More and more people are taking up cycling – for fun, fitness or simply to make their journeys simpler, less stressful and more environmentally friendly. But despite the adage that “it’s just like riding a bike”, there is more to cycling than plonking yourself in the saddle and turning the pedals.
1. Consult the professionals
“Your bike set-up is one of the most important factors in riding safely, comfortably and efficiently,” says Phil Cavell, director of bike fitting specialists CycleFit (cyclefit.co.uk). “Given that a bike is a fixed piece of equipment, if your position is wrong, it’s your body, not the bike, that has to adapt. This increases sports injury risk and reduces your power output.” So how do you know whether your set-up is right? Ideally, you need to get it checked out by the professionals (Cavell says that 99% of the people they test at CycleFit aren’t in perfect harmony with their bikes). But you may find that a little time in the saddle is enough to tell you that something is wrong.
2. Beware odd aches and pains
“Cycling should be a comfortable and enjoyable experience,” says pro rider Nicole Cooke, author of the forthcoming Cycle for Life (Kyle Cathie, £14.99) and currently preparing for the Beijing Olympics. “It’s normal to feel some tiredness in your leg muscles, but if you get pains in your neck, back or shoulders, or strange sensations in your legs or lower back, it’s likely that you need to make some adjustments.”
3. Adjust your saddle height
The wrong saddle height is one of the most elementary mistakes. “Your legs and knees should never feel as if they are overstretching at the bottom of the pedal stroke or being crushed at the top,” says Cooke. While Cavell points out that a number of factors determine correct height – including your flexibility, symmetry and pedalling technique – you can get a reasonable guideline by putting your heel on to the bottom pedal when the pedals are at the 6 o’clock position. Raise or lower the saddle until your leg is straight in this position, so that when you put the ball of your foot on the pedal, you have a slight bend at the knee.
4. Get to grips with your handlebars
The relationship between saddle and handlebar height and “reach”, the distance between the two, is also important. “If you are new to cycling, start with the bars at a similar height to the saddle, so you are in full control of steering, braking and gear changing,” advises Cooke. “As you get more comfortable, you can start to lower the bars for a more aerodynamic position.” As far as reach is concerned, you want to be able to reach the handlebars comfortably with a slight bend at the elbow.
5. Change your pace
To get the most out of your cycling, it is important to break out of the steady commute pace every now and again. “Try to have a variety of sessions in your weekly cycling schedule, so that you work on different aspects of fitness,” says Cooke. “For example, include a steady-paced endurance ride, some faster 5-10 minute efforts on hills or the flat and some short sprints, to work on acceleration and change of pace.”
6. Know your gears
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to get hung up about pulling the foot up and back as you pedal. “The pedals move in a circular way, but the legs operate like pistons, moving up and down,” explains Cavell. “The downstroke can be seen as the power phase, the upstroke as the recovery. The amount of power exerted throughout the pedal stroke is not constant.” But don’t see that as a reason to use only huge gears. “Many amateur cyclists push too heavy a gear at a slow cadence,” says Cavell. (Cadence refers to the number of complete pedal strokes – measured as revolutions per minute, or rpm). “Pushing a smaller gear more frequently allows you to spread the workload over a greater period – using less force to turn the pedals,” he says.
While there is no “set” cadence that works for everyone, research from the European University of Madrid, concluded that somewhere in the range of 80-100rpm gives you the best return for your efforts. As well as keeping your legs fresher, Cooke says that cycling in an easier gear allows you to respond to obstacles and changes in terrain and tactics quickly. But you still need to look where you’re going.
Head and neck
Look ahead at all times, but ensure this doesn’t cause you to overly compress the vertebrae at the back of your neck. Neck and back pain are among the most common overuse injuries in cyclists, according to a study in Current Sports Medicine Report, and improper bike fit is one of the prime causes.
Upper body and shoulders
Keep your upper body “quiet” (still). Don’t hunch up your shoulders or rock from side to side.
Arms
Keep your elbows bent and relaxed, both to absorb shock and prevent veering if you hit a bump. Keep arms in line with your body rather than splayed to the side, to make you more aerodynamic and compact.
Tummy
Your core muscles should support you when you are in the forward-leaning position, so keep your abdominal muscles engaged. Letting it all hang out will increase your risk of back pain and reduce power output.
Back
The flatter your back, the more aerodynamic you are – but comfort is paramount, so don’t sacrifice it at the expense of being aerodynamic. Also, bear in mind that the back should extend from the hips and not “round” forwards.
Hands
Keep your thumbs and a finger of each hand closed around the handlebars to prevent losing control of the bike if you hit an unexpected bump. But don’t grip too tightly, and change your hand position frequently to prevent finger or wrist numbness.
Ankles
Don’t pedal in a “toe down” position, as this closes the hip and prevents you getting the full power of the powerful glute muscles behind your downstroke. Try dropping the heel at the top of the pedal stroke to open the hip.
Ball of foot
The ball of the foot should generally be directly over the centre of the pedal axle – to transfer maximum power to pedalling.
See also our visual guide to how to cycle well
· For more information on bike fitting, see cyclefit.co.uk
Source: Read Full Article