It's normal to feel a twinge in your muscles after you dust off your bicycle for the first ride of the season. But do you know that you can avoid the aches and pains that develop over time if you ride a bike that's right for you and use good posture?
Get a head start
Of course, you already know how to protect the most vulnerable part of your body: your head. Wear a helmet, obey the rules of the road, stay off busy highways, be visible and predictable to other motorists, and take your bike to the shop for a tune-up.
"First, wear a helmet. Second, wear a helmet. Third, wear a helmet. All the other parts of your body are repairable," says Dr. Ian Cohen, a sport physician at the David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine Clinic at the University of Toronto.
Accidents aside, some of your body parts are vulnerable to overuse injuries from bad biking habits: your knees, your lower back and neck, your crotch or "seat" area.
1. Prevent knee injury
The most important thing you can do to keep your knees happy and healthy while cycling is to take your ride to a good bike store, have an expert evaluate your position on the bike and make sure the bike fits you.
"The most common reason we see knee pain in a cyclist is because the seat is too low. When the seat is too low, the knee ends up in a more flexed position throughout the pedal stroke, which increases the pressure on the back of the knee cap," says Dr. Cohen.
As well, learn how to properly use your gears when you're climbing hills or riding on flat land. "With the proper adjustment of the gear ratio for the terrain you're riding on, you'll save wear and tear on your knees," says Dr. Cohen. For example, riding in too high a gear on a hill puts more pressure on your kneecaps.
2. Avoid lower back and neck pain
To make cycling easier on your lower back and neck, choose the right style of bike. Confused about all the different frames on the market? The bottom line: the more upright you sit, the more comfortable you'll be.
Among the numerous bike frames to choose from are light racing frames with dropped handle bars, durable touring frames designed for long journeys, hybrid bikes that are a cross between a racing and mountain bike, plus the heavy, single-speed cruisers that were standard in the 1950s, and wide-tired mountain bikes.
"If we're going to talk about bike comfort, the least comfortable would be a racing frame, the next comfortable would be a touring frame, then hybrid, then cruiser. With a mountain bike, it depends on the type of mountain bike. Mountain bikes are more upright than a touring bike as a general rule, but mountain bikes can also be designed for high performance," says Dr. Cohen.
Once you've picked the bike, take it to a bike store and make sure it fits. "If you're interested in a racing or a touring bike, having the bike properly fit to your body shape will lessen the pain," says Dr. Cohen.
Finally, stretch or sit upright to relieve tension on long rides, consider adding shock absorbers to your bike, and remember that wider tires are more comfortable than skinny ones, although wider tires also give your lower legs a harder workout.
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