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Key points:
¢ Cycling is good for you
¢ Get the right bike.
¢ Make sure it is the right size and correctly adjusted
¢ Cycling can give problems with the neck, low back, wrist and knees
Cycling is an exercise that can be enjoyed at any level, from the novice to the elite performer, and at any age.It exercises the lungs, heart and legs. It avoids any jarring going up through the legs and spine which is one drawback of jogging and running.
If you are starting at cycling, hereare a few tips.Get the right bike. Unless you are going to cycle up mountains, you do not need a mountain bike. For beginners,the best option is a hybrid or town and country bike. These are light enough touse on the road but tough enough for tracks and canal paths. The wheels shouldnot be too thick and chunky, otherwise you spend a lot of energy overcoming the rolling resistance. You do not really need suspension, especially on the back.Racing bikes are OK if you are going to race, but for beginners you won’t need a thin wheeled drop handlebar bike. Itwill be too delicate to take anywhere off tarmac and you will miss out on somegood views and cycle routes. There are many reasonably priced bikes on the market, but be wary of bikes for under £100 in supermarkets.. They are likely to be heavy and not last very long. The best places to get a bike is an independent local bike dealer (not a car part shop). Buy a good strong pump (not the sort that fits on the bike) as well, look at the psi marking on the tyres and keep the tyres fully inflated. This will make cycling a lot easier. Make sure the bike is the right frame size for you. Ask in the shop. Your saddle must be at the right height. Manypeople set them far too low and cycle around with their knees almost knocking against their chin and then they wonder why their legs ache. When your peddle isin the down position, your knee should be nearly straight.
Cycling injuries can occur, ranging from the obvious bruises and even fractures if you fall, to overuse injuries. These occur mostly at the knee,wrist neck and low back.
Neck problems arise from the need to extend the neck, especially when drop handlebars are used. After long or hard rides aching at the base of the neck is common. This is because the rider has to workthe scalene muscles at the front of the neck hard when breathing. These muscles raise the upper ribs but also pull the neck forward. The muscles at the backof the neck counteract this by also contracting, leading after a while to neckache.
The low back on a bike is held flexed, the hips also flexed. This leads to contraction of the iliopsoas muscle (especially if clip-on peddles are used so that the psoas muscle is the used in lifting thepedal), which over time can draw the lumbar spine forward and reduce hip extension, predisposing to low back problems.
Problems around the knee include: patllelo-femoral pain onthe front of the knee, inflamed patellar tendon, inflamed quadriceps tendon, ilio-tibial band friction syndrome, inflamed hamstring bursa or tendonitis.
Wrist problems are due to ulnar or medial nerve compression, known as “handle bar palsy”. The nerves becomes inflamed, usually either at the elbow or the wrist, if they have to absorb vibration and shock transmitted to the arm via or when the hand and arm are maintained in a fixed position for a long time.
Pudendal neuropathy can occur on long rides caused by compression of the pudendal nerve against the pubic bone. Symptoms are numbness in the penis. Long term problems or erectile dysfunction are rarely reported. A change of saddle to one with an increased width or padding, altering the tilt of saddle and using increased padding in the rider’s cycling shorts may all help to relieve the pressure.
Cyclists who train at a high level need flexibility in the spine as well as the legs and strong yet flexible muscles. Muscle groups should be balanced and flexible enough to work well throughout their range.
See also: Handlebar palsy; carpal tunnel syndrome
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