Tag Archives: bike fitting

7 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Body on Your Bike (Part 1)

Posted on by under Bike fitting, Cycling, Pain and injuries

In collaboration with my workplace, I’ve put together the best tips to help you ride longer, ride more often and even beat your mates.16206715609_f9c2286b39_o

These tips will give you simple and practical information to improve your cycling capacity and to avoid injuries. This first part is mainly about fitting your bike properly according to your type of riding and personal body characteristics. It is a good starting guide to fit your bike at home.

Learn how to fit your bike : 7 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Body on Your Bike (Part 1)

The second part is coming soon and will focus on “being fit for your bike”. The content will include the main muscles to strengthen, pedaling cadence and injury prevention.

Don’t hesitate to give feedback or ask questions.

Where and how to position the handlebars?

Posted on by under Bike fitting, Cycling
 _DSC8022Handlebars have a considerable impact on comfort and aerodynamics. Therefore, the position greatly differs between recreational and competitive cyclists. The position you choose for your handlebars should always allow you to keep your shoulders relaxed, especially the upper trapezius (muscle on top of the shoulder).
_DSC8020The handlebars of a recreational rider should be positioned so that the trunk is bent forward by 10° to 40° from the vertical. The hands should be slightly wider than the shoulders. This more upright position reduces the stress on the arms, shoulder, neck and back but is not as aerodynamic.

To improve aerodynamics the trunk needs more forward lean and should be inclined forward by 50° to 60° with the hands about 2 cm wider than the shoulders.

What is the best saddle height?

Posted on by under Bike fitting

_DSC8018_DSC8019The first critical part to properly fit a bike is the saddle. Many ways have been used over the years to find the optimal height. The latest research shows that the most reliable measure is when the cyclist is seated on the bike. With the pedal at the bottom dead centre (6 o’clock) and the foot parallel to the ground, the knee should be bent at 35° to 30° for recreational cyclists and 30° to 25° for road cyclists.

To avoid injuries and decrease the energy cost of cycling, the saddle should be set as high as possible while comfortably maintaining those ranges of knee bend.