bike position

There are some cyclists that make riding look effortless and smooth. Although it may come naturally to some, it takes time and practice to achieve that gliding look, but it’s not just for professionals! If you understand the basics of how your muscles are working, both for and against you, then you can ensure you stay balanced and relaxed in the saddle. Maintaining proper cycling posture is important to not only your efficiency, but to prevent injury.

There is no “correct cycling posture” that is right for everyone. We are all built differently, so what will work for some won’t for others, but there are some general rules to go by. After ensuring your bike is fit to you and your riding style properly, then it’s time to start thinking about what proper cycling posture looks like for you.

Why is cycling posture important?

Being as efficient as possible is the easiest way to go faster while spending less energy, sound good? The first thing you want to focus on is staying as relaxed and stress-free as possible, tension is the enemy! Many cyclists will slowly tense up over the course of a ride, not only compromising efficiency, but demanding more than is necessary from their bodies. Letting go of that tension and relaxing into a natural position will work to:

Increase efficiency
Keep you comfortable
Improve bike handling
Easier breathing
Prevent injury

What does proper cycling posture look like?

As stated above, this will look different for everyone, but here are some things to keep in mind:

Keep your shoulders relaxed

Many cyclists will find their shoulders slowly creeping up to their ears while riding, which puts unnecessary stress on your shoulders, neck, and back. This can also get in they way when you need to shoulder check or move your head around. You will actually stay more alert by keeping you shoulders down and relaxed.

Bend your elbows

Riding with locked out elbows will make for a rough ride, so adding a slight bend will act as suspension and keep any bumps on the road from tossing you overboard. Keep your elbows tucked into your sides rather that out like wings. This will reduce the stress on your shoulders, and also result in less pressure on your hands and wrists (your wrists should NOT be bent).

Maintain a neutral spine

Left: Too straight, putting tension in the lower back, Center: Correct posture with core engaged and back relaxed, Right: Core unengaged and rounded spine.

You want your back to be relatively straight, but not locked or tensed into a line. The most common mistake is letting the back round outward, which can cause all sorts of issues over time. The best way to ensure you are keeping your back straight enough is to keep your core engaged. If your abs are just taking a free ride, your back will inevitable round out, putting pressure on your hands, shoulders, and crotch (which can be super painful).

Keep your knees in line with your foot

You do not want your knees to bow outward at any point during the pedal stroke. Not only is this incredible inefficient, but it will cause some painful knee issues. So, focus on keeping your knee in line with and over the ball of your foot as you ride.

How to improve your cycling position

If you think you are struggling with any of these aspects, it is worth taking the time to correct what you can to ensure you are comfortable and efficient on the bike.

Proper bike fit

First things first, everything has to be in the right spot to even make it possible for you to maintain proper posture cycling. If you’re not sure your bike is the right fit, or isn’t adjusted to you, then it’s worth looking into having a professional bike fit.

Think about it

Pay attention to your body when you’re on the bike. Where do you feel tension? In what ways is your body out of alignment or its natural range of motion? Focus on relaxing your muscles and breathing, and think about each aspect of your posture piece by piece.

Stay flexible

Flexibility, or rather inflexibility, can lead to unbalance in the body and even cause the body’s structure to move out of alignment. If you are not flexible enough to hold proper posture over the course of a ride, then you need to work on increasing your flexibility through stretching and strength training exercises.

Stretch

It is important to have a healthy range of motion and flexibility to move freely and efficiently. Stretching can aid in aligning the thick and thin muscles back into their ordered state after movement, as well as remove the lactic acid buildup that causes soreness. Regular stretching will also increase your flexibility, making that aerodynamic position more attainable.

Strength Training

The facilitated (overworked) muscles, like the quadraceps and lower back, do not need strengthening but stretching. Instead, it is the inhibited muscles that benefit most from strength training – the abdominals and gluteals. Because the core needs to be engaged to stabilize your spine and the movement of your legs, strengthening it off the bike is important.

Posture Correction Program for Cyclists

Looking for a program that will help you improve your posture and restore muscle balance? Dynamic Cyclist is an online training platform designed to help cyclists become stronger and faster while riding pain free for years to come. Complete your regimen with an all-inclusive program that addresses mobility, flexibility, strength and injury prevention, all for a fraction of the cost of one physiotherapy appointment. Try out their 2 Week Posture Correction Program and experience the results for yourself. Click here to try 7 days free!

Advantages of Riding on an Unbroken Bike Path

unbroken bike path, continuous bike path

One of my favorite aspects of cycling is the feeling of freedom, and ability to take in my surroundings while exercising. Although I love long paths in my city that take me either along the beach or farmlands, these routes typically require several stops due to traffic lights and traffic overall. When I’m in training mode one of the most practical routes I use is a local golf course that goes around in a four mile loop, with no traffic lights or stops. There are several advantages I’ve found with this route as a beginner cyclist and now avid rider. Here are some advantages for riding on an unbroken bike path despite what level of experience you have riding.

Bike Handling

Riding on a continuous route allows you to practice several things required when riding, in particular if you are just learning how to ride. For one, you are able to practice the maneuvers required in turning, such as slightly leaning your body, weight distribution, and bringing up the leg closest to the turn. You can also practice wide turns versus sharp turns, because both skills are needed in different riding situations. It is ideal to practice this along a continuous stretch with no concerns for oncoming traffic, or having to clip and unclip. Also, it gives you the ability to play around with your gear shifters and familiarize yourself with the different speeds and your comfort level with each one. This is even better if your unbroken path is a flat one so you don’t have the resistance of any rolling terrain. Typically, with this type of route you will experience a tailwind and headwind, which may affect which gear you use when going into a headwind, depending on your fitness level. Playing around with gear shifting will teach you which gear is most efficient in each situation.

Bike Position

This type of path also lends itself to practicing bike positions without having to be as vigilant as you would be if riding in a higher traffic area. If you’ve recently purchased a tri bike, you can practice getting down in the aero bars, and still maintaining balance. I remember as a beginner I had a difficult time with this as I attempted practicing in a bike lane next to oncoming traffic. I was so nervous, and white knuckled on my aero bars I nearly rode off the bike lane into trees that were on the right of me. After this experience, I decided to practice in a low traffic area like my neighborhood. I would practice staying aero and gear shifting in this position as well as reaching down for my water bottle without having a tragically, embarrassing fall. Also, if you own a road bike you can play around with the position that is the most comfortable for you, and leaning forward on the road bars when going into a headwind.

Another position that is important to practice is pedaling off the saddle as this offers a few advantages as well. This requires some practice so you may become comfortable with the “dancing” motion required with this technique. When I ride on this route, I use this motion a lot to gain more speed after turns. Additionally, to simulate climbing since it is a flat route. This specific exercise helps your legs get stronger, and makes you more comfortable whenever you are actually climbing a hill or bridge. Since it is a continuous path I tend to time myself and do intervals of one minute pedaling off the seat and two minutes of riding with high rpms.

Training

Having a continuous path is ideal for interval training because you don’t have to interrupt your work sets by stopping at traffic lights or signs. You’re able to experience the advantages of interval training, and have a great workout. Also, you can fully focus on your gear shifting, pedal stroke, and RPMs. It is especially beneficial if you are completing a ride in a cycling group, and take turns drafting and pulling.

It is also great to practice different cycling drills within a workout without interruption. Some examples may include “spin-ups” where you’re in an easy gear and are working on maintaining high RPMs; Also, “pick-ups” where you do work intervals faster than your race pace. Another good drill to complete on this route is “isolated leg work”, where you complete intervals pulling with one leg, while the other one is “resting.”

Safety

When comparing this route to one which requires me to ride with traffic or alongside a busy road, I find this one to be a lot safer. As a beginner or someone who is still not comfortable riding with traffic you can still enjoy cycling without the constant worry of being hit. These paths typically are in low traffic areas with several signs indicating it’s a bike path and to respect cyclists. Therefore, the few cars that drive in these areas are aware that it is a common cycling location. There are also minimal, if any parking lot entry/exits so you don’t have to be in a constant high alert environment. Lastly, many cyclists ride on these routes so if you have any bike trouble such as a flat tire, you can count on someone being nice enough to stop and help you.

Although riding on an unbroken bike path may not be the most scenic route, as you can see it does have its advantages for all levels of cyclists. All of which, can improve your riding ability and make you a stronger cyclist.

How to Maintain Proper Cycling Posture

Why is cycling posture important?