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As an exercise that is virtually free of impact, bicycling causes almost no joint injuries. Thousands of athletes who have incurred orthopedic injuries in other sports have turned to bicycling as a safe way to continue to exercise, or even to compete.
Connie Carpenter, the gold medalist in the women’s 1984 Olympic road race, turned to bicycling after an ankle injury prevented her from competing in the 1976 Olympic speedskating team. An other woman athlete, Danute Bankaitis-Davis, took up cycling and became a member of the 1985 National Cycling Team when knee and heel injuries stopped her from running.
Since one’s full body weight is supported by the bicycle, bicycling is often recommended by orthopedists as a therapy for stress injuries incurred in other sports. Even overweight people can exercise successfully on a bicycle.
One reason is that the bicyclist’s knee functions in a single plane of motion. It cannot be injured by twisting or turning. Hence bicyclists are seldom plagued by torn muscles, heel spurs, shin splints, or a torn Achilles tendon, all of which send athletes from other sports flocking to orthopedists.
Among the relatively few dysfunctions due to bicycling, the majority arise from riding an ill-fitting frame with a saddle that is too high or too low; from incorrect posture; from pedaling too slowly in gears that are too high; and from chafe and wear at friction points such as the hands, feet, and posterior.
For advice on proper bicycle fit, see Section 4, “Ensuring a Correct Fit.” Information on maintaining proper cadence, efficient posture, and correct riding position is given in section 6. Mean while, section 11 describes how correct bicyclewear can prevent aches and pains caused by pressure and chafe.
Most chafe and friction results from wearing improper clothing. Proper bicycle clothing is padded in the right places to eliminate discomfort. Hand numbness can be ended by wearing padded gloves; most foot problems disappear when you wear stiff-soled bicycling shoes; and a pair of bicycling shorts with padded crotch solves most saddle friction problems.
As a tour leader for Stanford University’s Wandering Wheels
program, Robert Rockport, shown here when aged 55, has cycled across the
United States 29 times. Note that he uses flat (instead of the usual drop-style)
handlebars, an option available on any road bike.
Common Bicycling Ailments and How to Prevent Them
Other possible discomfort due to bicycling can almost always be prevented by similar techniques. Here, then, is a brief review of the most common physiological problems connected with bicycling and how they may be solved or prevented.
Knee Problems
Chondromalacia, or worn cartilage behind the kneecap, is the most common knee complaint among bicyclists. While pedaling too slowly in high gears can worsen chondromalacia, most cases have existed for years before a person begins to bicycle. Pedaling a bicycle only serves to make a person aware that he or she has chondromalacia. Seldom is this condition actually caused by bicycling.
Other symptoms of chondromalacia are pain behind the kneecap, pain when climbing stairs, and pain on getting up after sitting for some time.
Nowadays, many cases of chondromalacia can be successfully treated by arthroscopy, an outpatient operation performed by an orthopedist. Naturally, whether or not arthroscopy may benefit any one individual case is something that only an orthopedist can decide. When arthroscopy is performed, it must usually be followed by 8 weeks of physical therapy to restore full motion to the joint and build up the quadricep muscles. In many cases, this restores the knee to a condition approaching its original pain-free state.
To prevent knee pain when bicycling, raise the saddle slightly, thus reducing stress on the patella (kneecap). However, the saddle should never be raised so high that the knee actually straightens out at the bottom of each pedal stroke. Always retain a few degrees of bend in the knee.
Before starting to ride, do some stretches, especially for the ham string muscles. Then gradually warm up by riding in low gears and spinning at 65—85 r.p.m. or more. Maintain this, or an even faster cadence, throughout the ride by pedaling in low gears.
If your knees still hurt, you are either pushing yourself too hard, the bicycle doesn’t fit, or you have chondromalacia.
If you use cleats, misalignment can cause rotation in the knee and hip joints, leading to overstretched muscles and tendons on one side of the leg together with uneven wear on the patella. Nowadays, most shoes come drilled for cleats and misalignment is less common. Nonetheless, if you have pain on the inside or outside of your knee, it could pay to have a complete session with a Fit-Kit at a bicycle shop. The Fit-Kit matches you to the bicycle, checks on cleat alignment, and eliminates most risk of knee injury.
Knee Tendinitis
Pedaling a bicycle may also uncover several varieties of knee tendinitis caused by an earlier non-bicycling injury or accident. This type of injury frequently does not show up until you begin to bicycle.
Tendinitis usually occurs as a pain above or below the kneecap and may be due not only to an injured tendon but to a damaged bursa. (A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that cushions a joint; it becomes swollen and inflamed when injured.) In any case, the solution is to stop bicycling and to exercise by swimming until the condition improves. If you have persistent or chronic tendinitis below the knee, you should have it checked by a sports orthopedist.
Known as quadricep or patella tendinitis, it is often due to stress to a tendon connecting the kneecap to the lower leg bone. The condition can be worsened through overusing the quadricep muscles by pedaling in high gears.
Popliteal tendinitis results from inflammation to the popliteal tendon on the outside of the knee when it rubs against a ligament. It can often be relieved by lowering the saddle half an inch or so.
“Burning” Sole
A painful or “burning” feeling in the soles of the feet is caused by pressing so hard on the pedals that the transverse arch of the foot is flattened, placing unusual pressure on bones and compressing nerves. Frequently, the cause is grinding away in high gears while wearing soft-soled shoes through which the pedal cages press.
The solution is to wear stiff-soled bicycling shoes together with toeclips and straps, and to spin in lower gears at a cadence of 65 - 95 r.p.m. or more.
If bicycling shoes aren’t immediately obtainable, try wearing a metatarsal arch support, or use a sturdy pair of running shoes with stiff sides.
Leg Cramps
Muscle cramps in the legs are often due to depletion of salt, potassium, and magnesium. Take sports drinks containing electrolytes and add a pinch or two of salt to your food each day.
When a muscle cramp occurs, pinch the fold of skin immediately under the nose and above the mouth. Pinch it hard and hold — this is an acupressure point that usually releases a muscle cramp within half a minute. Alternatively, pull back on your toes while sitting. If you can stand, stand on your toes on a stair edge and lower your heels. This does an even better job of pulling out the toes and, at the same time, the cramped leg muscle.
Saddle Soreness
Saddle soreness is due to unfamiliar friction and pressure on posterior and crotch tissue. After a few beginning rides, you start to develop muscles that harden and banish all saddle discomfort.
A more painful type of saddle soreness can be caused by boils or sores that arise when chafe and sweat damage hair follicles. The solution is to wash the painful area with medicated soap and rub on rubbing alcohol. After airing it, rub in an oily body lotion. Or you can use Vaseline, cornstarch, or Noxema.
An almost certain way to invite saddle soreness is to ride on a wide-cushioned saddle. By comparison, saddles used by adult bicyclists are narrow with slender lines to prevent chafe. Nonetheless, should saddle discomfort persist, consider getting a different saddle specifically designed for male or female anatomy. Most women prefer a wider saddle with a shorter nose. Alternatively, you might experiment by changing the angle of your present saddle. Try set ting the saddle level, or tilting the nose down slightly.
Yet the most successful way to prevent saddle chafe is to wear proper bicycling shorts with a padded crotch together with seamless underwear. Obviously, you should never wear jeans, cut-offs, or any other garment with a thick seam in the crotch. Many bicyclists also use talcum powder to keep the skin dry. Others use cold cream or Noxema as a lubricant.
Crotch Numbness
Crotch numbness in males is caused by compression of the pudendal nerve as it traverses the perineum. A sharp pain occurs on urinating but disappears within a few minutes. The solution is to wear bicycle shorts with a padded crotch. Standing periodically while pedaling also helps to solve this problem. If numbness still persists, adjust the saddle’s angle of tilt. Otherwise, try a padded gel saddle.
In women, numbness occurs due to bending forward while riding on a road bike. This position compresses the genitals between the saddle nose and the pelvic bone. Numbness is less common in the more upright position used when riding a mountain bike. The solution is the same as that described for men. If you decide to change saddles, ask for a special woman’s saddle equipped with pads to prevent genital compression.
Very rarely, riding long distances on a hard saddle can irritate critical nerves and arteries, causing temporary impotence in males. Difficulty in achieving an erection may persist for 1 or 2 days at a time, accompanied by numbness in the crotch and buttocks regions. This dysfunction can usually be avoided by wearing padded shorts, switching to a gel-padded saddle, and standing up in the saddle at fairly frequent intervals while riding. Should symptoms persist, medical treatment is available for this condition.
Soreness in Neck and Upper Arms
Stiffness and ache in neck and shoulders can be relieved by frequently changing the position of the hands on the handlebar. The great advantage of a drop-type handlebar lies in its ability to pre vent neck, shoulder, and upper arm discomfort through providing three different hand positions with accompanying changes in the angle of the back.
Should neck and shoulder soreness persist, try raising the height of the handlebars, using a stem with a shorter extension, and sliding the saddle closer to the handlebars.
You should also very adequately stretch the neck, shoulders, and arms before and after riding. While riding, relax and lower the shoulders and keep the elbows bent.
Hand Numbness
Most common among racers, hand numbness is due to gripping the handlebars tightly and keeping the palms on the handlebars for extended periods. The numbness can persist after ceasing to ride.
The solution is to wear well-padded cycling gloves. If that isn’t enough, add slide-on foam handlebar grips. Keep changing hand positions on the handlebars and flutter the fingers frequently. Above all, hold the handlebar lightly, like a jockey riding a racehorse.
Overexposure to the Sun
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, and riders over 40, or light-skinned bicyclists of any age, should take precautions to avoid direct exposure to the intense summer sun. Particularly between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., I always wear long sleeves and use a #15 sunscreen block on thighs, knees, legs, and the backs of hands, wrists, and neck.
If you’re at all bothered by the glare of the sun, either wear prescription sunglasses or buy a pair of wraparound sports sun glasses. A gray or green tint provides the best protection. Lenses are also available that block out completely ultraviolet light, believed by some authorities to increase risk of cataracts.
For ease in fitting a rear-view mirror, try to get a plastic frame with wide earpieces. Eyeglasses will also protect your eyes from insects.
How to End a Ride
Prolonged and intense bicycling can also worsen varicose veins that may already exist on the legs. This risk can be minimized by walking for a few minutes at the end of a ride. Later, at the end of the day, rest with the legs elevated above the heart level.
Whether or not you have varicose veins, you should avoid stop ping suddenly after a long ride. Doing so causes blood to pool in the legs. This condition can be easily avoided by walking for a few minutes at the end of a ride. Follow with a few backward and forward stretches, including touching the toes and raising up and down on the toes.Next: Bicyclewear that Combines Comfort with Fashion and Function
Prev: Staying Safe on Your Bicycle
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