Injury Prevention

Hygiene For Cyclists – Why It’s Important

May 1, 2016 by Adam Farabaugh

Chamois time it’s called; the time spent in your cycling shorts. Many riders joke that chamois time is training time regardless of if they’re actually riding their bike. This can be time spent at a coffee shop mid-ride, or at home after a ride while you get something to eat and are too lazy to take a shower yet. This time spent in shorts that have already been ridden in is the worst hygiene for cyclists as it can lead to saddle sores and other issues, not to mention smelling like something the cat dragged in.

What Makes You Dirty While Riding?

When you ride, whether it’s hot or cold, dry or wet, you perspire, particularly in areas such as the armpits and crotch area. This is your body’s way of keeping cool which is good. It becomes bad however when that moisture is left close to the skin, particularly in shorts.

What Manifests When Staying in an Un-Hygienic State?

After a ride, or mid-ride even, bacteria can find their way into those moisture rich areas where they thrive. Your skin in a normal state keeps them on the surface where they can’t enter the body and cause any harm. The issue however with cyclists is that they can enter the surface of the skin at an abrasion, such as the point that you’ve been sitting on on a ride especially if you don’t have the most comfortable saddle or chamois. Clogged pores and hair follicles can also become infected.

Stinking As Well…

In addition to laying the foundation for saddle sores to develop, you also stink and generally feel nasty particularly after a hot day of riding. This again is because of the moisture on your skin but also the salt that stays on your skin even after you’ve stopped sweating giving you this “everything feels sticky and nasty” feel.

Hygiene For Cyclists – Steps to Take to Get Clean

There are a number of hygiene for cyclists steps to take to make sure you don’t stink for one, but more importantly, develop any saddle sores which can be a pain to deal with and treat, quite literally.

Get Out of Your Kit

The first and most important step is to get out of your kit whether at home after a ride or at a race or event. Your chamois is like a sponge and will hold moisture against your skin where bacteria can develop.

Shower/Clean Yourself

If you’re at home, shower right away after getting out of your kit. Have a drink or a bite to eat but do it on the way to the shower. Don’t sit down and have a meal before showering. If you’re at an event, bring a towel and extra water to shower off and wipe yourself down. Antibacterial wipes are also a good option which should be used to wipe down the crotch area as well. You’ll feel much better and cleaner after even if it’s cold out. It’s worth the minute or two of suffering for longer term cleanliness and comfort.

Put on Clean Clothes

After you’ve cleaned up, make sure you put on clean clothes. Don’t put on a dirty pair of underwear or socks as they also can hold bacteria that can manifest. Also, you just made the effort to clean up, don’t negate it.

Never Wear Shorts Twice Without Washing

This is a big no, no. Never, ever wear a pair of shorts a second time without first washing. Bacteria can manifest in the chamois particularly if it didn’t dry out all the way. Also, the shorts themselves will just be plain nasty, leaving you with a “not clean” feeling before you even start riding. Even if you only have one pair of shorts, wash them and dry them completely before wearing them again.

How To Fix Back Pain Cycling

April 18, 2016 by Wade Shaddy

You’re 40 miles into a century — maybe less — when you begin to feel back pain cycling. Not exactly hell on wheels yet — more like a cramp. You’ve addressed it before. You try to ignore it but you know it could be the beginning of a long haul home. So what’s the problem? Why does it keep coming back?

Upper Back

Part of the issue with an accurate back pain diagnosis is because there are different positions or locations in your back that can cause you back pain cycling; the lower back and the upper back, and both require different approaches. People with upper back conditions often feel more comfortable in the forward-leaning position and leaning lower on the handlebars. Lumbar spinal stenosis is the condition in which most people feel better in a forward leaning position.

Lower Back

Cyclists with a low back condition feel better in a reclining position. Lumbar degenerative disc disease is a condition in which less pressure is placed on the lower back such as in a position found on a recumbent bike.

Causes of Low Back Pain Cycling

Some common denominators can come into play that can cause back pain cycling.

Back posture on the bicycle can strain the lower back, a result of the lumbar spine flexing or pulling up.
Position on the bike, with an arching back, can strain the back, especially when the bicycle is equipped with aero bars.
Rough roads can increase jarring and compression to the spine which can lead to low back pain.
Tight hamstrings can pull on and rotate the hips which thus pulls on the lower back and can cause pain.
Tight hipflexors can also cause mis-hip alignment which can also pull abnormally on the back.

Upper Back Pain Cycling

Causes of upper back pain are often caused by the position of the handlebars along with other activities outside of cycling.

Handlebars that are too far forward can cause excessive reaching constantly placing pressure on the upper back into the neck.
An overly aggressive position will bring your upper body down forcing you to rotate your head up more in order to see where you’re going. This can then place undo stress on your upper back and neck.
Sitting at a desk all day, particularly with poor posture, can cause tightness in the upper back, neck, and shoulders which can translate into pain on the bike as well if not properly stretched and fixed.

Exams and Diagnosis

When assessing back pain cycling, a broad range of possible physiological culprits should be considered. The physician or even sports therapist assessing the cyclist with back pain cycling will likely perform an exam that correlates with a common diagnosis of:

Bursitis — due to repetitive pedaling
Degenerative arthritis — particularly in older cyclists
Hyperextension of the neck — causes nerve irritation
Previous injury to the neck or spine
Tightness in other muscle groups which pull on the back.

Poor Bike Fit

Many cyclists suffer from one or more of the above issues but of all of the possible causes poor bike fit is at the top of the list. If it’s not the single biggest culprit, it could be exacerbating the underlying diagnosis.

Trained Experts

Though most cyclists can continue to train and compete through back pain cycling, the pain reduces power on the bike and overall enjoyment riding. A proper bike fit can help prevent and diagnos back pain cycling. A bike fit should be performed by nothing less than a trained expert particularly if you’re already having issues.

Bike Fit Checkup

A bike fit checkup will point out problems in the following categories:

Overall size of the bike frame and cockpit
Saddle height and position
Saddle width and pressure points
Width of handlebars
Head tube height

Cockpit Size

Some cyclists may resist losing aerodynamic advantage in favor of low back comfort…..but shortening the cockpit can alleviate many causes of back pain cycling and avoid excessive forward bend that can result in disc and spine issues.

Saddle Too High

A saddle that is too high will pull the pelvis backwards which puts tension across the lower back muscles as the hamstrings become tight and pull down on the back. The high saddle also rocks the hips at the bottom of the pedal stroke, increasing strain in the lower back muscles and ligaments.

Saddle Too Low

When your foot goes up over the top of the stroke, the knee comes up too high. The lower back is pushed backwards, first by one leg, then the other. If this is the case, look for a stiff angle on the knee which should have a relatively smoother transition from your torso to your leg at the top of your pedal stroke.

Core Strength

The muscles in your lower back back serve as a platform for powering the bicycle. If your core is weak, it creates a defective link in the chain from the shoulders to the pelvis. Overuse injuries often occur due to a lack of core strength.

What the Pros Say

Lower back pain causes the highest rate of impairment and medical attention for professional cyclists. Avoid or lessen back pain by doing what some of the pros recommend:

On The Bike Solutions

Stand up on the bike: Arch your back — it just feels good. Do it as often as you like to help alleviate a stiff, hurting back.
Stretch: Stretches keep your hamstrings and spine flexible. If you feel that you’re in trouble on the bike at any mileage, repeat the stretching exercises.
- Stretch the hamstrings and along with the back by keeping your legs straight and even on the ground, and slowly reaching toward your toes. Arching your back slightly can help stretch it as well.
- Stretch the quads and hip-flexors by gently pulling your ankle back toward your butt while balancing on your other leg. Try and keep the hips rotated back (try and push your tailbone toward the ground).
- With your hands over your head, lean to the right and then left creating a sort of “C” with your body. Keep your feet shoulder width apart.
- For the upper back, hugging your shoulders and arching your back forward can help stretch that area.
- In addition, you can pull your head down gently forward which will stretch the neck into the upper back.
- Also, alternate reaching each arm straight up over your head and arching to the opposite side stretching the side of your torso and back.
- Performing the “Eagle Arms” stretch is also very beneficial for alleviating tension in the upper back and shoulders.
Get out of the drops: Ride with your hands on the hoods or even side by side with the stem. (If you’re not behind another cyclists’s wheel.) This helps to relive pressure on your spine. Move your hands around and find the sweet spot, cruise that way for awhile.
Ride with good posture: Make a conscious effort to ensure your back is upright and in a neutral position at all times. Try to keep from swaying side to side. This typically indicates that your body is tired and you may end up with poor posture that strains your lower back.

Off Bike Help For Back Pain Cycling

Core strengthening exercises: Core muscles work together to stabilize and protect your spine. Core exercises help muscles in your pelvis, lower back and hips to work together to alleviate back pain cycling. They will also help you maintain good posture on and off the bike.
Strength training exercises: Target your major muscle groups such as squats, lunges, and pushups for all-around strength training. This helps you to avoid muscle fatigue, poor posture, and helps to increase your bone density
Warm-up and cool-down: Start slow and warm muscles up before your ride. Shoot for at least 10 minutes for both the warm-up and cool down. An extra ten minutes on either end helps to prevent strains or tears and helps to increase circulation.
Get a professional bike fit: Lots of cycle shops offer bike fittings. Make sure you’re working with a certified bike fitter that understands your experience level and that your bike fits your body and addresses any issues specific to you such as leg length discrepancies or other issues.

Breaking a Collarbone – What to Do

January 2, 2016 by Wade Shaddy

Clavicle fractures – also known as broken collarbones – are very familiar to cyclists, but the collarbone isn’t really in your neck. It’s one of two long, thin bones that connect the breastbone to your shoulder blades. The bones act as an attachment point of several muscles. Keeping them in one piece is sometimes difficult for cyclists.

The Common Crash

The bike crash is a perfect example of how and why cyclists break collarbones. There’s that natural tendency to break the fall from a crash by putting your arm out. The arm sends the force of the impact up your arm to the collarbone and snap. If you don’t put your arm out, and have your hands on the bars, your shoulder contacts the pavement hard, resulting in the same thing, a fractured clavicle.

How to Know

X-rays are the only sure way to discern if you’ve broken your collarbone, but there are other ways to figure it out for yourself. Right after a crash, if you notice that the weight of your arm is causing excruciating pain to your shoulder, and you immediately grasp your forearm in an attempt to relieve the weight of your arm because of pain — you might have broken your collarbone. Watch for it when other riders go down. If you see someone clutching their arm after a crash, it’s a symptom that their collarbone could be in trouble.

Keep Riding?

Some cyclists can still ride with a broken collarbone. Tyler Hamilton is a perfect example, he rode the 2003 Tour de France with a fractured collarbone, seemingly in denial of the pain. Thanks to adequate taping, and not to mention bravery, he stayed in the race. It’s not recommended to keep riding with a broken collarbone.

Signs of a Mild Broken Collarbone

Look for a few indicators that are similar with most collarbone issues.

Pain and swelling
Trouble moving your arm
Sagging shoulder
Grinding sound when you move your arm
Bulging around your shoulder

Signs of a Serious Break

Tingling in your arms or shoulders, numbness
Deformed or odd-looking shape

Collateral Damage

Broken collarbones are one thing, but they go hand in hand with other possible injuries. It is extremely important to check for collateral damage to the lungs, the surrounding tissues and muscles, joint separations and other bone fractures such as the ribs. That’s one reason why you should always get it checked out by a health care professional.

Surgery Option

The medical approach — to operate or not — of the cyclist with a broken collarbone should be on an individualized basis. Things to consider are fracture type and severity, age, activity level, personal preferences, and don’t forget insurance and monetary concerns in the decision-making process. The desire for decreased pain and faster return to cycling might also come into play when concerning surgery.

Surgery Risks

The decision to operate on a broken collarbone should also be in light of the risk. Infections, collateral injury to surrounding tissue, risks of anesthesia, and if you get hardware added, the eventual need for it’s removal, resulting in still more surgery. The general rule of thumb is that: If there’s no displacement — meaning the bone is broken but still in the right place — then surgery isn’t typically necessary. If the bone is broken and in pieces, then surgery is typically needed.

Take it Personal

Each operative case should be approached on a personal basis. Poor surgical candidates might, in most cases, be better served with a non-operative approach. It’s a decision between you and your orthopaedic surgeon that should not be taken lightly.

To Feel Better

Ice packs can help to relieve pain. Make a homemade ice pack with ice in a zip lock bag with cloth around it. Don’t skip this step and put the bag of ice directly on your skin. This can injure your skin, always wrap a cloth around it.

Ice Schedule

Apply the ice for about 20 minutes each hour while awake. After the first day, ice the area every 3 or 4 hours for 20 minutes at a time for at least 2 days or longer. Over the counter pain relievers can be used, but only under the care of your personal physician. If you have high blood pressure, heart disease or stomach ulcers for example, they can cause problems such as bleeding, bleeding can also occur if you take medications within 24 hours of your injury. It’s not advisable to take anything within 24 hours unless directed to do so by a health care professional. After that, if you need a stronger medication to relieve pain, consult with your personal doctor.

The Sling

You will need to wear a sling or wrap while your collarbone is healing to keep your collarbone in the right position. The sling also prevents you from moving your arm, which you will already know by now, is painful. Once you can move your arm without excessive pain, you can start easy exercises to increase the strength and movement in your arm. When you get to this point, you will be able to wear your sling less.

Activity and Recovery

Build your strength back slowly after you restart any activity. If your collarbone begins to hurt, stop and rest. It’s advisable to avoid placing stress on your arm, and avoid contact sports for a month after collarbones have healed.

When to Call the Dr.

Call your doctor if you have concerns about how your collarbone is healing. Certain symptoms should result in an immediate call:

Your arm becomes numb, or has pins and needles feeling.
The pain isn’t diminished with pain medicine
Fingers turn blue, black, white or pale
Trouble moving fingers
Bone is coming out of the skin…duh

Collarbone Break Healing Time

Recovery is dependent on the injury and the medical support. Most cyclists report that they were able to resume riding on an indoor trainer one week after surgery, and outdoor cycling after four weeks.

Generally speaking bones heal within 6 weeks of breaking and collarbones are no different. You will be back to 90% at 6 weeks and it will take another month or so until you are full confident again. If you have any pain after 6 weeks, you need to get get checked again.

Do not try and do too much too soon, especially in the first few days of healing as the bone is setting. What are a few days or weeks in a lifetime?

In the meantime ride safe and have fun. Try not to break your collarbone cycling.

Sports Hematuria

December 3, 2015 by Dyani Herrera

Some of us have had that amazing workout, where we’ve challenged ourselves by increasing the volume or intensity of our rides and come out victorious. Then, as the day passes and we use the restroom we realize that we have blood in our urine. Alarmed, we begin to assess ourselves for any signs or symptoms we may have missed leading up to this event. However, this pathology is common in endurance athletes and typically presents itself with no symptoms. Research has shown this usually happens when either the duration or intensity of a workout has increased significantly. In addition, in a sport such as cycling, cyclocross, or mountain biking the genitourinary area can be affected due to the constant pounding on our saddle during our rides.

Causes of Sports Hemturia:

Besides having an intense workout this can also occur when the bladder has not been emptied prior to the workout. By exercising on a full bladder we can cause mild internal bruising that would lead to hematuria. Dehydration can also be a leading factor, which many of us may experience during the hotter months of the year if we don’t properly hydrate throughout our rides. Additionally, not riding off the saddle in warranted situations during mountain biking or refusing to wear padded shorts can cause trauma to the genitourinary area. Also, experiencing a hard crash, can make someone susceptible to direct trauma to the kidneys.

Signs & Symptoms:

Typically, this condition presents itself asymptomatically if there is no pre-existing condition of urinary track diseases. Blood is visible upon urination after a difficult workout. Signs and symptoms that warrant concern and immediate evaluation by a physician include blood clots, painful urination, and prolonged pain in the pelvic area. If any of these are experienced a urine specimen will be collected by the physician for further evaluation of creatine levels or presence of bacteria. In extreme cases a pelvic ultrasound may also be requested.

Typically, sports hematuria resolves within 72 hours and has no associated symptoms of pain. Should this condition occur, rest is paramount to allow swelling and bruising to resolve. If exercise continues during this period, more trauma can be caused. Ensure to drink plenty of fluids and avoid prolonged periods without voiding the bladder. If hematuria doesn’t resolve within 72 hours make sure to seek a physician and rule out a more serious condition.

How to Prevent Cramps Cycling

November 30, 2015 by Adam Farabaugh

Preventing cramps in cycling can be a challenge as there is no definitive “do this and you’ll be cured”. Cramps are an interesting issue as given the fact that nearly everyone has had them at some point in some way or another, scientific research has not directly pinpointed a cause and effect to them. There are factors that make their occurrence more likely as well as things you can do to help avoid them and to deal with them.

What is a Cramp

Exercise Associated Muscle Cramps (EAMC) are involuntary contractions of the muscle that can range from slight spasms to severe. The range as to which these can occur range from slight where you can ride through them, to severe where you can no longer pedal. They can be an individual muscle or a group of muscles and are typically the ones that are weaker and not ready for the effort that they are put under.

What Causes Cramps

The exact cause of cramping is not known but varying factors can increase their likelihood. Often times a combination of factors can cause a higher severity of cramps.

One of the factors that can increase the likelihood of cramping is dehydration as well as low electrolyte levels. Electrolytes are what transmit the signals from your brain to your muscles telling them to fire. Having imbalanced levels of hydration and electrolytes at the cellular level can play a role in why your muscle spasms.

A second factor to cramping is how the muscle is utilized. If the muscle is not in its ideal position to contract and relax it can be overstressed resulting in cramping. This often results when the position on the bike puts added stress on your quads, hamstrings or calves.

The biggest contributor to muscle cramping while cycling is riding at an intensity or duration that your body is not yet ready for. In the simplest sense, your muscle fatigues and can no longer properly fire and thus cramping results. The above two factors, hydration and fit, directly influence how quickly a muscle fatigues.

How to Prevent Cramps

Once you get a muscle cramp they’re difficult to come back from. The key is to try and avoid them in the first place. Based on what can contribute to them, fixing those issues is going to bring the biggest relief.

Before you can start riding more or hydrating better, you need to make sure that you have a good fit on the bike and are getting what you should out of each and every muscle. If you’ve had cramps in the past, take note of where they occurred. This is likely the result of your position on the bike being a little bit off which puts added stress on that area. Stretching that area can help, but the majority of the time that is just trying to fix the symptoms, not addressing the original cause of the cramp in the first place. For example, if you get cramps in your quads your saddle could be a bit low or your hamstrings may be a bit week thus placing more stress on your quads. Stretching the quad can help it but the cause of the problem isn’t necessarily in the quad. Getting an expert fit can help ensure that you’re getting the most out of your position or you can do it yourself with some expert guidance: (“How to Do a Proper Bike Fit“)

The biggest influence on when cramps occur in a ride and the severity is how fit you are for the riding that you’re doing. The stronger you are and the more endurance you have, the less likely you will be to cramp. The muscle simply doesn’t reach its point of failure and can keep firing as it normally would. The best way to increase overall fitness is to simply ride more. On top of this, riding at higher intensities, particularly up climbs where you are using slightly different muscles, can put added stress on your muscles which in conjunction with recovery produces stronger muscles with increased endurance.

Now that you have a proper fit on the bike and have the fitness level for the rides and races you are looking to do, you need to make sure you hydrate well with liquids and make sure that there are adequate levels of electrolytes in your drink for the conditions that you are riding in. In addition to having the right levels of hydration and electrolytes, consume enough carbohydrates before and during the ride. With most other areas of scientific research surrounding cramping, there is not a definitive study that says that adequate carbohydrate intake reduces or eliminates cramping. Cramping most often occurs as a result of muscle fatigue which can be exacerbated by not having enough energy supplied to the muscle. Having an adequate amount of carbs, in theory and seemingly practice, allows the muscle to continue firing as it should without cramping.

Cramping is a big issue that nearly all cyclists experience but is still not fully understood. As with a lot of things in cycling, everyone is different so you may find that some things cause you to cramp while other help cramping.

Follow these general approaches to solving your cramping issues in conjunction with your own trial and error. When you do in fact cramp, make a note of it, where in your leg you cramp as well as the factors surrounding it such as ride length, conditions, what you ate or didn’t eat before and during your ride. This will help to better understand your body and how it reacts to certain things. In addition to this, by simply riding more and/or with more quality riding, meaning focused climbs or intervals at higher intensities, the occurrence of cramps should diminish.

Numb Privates – A Delicate Matter

November 28, 2015 by Wade Shaddy

It’s one of the most perplexing of all cycling issues: You’ve been in the saddle for a while, nature calls and you stop to pee. Everything works just fine, but you can’t feel it. Your penis is swaying around out there in the breeze like a deflated flag.

Not Comfortably Numb

Numb genitalia is nothing new to cycling. If you’ve done any serious miles on any bike, you’ve probably had numb hands or fingers — it’s the same thing, only between your legs.

Women Too

Embarrassing as it is to discuss openly around other cyclists, numb genitals is not something that women are immune to. If you’ve ever done any long distance cycling with your spouse, you probably already know that. Yale researchers in 2006 found that female cyclists often had less genital sensation after spending time on the bike, and it’s believed that female cyclists are at just as much risk for genital numbness as male riders.

Getting Personal

It’s caused primarily when nerves — more exclusively the pudendal nerve — and blood vessels become compressed in one of the most vulnerable areas of your body; the perineum. In men, the penis is affected. In women, the labia and clitoris. You can opt for staying off your bike to avoid it, but that’s not an option any real cyclist would even consider.

Cause and Effect

It’s not always obvious what’s causing you to go numb down there. A cause and effect, or trial and error is the best approach to numb genitals, starting from easy to more drastic measures. Most of the typical causes are simple; your riding position, bad saddle angle, bad saddle, seat or handlebars too high, and the most often overlooked but probably the least likely — a seam in your shorts.

Riding Position

Your riding position can make all the difference. Too much torso forward is an obvious giveaway to numb genitals. If you’re zoned out for miles and miles, it could be that you just need to keep shifting your ass back and forth. You’ll feel the difference when blood rushes back into your privates, kind of a tingling. Pay attention, shift around on the bike and stand up occasionally.

You’re Reaching

If you’re reaching too far for your handlebars, it means you’re leaning forward, putting more pressure on the perineum. A shorter stem makes your reach more comfortable, allowing your torso to lift slightly up off the front of the seat. Bike shops have all kinds of stems, try them out, they’re easy to change, and it only takes a few minutes.

Bad Saddle Angle

Tilt the nose of the saddle downward. Ride the bike for a few hours or days. It might feel like you’re sliding forward. It’s common and you’ll get used to it, and likely stop sliding eventually. If you don’t, look at other solutions. Your butt should be touching the saddle, supporting your weight only by the two bones in your rear — nowhere else.

Seat Down

If your hips rock back and forth while pedaling, it’s a safe bet your saddle is too high. Ideally, the top of the seat should be level, or angled down no more than 2-to-3-degrees. It’s OK to move it more than that to test it. Check it by riding, and see if your numbness goes away. Even if you don’t rock and roll, excessive height may still be involved. Lower the saddle about a 1/2-inch or less at a time, just enough to promote a slight bend of the knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke. This should reduce compression on the nerves in your perineum. A lower saddle height also improves your ability to support your weight throughout the pedal stroke.

Seams in Shorts

If your wearing cheap or poorly designed shorts, you can get skin abrasion, also sometimes referred to as saddle sore, along a seam. It feels like fire. But that same seam can pinch nerves or blood vessels in your crotch. It’s not a given solution, but wear high-dollar shorts to help alleviate numbness. Shorts are rated by panels, the more panels the better. Riding shorts typically don’t have seams in the crotch area.

Seat

If everything checks out, and you still suffer from genital numbness, the most likely suspect is the seat. Saddle choice is a personal thing, what works for one cyclist may cause agony for others. Riding with different saddles is the only real solution, but there are certain saddles that have proven to relieve genital numbness better than others.

Split the Difference

Don’t be too interested in running out for a gender specific saddle, most of them do the same thing. If you’re a woman, a man’s saddle might be what you’re looking for. They come in two varieties, one type has a split in the back, the other has a split in the front. Both types have proven to relieve pressure on nerves and blood vessels, but neither has been crowned the king or queen of comfort, and numbness reducing, it’s that personal thing. The only real way to figure it out is by trying them.

Mountain Bike Saddle

If you don’t want to spend $100 a piece trying out saddles, you might want to opt for a cheap mountain bike saddle. They have the blunt, short nose at a fraction of the cost of road bike saddles. If you don’t like it, you’re not out that much.

The No-Nose

No-nose saddles have been around for a while. It might be that they just look goofy, but the thing is, most cyclists shy away from them, even though they’ve been proven to work at reducing numbness. Another issue deals with control. Some cyclists use the nose of the saddle to help steer. But others don’t miss the long, extended nose on a road bike saddle.

The Study

“Cutting off the nose to save the penis,” is an article published in the Journal of Sexual Health. Before the study, nearly three-quarters of the participating cyclists complained of numbness while riding with standard saddles. After six months of using the no-nose, fewer than one-fifth complained. So it’s a sure bet that a no-nose saddle can reduce numb genitals.

Common Cycling Injuries and How to Avoid Them

October 15, 2015 by Adam Farabaugh

The more that you ride, the more likely common cycling injuries are going to happen to you. It’s not really an if, but rather a when. With proper preventative maintenance, such as stretching and strengthening as well as the knowledge of what to do after you have an injury, you’ll be out of commission for a shorter period of time.

As with anything, your specific injury could require further treatment but having an idea of preventative measures and some simple fixes will give you a good idea on how to take care of yourself. Seek expert care if you are unsure about anything. Problems are much easier to deal with the sooner they are confronted so don’t wait to get something even minor looked into.

Knee Pain

Riding a bike includes a lot of repetitive motion so anything that is a little bit off can have a big impact on your body after a few thousand revolutions. Your knees in particular take more of a beating than anything else on the body because of the large range of motion combined with a lot of force being placed through the joint. Knee pain can develop in any number of areas around the knee for a variety of reasons.

Causes

The first big cause of knee pain is a poor position on the bike. A saddle that is too high or too low will place an uneven load through the knee joint and the muscles and tendons surrounding it. Knee pain on the front or top of the knee often is the result of a saddle that is too low and/or too far forward. Pain in the back of the knee is often the result of a saddle to high and/or too far back. Cleat position can also have an impact on how your knees track also contributing to knee issues.

A second cause of knee pain is riding to long and too hard before your tendons and muscles are ready for it. This typically occurs early in the season after a long period off the bike. Your heart and lungs may be able to push it already but the supporting muscles and tendons around your knee need time to get used to riding longer again. A lot of climbing and specifically pushing large gears can magnify this problem.

Solutions

The best way to deal with knee pain is to prevent it in the first place and if you do experience some sort of knee pain, it will hopefully be less severe. Make sure your fit on the bike is dialed. If you don’t have the know-how of where you should be positioned on the bike, seek out someone who does. Even a ball-park estimate is better than nothing and if you’re super diligent, finding a fit specialist who uses things like lasers and other exact measuring devices can give you a fit that you know is right.

To combat issues that you may have from riding too much too quick, increase your mileage gradually, no more than a 10% increase per week. And if you’re climbing, make sure you spin instead of pushing large gears. Stretching in the early season as well as throughout can also help prevent injuries.

If and when you do have a knee injury, stop riding and get it taken care of straight away. Small injuries can quickly become a major issue that can stop you from riding far longer than you want. Icing the problem area as well as taking anti-inflammatory medication along with eating anti-inflammatory foods can help reduce inflammation. Never take medication to be able to ride. If your knee is sore you want to feel it so you know to stop riding or to take it easy. If you can’t feel it, you’re just going to continue riding hard doing even more damage.

Rest is going to be the biggest thing that heals your knee quickly. While you rest, figure out the root of what caused the problem in the first place because if you just get straight back on the bike the problem is probably going to come back. Everything happens for a reason so make sure you deal with it before it becomes an ongoing issue.

Back Pain

Another common injury in cycling is back pain due to the bent-over nature of the cycling position. Back pain can range from mild discomfort on a longer ride to ride stopping pain that needs to be dealt with immediately. Back pain can be muscular but it can also be a larger issue with the spine itself, such as a pinched nerve, which can require more than just self-treatment.

Causes

Back pain usually results from one of two issues. The first is poor core-strength. This includes the muscles around the spine and up the back as well as your abdominal muscles. The second, lesser known cause of back pain is hamstring tightness. Both of these can be exaggerated also by your handlebars being positioned to low and/or too far forward.

Solutions

To prevent back problems, first make sure you have a good fit on the bike. Then focus on strengthening your core with back and abdominal exercises. An exercise ball can be a great tool that helps hit the right muscles. With strengthening, stretching is also very important. Cyclists notoriously have tight hamstrings. Everything is connected so tight muscles in the back of your legs pull all the way up through your back. Your back may be sore but the cause of it may be difficult to pinpoint. To take care of back pain once you have it, do some gentle stretches, specifically of your hamstrings. A hot shower or hot tub can also help relax your back muscles giving you relief.

Road Rash

Road rash is an unfortunate side-effect of crashing. Fortunately, standard road rash isn’t deep into the muscle and can still be ridden with provided you take care of it. If you don’t know what you’re doing or if your road rash is more than just minor, seek expert help. Mishandling road rash can result in infection as well as delayed healing time.

Cleaning

The first thing to do with road rash is to clean it as soon as you can. The longer you wait to clean it, the more it is going to hurt. After a crash, adrenaline pumps through your body resulting in you feeling less pain. You want to try and clean the wound before that wears off.

As long as the wounds aren’t too deep, clean the area starting with water and a clean cloth or sponge. You’re going to have to be a bit harsh on it to make sure all the dirt gets out. Showering will hurt a lot, and when I say a lot, I mean a lot, but using a light soap with a clean cloth can help get a lot of potential debris out. If you don’t shower, still scrub to get everything out.

Sterilizing

After getting the bigger stuff out, using an antiseptic such as hydrogen peroxide will ensure that the wound is clean. The use of this is a bit debated as hydrogen peroxide not only kills all the bad stuff in there but also your cells as well potentially delaying the healing process. Regardless of your approach, make sure the wound is thoroughly cleaned.

Healing

After you’re sure that everything is cleaned, applying an anti-biotic healing cream can help prevent infection along with help healing. Once a thin layer is applied, a non-stick (this is important as you don’t want the bandages healing in the wound as when you take the bandage off it will take the skin with it) or a thin film such as Tegaderm will help keep the wound protected and cleaned.

Cycling is a sport that comes with an increased likelihood of getting injured. Just because of this risk doesn’t mean we’re just going to give it up. Knowing how to prevent injuries as well as dealing with them once you have them is critical. Also, as much as you need to take care of yourself physically, you also need to take care of yourself mentally.

The first part is that you’ll be back riding before you know it and some time off can be good. Use this time to do the other things you tend to neglect when you’re riding a lot. Secondly, if you’ve suffered an injury from a crash, you are probably going to be a bit timid getting back on the bike. There’s no problem taking it easy when you first start back. You’ll regain your comfort and before you know it you’ll be back to your riding self. Take the preventive measures to avoid injuries and when they do occur, approach them with a calculated deliberate approach and you’ll be back riding before you know it.

10 Core Exercises For Cyclists

October 15, 2015 by Dyani Herrera

As avid cyclists we tend to neglect our core and instead focus on increasing strength in the legs, thinking this should be the only muscular focus for increasing speed. However, having a weak core could become an injury risk once we start increasing the volume in our cycling regimen. A weak core could lead to instability in bike handling, negative compensation patterns, and low back pain. By incorporating core exercises in our strengthening program we can improve riding efficiency. Additionally, it aids in avoiding over compensation by the hip and leg muscles that could eventually lead to injuries. All factors when combined with a proper training regimen could allow for improvements in overall speed and smoother pedal stroke. By completing 3-4 of the following core maneuvers, 3-4 times a week; we can reap the benefits of this strengthening program.

1.Planks

This is a great exercise that incorporates all the abdominal muscles from your obliques, to rectus abdominis, and intercostal muscles, as well as erector spinaes (back muscles). When completing this exercise, make sure to maintain a flat back and not raise your butt in the air to compensate for weakness. A good tip is placing a straight pole/stick on your back and not allowing it to fall. Also, look straight ahead instead of looking down. You can initially start with 3 sets of 20 seconds and continuously add 15 seconds as you become stronger.

2. Planks with Plate Movement

This variation of the plank is more advanced and engages the obliques more than the standard plank. Females can begin with 4-2.5lb plates and males can begin with 4-5lb plates. In this exercise you stack the plates on the left hand side and while in plank position stack them to the right. Completing one repetition involves moving the plates from the left to the right and back. Make sure to complete 3 sets of 5 repetitions, maintaining proper plank form throughout.

3. Planks with Small Resistance Band Loop

This is a different variation of the plank that also includes strengthening the chest muscles. This plank requires a theraband or resistance band loop that goes around both wrists. Make sure to always maintain tension on the band and not allow it to relax. As indicated in the photos this movement must be completed off a small ledge or stacked foam mats to create a difference in floor height. Start with both hands on the floor, then move them up on top of the stacked foam mats one by one then back down. That is one rep. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

4. Side Planks

This exercise isolates the obliques and minimally engages the hip abductors muscles to keep the hips up during the movement. These should be completed 3 times on each side for 20 seconds and continuously adding 15 seconds as it becomes easier.

5. Glute Bridges with Stability Ball

Most people don’t assimilate glute strength to be related with overall core strength. However, if the glutes are weak it requires more effort from the back muscles causing them to spasm thus, leading to pain. Lift your glutes off the ground by raising one leg in the air and using the opposite leg to lift you in to the bridge. Switch legs and do the same. That is one rep. Complete 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.

6.Glute Bridges with Resistance Bands

When completing this exercise make sure to acquire two thick/heavy resistance bands and place them across the bottom of a squat rack. Then, slide under the bands and complete the glute bridge making sure to squeeze your glute muscles and abdominal muscles as your rise up. Complete 3 sets of 15 repetitions and increase repetitions as strength improves.

7. Opposite Arm/Opposite Leg

Maintain a similar position to the plank in this exercise and extend upwards with the left arm and right leg, then the right arm and left leg. Ensure that the back is flat and leg and arm are fully extended. A helpful feedback tool for form is to maintain a stick on the low back, making sure it doesn’t fall. Complete 3 sets of 12 repetitions.

8. Kettle Bell Toss

Using a light kettle bell (5-10lbs) depending on your core strength, stand with your legs shoulder width apart, and a tightened core. Then, toss the kettle bell from one hand to the other engaging your obliques. You can initially complete this for 1 minute straight and increase by 30 seconds as you become stronger for a total of 3 sets.

9. Ab Slides

This exercise is extremely challenging and requires a Sorinex Roller and long resistance band. Loop the resistance band around the roller and tie the opposite end to a pole. Place your feet in the ridges of the roller and maintain a push-up position, stretch out until there is tension on the band, then bring the roller towards your arms, making sure to not let the roller move sideways, rather straight up and down. This exercise incorporates all core muscles (abdominals, erector spinaes, and glutes). Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

10. Abs using Cable Cross Over Machine

This core maneuver requires more equipment involving a cable cross over machine and two ankle cuffs. First you want to lower the arms on the cable cross over machine to the lowest insert and then hook each leg to the respective hook on the machine. Place yourself in a push up position and bring your right foot towards your left wrist and vice versa. Complete 3 sets of 12 repetitions.

These core exercises for cyclists involve beginner to more advanced maneuvers. It is helpful to complete these in front of a mirror or with a partner to correct technique throughout. In addition, it is important to remember to keep the glutes down during all plank exercises and ensure you maintain a flat back. Also, maintain a tight core by squeezing the abs and glutes during the exercises. This will help reduce injury and yield the full benefits of the exercises.

Hip Flexor / Iliopsoas Stretches

October 7, 2015 by Dyani Herrera

As cyclists we use every muscle in our legs during a specific stage in the pedal stroke. Typically we focus on the larger muscle groups such as the quadriceps and hamstrings, and tend to neglect the hip muscles. Hip muscles, specifically the hip flexors are used significantly during cycling especially when climbing. It is the muscle responsible for bringing the hip into flexion or plainly stated, upwards. Therefore, if we don’t consistently stretch this muscle we can put ourselves at risk for several injuries. Tight hip flexors can make us susceptible to a muscle strain, avulsion fracture where the tendon rips off the bone, anterior rotation of the hip causing a shortened leg, or limited range of motion during cycling which causes decreases in speed. There are several stretches that can be completed solo or with the assistance of a partner.

Hip Flexor – Iliopsoas Stretches

Lunge Stretch

This stretch should be completed approximately 3 times for 30 seconds each. To feel more of a stretch you can push on your glutes to push the hip slightly forward. Make sure to maintain an upright posture when completing this stretch.

hip flexor stretch with added push — Hip flexor stretch with added push

Lunge Stretch with Variation

This is a more advanced stretch of the former and will target more muscle fibers in the hip flexor. By placing the stance leg increasingly forward it will enhance the stretch. It can be completed using the edge of a table, chair, or bleacher at a park. Complete the stretch 3 times for 30 seconds.

hip flexor stretch with variation — Hip flexor stretch with variation

Stretch-Out Strap Hip Flexor Stretch

This stretch can be completed on a flat surface 3 times for 30 seconds each.

Partner Hip Flexor Stretch

Your partner should push slowly downward on the hip flexor being stretched and stabilize the opposite hip with their other hand. This can be completed 3 times for 30 seconds each.

By incorporating these stretches into your normal flexibility routine it will lower your risk of injury as well as maintain normal mobility of the hips. By having good hip mobility it will assist in having a more efficient pedal stroke. If you want targeted stretching routines built for cyclists, check out Dynamic Cyclist for more information.

Anterior Knee Pain Cycling – Causes and Solutions

October 3, 2015 by Lee Agur

Anterior knee pain cycling is pain on the front part of the knee and can be caused by improper saddle height, fore aft saddle position, crank arm length, cleat positioning and gear selection. The ultimate reason you feel pain on the front part of the knee is due to injuries called Patellar Tendonitis or Patellofemoral Syndrome. We will help you solve the anterior knee pain cycling by discussing how to isolate each cause to find out what your individual problem really is and then we will tell you how fix it.

Reasons

Patellar Tendonitis

Patellar tendinitis is an injury to the tendon connecting your kneecap (patella) to your shinbone. The patellar tendon works with the muscles at the front of your thigh to extend your knee so you can kick, run, jump and bike.

Pain is the first symptom of patellar tendinitis, usually between your kneecap and where the tendon attaches to your shinbone (tibia).

The pain in your knee may:

At first be present only as you begin physical activity or just after an intense workout
Worsen until it interferes with playing your sport
Eventually interfere with daily movements such as climbing stairs or rising from a chair

Patellofemoral Syndrome

The cartilage under your kneecap is a natural shock absorber. Overuse, injury or other factors may lead to a condition known as patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome usually causes a dull, aching pain in the front of your knee. This pain can be aggravated when you:

Walk up or down stairs
Kneel or squat
Sit with a bent knee for long periods of time

Causes & Solutions

Saddle Height

Cause: The saddle height is too low putting unnecessary pressure on the front of your knee.

Solution: Raise your saddle to a proper saddle height.

Saddle Fore Aft Position

Cause: The saddle is too far forward.
Solution: Move your saddle back to its ideal aft position.

Crank Length

Cause: The crank arms are too long.
Solution: Replace your current cranks with ones that are 2.5mm shorter.

Leg Length Discrepancy

Cause: Your seat is set for your shorter leg
Solution: Either raise the saddle height to set your saddle height for your longer leg or purchase orthotics or shims to put on your shoes.

Cleat Positioning

Cause: Your foot is too far forward on the pedal.
Solution: Move your cleat position so that your foot is set further back on the pedal.

Gear Selection

Cause: You are pushing too big of a gear, straining your knee.
Solution: Stop thinking you are Jan Ullrich and increase your cadence.

Overuse

Cause: Increasing intensity, duration and/or volume by too much.

Solution: Take a rest for at least 3 days. While taking a rest, make sure to speed up the recovery process by icing and heating your knee to stimulate blood flow to the area and potentially taking anti-inflammatories. Stretching can also help accelerate recovery. Start by doing 25% of your regular cycling routine and build back up to 50% over a period of 1 week. Assess the pain each ride and determine whether you should continue to build back up or take a longer break.

Assessing Anterior Knee Pain

Self assessing the root of the knee pain is extremely important to a speed recovery. Start by treating it as an overuse injury and taking a rest for 3 days, while icing and heating the area and perhaps even take an ibuprofen. Then make sure to test only one variable at a time. Perhaps you think it is due to a low saddle height, raise your saddle height a small amount and then get back on your bike and test out your theory. Make sure to not increase your training load to more than 50% of what it previously was until you have isolated the root cause of the knee pain and fixed it.

Do You Have Knee Pain In Another Area? Check these links below for the causes and solutions:

General Knee Pain Cycling

Medial Knee Pain – Pain on the inner side of the knee

Knee Rehab Program for Cyclists

Looking for a program that will help you address the muscle imbalance that is likely causing your knee pain? 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 6 Week Functional Rehab Program and experience the results for yourself. Click here to try 7 days free!

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