SORE BUTT? STIFF NECK? A HEAD-TOTOE GUIDE ON PAIN-PROOFING EVERY RIDE

THERE’S A REASON cycling is a go-to exercise for injury rehab: it’s low-impact, non-weight-bearing, easy on the joints. But crank out a century or saddle up for a gravel event, and you’ll know those same joints that cycling spares can flare up when put to the challenge of multi-hour (or multi-day) rides.

That’s true even for seasoned riders. In a 2019 international study published in the journal PLOS One, researchers found that over a 12-month span, 63 per cent of 739 longtime cyclists said they had experienced some kind of pain while riding. But just because aches are common, it doesn’t mean you should suffer. Here are the top pain points, according to that study – and how to keep the hurt at bay.

NECK // for road: Your head is essentially a 20kg kettlebell. Lean it forward 15 to 30 degrees, like you do when riding, and it feels more like a 60-80kg strain on your neck. To avoid neck pain, first adjust your position, says physical therapist and bike-fit specialist Kevin Schmidt, owner of Pedal Physical Therapy. “The goal is for your shoulders to make an angle of 90 degrees or slightly less between your upper arms and torso, with your hands on the hoods,” he says. An angle greater than 90 degrees means your head may be too far forward, stressing the upper trap muscles that support it.

To achieve that position, adjust your cockpit. A shorter stem and/or higher bars can help. Also check your saddle. If it’s too high, it increases your reach.

“Lowering the saddle a bit narrows the cockpit and brings you closer to the bars,” Schmidt says. for gravel: Even if your position is perfect, vibration from the terrain can wreak havoc on your neck. Look into vibration-damping bars and stems, if off-road riding is your game.

SHOULDERS // for road: The same head-up bike fit tips that keep your neck happy will also work for your shoulders. When you feel muscle tension creep in, roll your shoulders back and down, loosen your grip, and change up your hand position to stay relaxed in your upper body. for gravel: Wider bars are en vogue because they improve stability; but too wide can stress shoulders. If your gravel bars are much wider than you typically ride, try bringing the bar closer, to prevent being too stretched out.

HANDS // for road: Priority one: level your saddle. “If it’s even a little bit nose-down, you’re dumping too much weight onto your hands,” Schmidt says. Too-low handlebars can also cause hand pain. Try a higher-rise stem.

Your wrists should have a slight, 10- to 15-degree back-bend on the bars. Do a sight check by looking at the skin on the top of your wrists. Cock them upwards until you see skinfolds: that’s too far. Then, slowly straighten until the folds disappear. for gravel: Lightly padded gloves, vibration-dampening handlebars, and thick, padded bar tape can absorb hand-numbing vibration. Change hand positions frequently, and don’t white-knuckle–grip the bars.

LOWER BACK // for road: Check your hips, Schmidt says. If they’re rocking side-to-side as F you pedal, your saddle is too high and

your lower back is straining to compensate. If your knees come up above hip level at the top of the pedal stroke, the saddle is too low, and is causing your back to flex – another type of strain.

Aim for a flat back with natural curvature. Rounding your spine stretches your paraspinal muscles, which support and control movement between the vertebrae, Schmidt says. “Those muscles are like Velcro – when you stretch them too far, they can barely hold on to support you and absorb the force from your pedalling legs.”

Roll your pelvis forward to create a neutral spine. Adjust the cockpit of your bike to maintain that position. That often means bringing your handlebars and saddle closer to being level with each other. for gravel: Off-road riding often means pushing a bigger gear to keep momentum over rough terrain. Mashing a super-hard gear is like doing leg presses with zero back support. When the terrain allows, shift down and raise your cadence, to take some stress off your back.

GENITAL AREA // for road: No matter what your gender, the key here is the right marriage of saddle shape and saddle position. Check that your saddle supports your weight on your ischial tuberosities (the hard bones you feel when you sit upright) or the pubic rami (the pelvic bones farther forward), not your soft tissue.

Again, level your saddle. “Nose-down or nose-up can shift weight and cause problems,” Schmidt says. A too-high saddle will force pressure on the perineal area, as well. Too much reach to the bars can cause you to roll your pelvis forward and place weight on your sensitive tissues. Tighten your cockpit with a shorter and/or more high-rise stem. for gravel: Consider shorts specifically made for gravel or off-road; they have denser padding, for riding on rough surfaces.

KNEES // for road: Big mileage with no base is a common culprit for knee pain, especially when you hop back in the saddle after a long break. Ramp up your saddle time gradually.

You’re cranking out about 5 000 revolutions per hour, so position is important too; especially as the kays rack up. Place your pedals in the 6 o’clock and 12 o’clock positions, and rest your heel on the lower pedal. “Your leg should be straight, which equates to a 20- to 25-degree knee bend when clipped in,” says fit specialist Sara Bresnick. When both feet are positioned parallel to the ground, the forward knee should be directly over the ball of your foot.

“Cleats too far forward or too far back can stress the knee joint,” Schmidt says. “Line up the first big-toe knuckle in front of the pedal axle.” Avoid pedalling toe-down. Drop your heel over the top of the pedal stroke to use your calves as stabilisers, and generate more power from your glutes and hamstrings, removing stress from your knees.

Aim for a sweet spot of about 4 to 5 degrees of pedal float. “Too much float can cause the knees to toggle all over the place,” Bresnick says, which stresses your joints and wastes watts. for gravel: Churning low cadence through muck and deep gravel can aggravate your knee pain. Spin when you can, but strength-train your glutes, quads and hamstrings to build the muscles and connective tissues that support your knees.