine o'clock position. A seat too far forward may result in back and knee pain but may help to decrease neck and shoulder tension, and vice versa.

Saddle Tilt
Your seat should be level. A seat tipped forward may cause neck and shoulder pain and/or hand pain and numbness. A seat tipped up can cause unique problems for men: saddle sores, numbness of the groin region, and even erectile dysfunction. Consult your chiropractor or doctor of chiropractic if these problems develop. They usually resolve on their own, but an exam and/or treatment may be indicated.

Handlebar Postion
This should be performed after seat adjustment. A line drawn down from the nose should fall one inch behind the stem. The back should be lower than 45 degrees and should have no sharp bends. An overly upright position places more stress on the low back and hamstrings. However, elevating the handlebars may reduce neck and shoulder tension as well as hand numbness. A cramped forward position may inhibit normal breathing and cause increased neck stress. Keep in mind that your upper body position is the least exact part of the bike fit and may require the most experimentation on your part to find the right fit.

Foot Position
The widest part of your foot should be directly over the pedal axle. Cleats should be adjusted so that the angle of the foot on the pedal is neutral. The best way to get an accurate measurement of foot placement for cleats is to use a special instrument at a quality bike shop called a RAD (Rotational Adjustment Device). If using a floating cleat system and having knee pain, restrict the rotation to 5 degrees.