Sitting Pretty? 5 tips on bike set-up to optimise performance

1. Know your limits

Most recreational riders want to sit like a pro on the bike. But unlike the pros, most of us sit in the same position at our desk for a large part of the day so we should be careful when considering our position on the bike. It’s simple, if your postural muscles are working overtime at work, they are not going to be happy to work even harder on the bike, so go initially for comfort. Like anything, your body always needs time to adapt and that means, disappointingly, that most of can’t go aero like Bradley Wiggins straight off the bat, despite how cool it looks!

Source: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2012/11/7/1352326766587/Bradley-Wiggins-001.jpg

A professional bike fitting (check out my workshop below) is definitely worth it when considering your long term future on the bike. Phil Burt, lead physiotherapist for British cycling and a consultant Physiotherapist at Team Sky says, “I can’t believe how many people still have their saddle too low, and then there’s the drop and reach”. A good bike fitter will always consider the three elements:

• Comfort

• Muscle length-tension relationship( more to follow)

• Aerodynamics

2. Aerodynamics is not all-important! I can’t deny that aerodynamics has a big part to play on the bike, but it’s much more important in the pro’s where the seconds and milliseconds count. The length-tension relationship of your muscles makes much more of a difference over a long distance. There is an optimal length of your muscles required for optimal power output and reduced chance of injury, loosely described: not too stretched and not too shortened- the goldilocks zone (See purple zone on graph- the optimal resting length for producing the maximal tension). This applies to every muscle of the body and is an incredibly important principle to consider on the bike.

Source: http://slidingfilament.webnode.com/applications/length-tension-relationship/

Take for example the hamstrings, they are almost continually in use through the pedal stroke (when clipped in)- see semitendinosis en biceps femoris on graph (blue and red).

I see so many enthusiastic riders in a deep aero position on the bike, the problem with this is that the hamstrings- one of the most important muscles groups for cyclists- are then stretched to full length and far,far away from the Goldilocks Zone. The negative effect of this on power output will definitely outweigh any positive effects from forcing yourself into an aero position on the bike.

Source: http://www.bikejames.com/strength/which-muscles-are-used-during-the-pedal-stroke/

A good bike fit will take into account your individual resting tension in all of the associated cycling muscles in your body. Everyone has a different anatomy so the key goal here is to personalise your position. As a result you can expect your resilience, power-output and energy efficiency on the bike to improve.

3. Give the body a chance to adapt.

Take your back for example. If you want to achieve the aero posture of Bradley Wiggins but your back keeps playing up, adapt your bike position in small steps over a long period. Find the position that’s comfortable for you and doesn’t cause pain and work down from there. One way of doing this would be to lower your handlebar stem height in small steps.

The important word here is gradual. Give the body time to adapt and you will achieve an injury-free aero posture. A general rule of thumb is a change of 10-15% per week. Remember, as you get older your body will need yet more time to adapt.

4. Cross training- Work the CORE!

The main causes of injury are overuse, overload and over-stretch. You can tackle the first two by simply changing the muscles groups you use or the manner in which they are used- cross-training. I will shortly be writing another blog about cross training- there are a whole host of other training activities to do that will enhance your cycling performance and make your muscles more resilient.

Most professional cyclists devote a large part of their training to core strength. Why? Your legs are a powerful engine on the bike. However, if you do not have a stable starting point (i.e the core), this power cannot be transmitted efficiently to the pedals. Train the core muscles – those surrounding your middle i.e pelvis, back, abdominal muscles- and the improvements in performance will follow. Pilates or other core strength classes are a great way to do this, and will allow you to remain active while preventing those niggles that come with repeating the same training methods over and over.

5. No two bikes are the same

This may seem obvious but if you’ve been fit on your bike and you go and buy a second bike you should fit the second bike with the same dimensions- length from bottom bracket to saddle, reach, handle bar angle, and drop etc etc. Most bike fits will give you your individual bike specifications, which you should try to match as well as you can on the new bike, or take it to the bike shop and have them do it!

Don’t forget the saddle. Let’s say you’ve been fit with a certain saddle, then you should stick with that saddle on the new bike- width and length of saddle are very important factors but you should also consider the depth and softness of the saddle material as well as the stiffness of the underside - these will also have an effect on your knee and hip angles. Just a small thing like a change of saddle can have an enormous effect on your biomechanics. Simply put, find what works for you and replicate the formula.

-To sum up, know your own personal limits. Getting a bike-fit from an accredited bike-fitter is an excellent way to prevent injuries and optimise performance. Make sure you cross-train to boost your performance and to reduce chance of injury. Last but not least, find your ideal position for comfort and change it only in proportion to improved strength and/or flexibility.

If you’re interested in a bike-fitting you can reach me on 06-38143063.

Check out our workshop @Kaptein, Amsterdam. We use SpecializedTM equipment and cameras, and can find your perfect bike fit.

Good luck out there,

Joe