Dr Josephine Perry
“In reality, most
cycling-related
problems are
entirely our
own fault”
Photos: Chris Catchpole, Daniel Gould, Rupert Fowleryclists have a habit of
blaming their bikes for all
sorts of problems, from a
shrinking bank balance to lack of
shed space to poor performance
and proliferating aches, pains
and injuries. The reality is, in
almost every case our bikes are
blameless; most of the problems
are our own fault — and many of
them are entirely avoidable. The
cause is invariably misuse, overuse
or simply honest mistake.
Here, we look at eight of the
most common health and fitness-
related problems often blamed on
our bikes, and ask the experts how
to identify the real cause, fix the
issue and prevent a recurrence.
You’ll never again feel the urge to
blame your bike...
LOWER BACK PAIN
Don’t blame the bike
because... lower back pain
suffered by cyclists is usually
caused by our glutes lengthening
(and weakening) over time as our
hip flexors shorten (and tighten).
This can affect the position of the
pelvis, pulling on our lower back
and inhibiting the power produced
by the glutes.
Lower back pain can also be
caused by the way our lumbar
spine flexes when riding, putting
pressure on the intervertebral
discs, which can lead to problems
such as numbness or pain
radiating down the leg. If you
have a sedentary office job, you
continually add to the problem by
sitting down all day, thus straining
and overloading the lower joints of
the spine.
Fix it... by raising your handlebars
slightly. Although your bike itself
is not to blame, your set-up could be
culpable. James Raiher, osteopath
at 322 The Practice, says: “The
little you’ll lose in aerodynamics
[by raising the height of the bars
slightly] will be more than made up
for by improved stamina and, quite
likely, more power to the pedals.”
Prevent it... with regular massage.
Alexa Duckworth-Briggs is a sports
massage therapist who often works
on cyclists to release tightness in
their hip flexors
and quads: “The
psoas muscle is a
deep hip flexor that
sits on the inside
of the lower back
and into the hip,
which is often tight
in cyclists. It can
only be accessed
by a well-trained
massage therapist.”NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN
Don’t blame the bike because...
neck and shoulder pain usually
stems from mistakes made while
setting up your position, resulting
in poor posture while riding. With
arms outstretched forward while
riding, the pectoral muscles of
the chest are liable to shorten
and tighten, pulling the shoulders
round, meaning the neck over-
extends and the head tilts forward.This increases strain on junctional
areas of the shoulders and neck,
and can even restrict the airway
and hamper breathing, restricting
lung capacity and compromising
maximum inhalation.
If you work in a job that has a
long car commute or you spend lots
of time hunched over a desk, your
posture is likely to be poor off the
bike as well as on it, meaning your
poor neck and shoulders rarely get
time to recover.
Fix it... by stretching. Alice
Monger Godfrey is an ex-pro rider
who now works as an osteopath
with Team Dimension Data: “The
latest research has shown it is most
effective to stretch after your ride.
For neck and shoulder pain, I find it
is good to roll a tennis or massage
ball on very tight areas to try and
self-treat the tight muscles.”
Prevent it... with shoulder rolls.
Duckworth-Briggs says: “Regularly
rolling the shoulders up, back and
down your back to reset function
and flexibility works well. Also,
stretch out the pec muscles by
placing your palms on either side
of your lower back and pulling the
elbows together — a great stretch
for the front of the chest.”HIP AND KNEE PAIN
Don’t blame the bike because...
hip and knee pain is generally
an overuse or overload problem.
Problems in this area can also crop
up after a rider returns to cycling
after a crash or surgery.
It is often caused by tightness in
the iliotibial (IT) band, the ligament
that runs down the side of the leg,
from above the hip joint to below
the knee. It stabilises these major
joints and prevents the leg from
collapsing or rolling inwards.
Because cyclists never fully
straighten our legs while riding,
the IT band is prone to tighten,
a problem often exacerbated by
long spells of sitting (e.g. at work).
Other aggravating factors include a
wrongly set up saddle, riding over-
geared or excessive climbing.
Fix it... with a foam roller. Dan
Little, head of fitness at Digme
Fitness, recommends: “Stretch
after every session and investAlleviate lower back pain
by raising your barsCycling Weekly | January 11, 2018 | 43