The ergonomic attitude on the bike requires adaptation of the frame, saddle and steering wheel to the needs and dimensions of your body. The consequences of driving on miserable equipment are a simple way to painful injuries and deepening posture defects. Check what to look for to make bicycle trips not only pleasant but also healthy.
What frame size?
The poorly matched size of the bicycle frame receives driving comfort, it can result in back pain, wrists, unnatural tilt or straightening the figure. It is more difficult to run such a bike. If you are just trying to buy a bicycle, RAM table tables on the manufacturer’s website will be helpful. To adjust the bike to height, it is best to try on a vehicle. If this is impossible, you can use a simple pattern: the length of the hypertension (inner length of the leg, from heel to the groin) multiply through the appropriate factor. For example, for city and trekking bikes it will have a value of 0.63. The resulting result is the size of the bicycle frame in centimeters.
The height and location of the saddle
When adjusting the saddle on a bicycle, it is worth considering three aspects: height, tilt and front-line position. The saddle should be at such a height that the leg is slightly bent in the knee when the pedal is in the lowest position. Nevertheless, the placement of the front-back saddle is important. Many cyclists apply the principle according to which the distance between the tip of the saddle and the bridge should be not less than the length of the forearm with straight fingers. As a result, your knee should be in a line perpendicular to the pedal. While in the case of road bikes, the delicate slope of the saddle forward allows you to achieve better results, with recreational riding you can put their mouths in a neutral position.
Steering wheel height
Depending on the type of bike, the steering wheel setting will be slightly different: in the case of a city bike, the steering wheel should be at the height of the saddle or slightly higher, in the case of a road bike – lower than a saddle, which reduces air resistance and allows you to reach higher speeds. When driving recreational, you should take the natural position of the body. Setting the steering wheel too low will force excessive leaning of the front, which can cause wrists and back pain. It is also worth considering the ease and convenience of operating the shifters and brakes placed on it to prevent your hand fatigue and be able to quickly make a specific maneuver or stop in time.
Ordinary or latch pedals
The correct positioning of the pedals increases pedaling and prevents injuries. The foot should be based on the pedal in such a way that the fingers, metatarsus and heel form a straight line with the knee. People overcome long routes on road bikes often decide on snap pedals (SPD or SPD-SL). This solution allows them to transfer all power to the pedals, which liquefies the ride and reduces energy losses. If you use SPDs, check the blocks on the shoes to avoid knee pain and asymmetrical pedaling.
The most common injuries and injuries
– By far the most patients report to me to the office because of more serious injuries, caused during an accident on a bicycle, such as numerous bruises, fractures mainly within the upper limbs (forearm bones, wrist) and shoulder girdle – a collarbone fracture. – says mgr. Dariusz Frajczyk, a physiotherapist with physiomed Clinic in Bielsko -Biała and adds that since he is gaining popularity mountain and road cycling, people who are more and more often reporting to him who experience discomfort, pain in joints or muscle groups, which results from a bad silhouette and mechanics of joints while driving while riding.
– The most frequently reported injuries and pain can be pain, tingling and numbness of the hands and wrist. Within the cervical and thoracic spine – a feeling of increased muscle tension and stiffness. Many patients also complain of pain felt mainly around the knee and hip joints, resulting from muscle overload and tendons. The main cause of these ailments is a significant reduction of movable property within the joints and muscles that lead to tissue damage. – adds mgr. Dariusz Frajczyk.
Author: Press materials
– In addition to the right equipment, it is also important that our body works as smoothly and lightly as our bike. Exercises that are designed to prepare us for cycling are: exercises mobilizing the full range of movable and wrist joints, exercises stretching and strengthening the muscles of the forearm and shoulder girdle (strength exercises in full movable life). Within the lower limbs, special attention must be paid to exercises strengthening the muscles of the thighs and buttocks. We can also add stomach strengthening exercises and back muscles, which will allow us to keep the correct figure while cycling. An important element is adequate regeneration and we can include, for example, a visit to a physiotherapist, a masseur or work by yourself, using the appropriate accessories, e.g. rollers, balls, and gun for automasome. – advises mgr. Dariusz Grzejczyk, a physiotherapist with physiomed Clinic, Bielsko-Biała.
