How to Prevent Common Cycling Injuries

Avoiding problems before they happen is the mark of a good cyclist. The right equipment, bicycle adjustments and ridding technique will help avoid problems that will take you off the road, or add discomfort when you ride. This article will outline several problems and the ways to avoid them.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Cycling helmet
• Proper shoes
• Well fitted saddle
• Bike tuned for your size
• Cycling gloves

Protect Your Body for Cycling

1. NEVER ride without a helmet A good helmet is a must have. Over 90 percent of all fatalities involves a cyclist who rode without a helmet. A good helmet will protect you if you fall and hit your head, are struck while on your bike, or as one company advertised--hit after you have fallen off your bicycle. Don't ever ride or let someone you love ride without a helmet.
2. The right gloves add to comfort on and off the bike Riding for extended periods can damage the nerves of your hands without the proper equipment and riding technique. First, buy gloves that fit your hands snugly and are padded on the gripping surface of your palm. The right gloves will cushion the impact of road vibration part of the resting weigh of your body. It's very important to make sure your weight is evenly distributed over the bike and not resting too heavy on your hands. You should also change position with your hands regularly to avoid fatigue. It is also important not to tightly grip the handlebars and it's not necessary A lighter touch is fine because a lot of your turning is done with leaning and gentle or no turn of the handle bar.
3. Saddles, shorts and chamois Men and women have challenges with sitting for extended periods of time on a bicycle. With men, it's numbness in their penis and prostate problems. For women, challenges can include vaginal discomfort and urinary track infections. The best course from an equipment standpoint is to make sure your saddle fits your body and is positioned properly. Riding with cycling specific shorts makes a tremendous difference as well. Women should hydrate well to help avoid urinary tract infections and both men and women should ride for periods of time by standing up on the pedals.
4. Shoe related equipment Properly fitted shoes are important to avoiding foot injuries and discomfort. Cycling shoes are sized slightly differently, so get fitted by a professional and try on several types of shoes. Adjusting the cleats are important because of the position forward vs. the rear the shoe and as well as the rotation of the cleat with regard to the screws. Cleats can rotate from 9 to 0 degrees. Some riders will also need to adjust the pitch of the cleats on their shoes with wedge inserts that fit between the cleat and the bottom of the shoe. Custom orthotics or shoe insert pads can add comfort and avoid injuries.
5. Bicycle parts identified Most bicycles will come set up to be comfortable for a large majority of the population with some minor adjustments. In some cases some components might need to be changed. Adjusting the seat is usually the first place to start. the height of the seat should be comfortable and your leg should bend at a 25-35 degrees at the bottom of the pedal stroke. The seat should be set up so your knee is directly over the bottom bracket when its at the 3 o'clock position. Your seat should be level to the ground and or slightly pitched forward. The height of your handle bars can be changed with regard to how high off the headset it rests. Generally for casual riders higher is better. Setting up your bicycle correctly will also help avoid back fatigue.

Riding Techniques

6. Anatomy of your palm How you use your hands during a ride can help you avoid pain and numbness that comes from stress compression of your palm nerves. Don't grip the handlebars tightly. It's not necessary for control and it can cause problems that are avoided with a lighter grip. Most of your turning will be done with minimal handle bar movement and leaning. Your hands are mainly used for balance and weight distribution. Setting your seat to the proper height and position will evenly distribute your weight thus avoiding too much weight on your hands. Changing hand positions and grips on a regular basis is a good practice.
7. Pedaling from a standing position Avoiding problems generated by sitting can be lessened by spending time pedaling from a standing position. This works other muscle groups and gives our backside a rest.
8. Good foot positioning for a smooth stroke A proper pedal stroke will help with foot discomfort. Most riders push down on the pedal but give their foot a free ride on the upstroke. This sacrifices some power, doesn't work all your leg muscle groups and doesn't give your feet a break. The correct stroke is to push down on the crank and left up with your leg on the upstroke like you are trying to raise your foot while scraping something off the bottom of your shoe.

Tips & Warnings

• A combination of the right equipment and riding techniques is the key to avoiding injuries and chronic pain.
• Over training can also cause problems, so mix your hard rides with recovery rides and days off.
• Take some rest breaks during longer rides to rest your body, remember, you're not training for the Tour de France.
• Balancing your weight across your bicycle will help you avoid problems.
• Never ride without a helmet.
• Equipment matters: pay a bit more than you might think you need to on shoes, gloves and cycling specific shorts or bibs.
• Fit of your shoes is important not just the feel of your feet, but the position of your cleats.
• The position of your saddle makes a difference so carefully measure for the best position.
• The overall fit of your bicycle can be changed by changing components or how they are positioned.