Riding a bicycle can be both great fun and great exercise for your body. However, you won't have much fun or get much exercise benefits if your bike rides are cut short due to pain. Pain from cycling usually shows up in the legs, commonly in the Achilles tendon area.
Achilles Tendon
The Achilles tendon is located at the back of the lower leg, and is a thick tendon band that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. The Achilles is used to flex or point the foot downward, allowing you to run, jump, and push with or stand on your toes. Achilles tendonitis, or pain in the Achilles tendon, usually results from excessive training over an extended period of time.
Causes
According to cyclist Sheldon Brown, pain in the Achilles tendon from cycling usually indicates you have a problem with your pedaling technique. Brown says that Achilles pain is often a result of "ankling" during the pedal stroke, or excessively pointing your toes while pedaling. Brown adds that Achilles pain can also result from simply pedaling only with your toes instead of using your entire foot.
Solutions
Adjusting your bicycle seat so that it sits lower can help relieve the problem of excessive toe pointing, as can adjusting the pedals so that they are closer to you -- the farther forward you contact the pedal, the more stress you place on your Achilles tendon. Adjust your foot placement to pedal more with the balls or center of your feet instead of your toes. According to Brown, this helps prevent Achilles pain because the ball of the foot is better able to bear weight than the toes or arch of the foot.
Strengthening and Treatment
For prevention, the Stretching Institute suggests warming up properly, stretching and strengthening the muscles of the feet and lower legs, and wearing good shoes. Focus your warmup on a light jog or stretching movements to get the blood flowing in the Achilles area. Stretching and strengthening exercises should involve the calves, anterior tibialis and muscles of the foot. The Stretching Institute suggests finding shoes that keep your ankles stable and have cushioning to help support your feet and lower legs.
