Cycling is a sport enjoyed by individuals of varying ages and activity levels. Although it is a relatively low impact cardiovascular activity, the sport can take a toll on your joints. Correct body posture and bicycle alignment are key to helping maintain joint health and avoid injury. Bike mechanics and specialty shops can help you ensure that your bike fits your body as it should and that you are practicing correct riding posture.
Wrists and Hands
Pain and discomfort of the wrists and hands are most likely related to poor upper body posture. The wrists should be in line with the forearm to avoid pinching the nerves. If a severe wrist angle is maintained throughout a ride versus a neutral position, nerves can become pinched and pain and numbness may result. Proper posture and handlebar height should cause no pain in the hands, fingers or wrists.
Neck, Back and Shoulders
Poor posture can result in severe pain in the neck, back and shoulder areas. The back should be arched, elbows should be bent and the shoulders should be pushed forward. The chest muscles can help carry the weight of the upper body. Shoulder discomfort can often be easily remedied simply by making adjustments to the handlebars or ensuring that you bend both arms the same amount instead of bending one more than the other. A saddle that is tilted too far forward may also cause shoulder pain. A rider that is tilted too far toward the handlebars will rely on their arms and shoulders to push themselves backwards on the saddle, adding excess pressure to the shoulders. In addition to faults in posture, an improperly fitting helmet can cause neck discomfort.
Hips
Hip pain is often due to extremely tight hip adductor and iliop-soas muscles. During cycling, these muscles remain flexed which generally results in chronic tension. Correct bike alignment can help ease some of the discomfort often experienced; however tight muscles can be common even if correct posture and alignment are maintained. Cyclists should engage in regular stretching that targets the muscle of the hip, lower back and legs to help improve and maintain flexibility. Greater flexibility of these muscles will result in decreased discomfort.
Knees
Cycling is an excellent aerobic activity if you are looking for a sport that takes pressure off of the knees; however improper posture and cycling technique can actually cause or exacerbate knee problems. Improper seat height and cleat placement are often to blame. These can be easily adjusted to help relieve excess stress. Gear selection is also a culprit of knee strain and injury; a gear that is too high requires extra effort to pedal, which places undue stress on the knee joints. Riders should be careful to choose a gear that is challenging but manageable.
Ankles
Ankles are a common site of pain and discomfort for cyclists. Individuals that are extremely flat-footed may suffer from ankle pain after cycling, but this can be easily corrected by the use of custom orthotics that support the foot. A defective pedal may also be to blame; one that is bent or misshapen may cause the foot to wobble, resulting in ankle strains. The actual movement of the ankle during pedaling is also a likely cause of pain: The angle of the ankle should not change drastically during a pedal rotation. The rider should push through the heel, activating their lower leg muscle to help propel the movement instead of completing the movement with the ankle alone.
