SETTING UP A ROAD BIKE

Moving here from London 6 years ago and having little knowledge of Bristol and its surround, I was amazed how many people listed cycling as one of their main activities, that was until I ventured out and about.  Whatever your cycling terrain preference this area has it. 

However, as with most activities there can be the risk of injury and cycling is no exception.  In my experience by far the biggest complaint of cyclists is knee pain with the runners up including upper and lower back problems, wrist problems and the occasional arm/shoulder problem although to be honest the shoulder problems are mainly after falling offl!

Although not a serious cyclist myself, the occasional spin classes and trip to Bath along the cycle path probably being the extent of my exploits, I do have a huge interest in biomechanics and am fascinated by watching how people move and trying to identify problems.  

So with the predicted post Olympics number of cyclist likely to increase I booked myself onto a course to learn how to set up a bike.  

Now one week on, the course is completed and although not an expert, I know how to set up a road bike and what heights and angles are optimal. 

Yesterday I took this information to my spin class and although I didn’t have to do too much to my usual set up, a couple of tweaks and it certainly felt easier ...and no, I hadn’t turned the gears down!

So now for my top tips to set your road/gym bike up:

The old adage of knees over toes is still up there as a top tip

Position-wise:

*foot and pedal positioning - the ball of the foot in the middle of the pedal (cleat under the ball of the foot)

*saddle position level

*the height of the saddle - not too low and not too high - should be able to get a fully extended knee at rest with the foot in a neutral position ie not toes pointing up or down

riding should be easy and feel comfortable the height and positioning is key

*position of the saddle - with knee bent and foot and pedal at right angles the front of the knee should be just behind a vertical line drawn from the front of the crank arm

*the angle of your back - this can vary on the sort of cycling you’re doing - for road cycling it should be about 45 degrees but for more recreational cycling up to 50 degrees and more competitive riding less.  It makes sense that the more upright you are the less speedy you’re likely to be.

*the angle of your trunk to arms should be somewhere between 83 and 90 degrees (with the angle being larger for more elite/professional cyclists)

*the position of your arms and hands should fall into place easily now.  Remember to keep the arms light and elbows slightly bent.  Wrists should not be at awkward angles.  

For more information:  have a read of how to set up a road bike or if you’d prefer someone to take a look at you with your bike and I can recommend www.bike-science.com based in Bristol’s city centre.

For aches and pains associated with cycling, just drop me a line.

Happy painfree cycling :-)