When your shoulders hurt...
The shoulder joint is the most mobile joint in the human body. It does not sit in a socket, but is held in position by muscles, tendons and ligaments. Shoulder problems are usually caused by the weakness of these elements. Flexibility, stretching and strengthening exercises, e.g. yoga or with the help of a Theraband, are effective ways of strengthening the shoulders. When biking, the pressure on the shoulders is proportional to the angle between the chest and arms. This can be reduced by lowering the saddle or using a shorter stem. This shortens the sitting position and reduces the strain on the shoulder joints.
When your back hurts...
The back is the physical weak point of many bikers. If the back muscles are not strong enough and the hips are not flexible enough, the back quickly becomes stressed and tense in the bent position when biking. Strengthening and mobility exercises can effectively prevent back problems. For acute pain, seeing a physiotherapist or using a Blackroll can help. A steep seat angle reduces the tensile forces acting on the lower back. Special saddles with a raised rear section can also relieve the back.
When your buttocks/bum hurts...
Tissue and skin are particularly sensitive on the buttocks. Good hygiene is therefore a must. If too much weight is placed on the soft tissue, this leads to pressure on blood vessels and nerves. The result is numbness and pain. Shortened hip muscles can also cause pain due to a misalignment of the pelvis. Stretching and exercises to improve mobility in the hip and buttock area can help. When cycling, the body weight should be evenly distributed on the sit bones. To achieve this, the saddle width must match the distance between them. You can find out more about this in our saddle test from page 62 onwards. A sitting position that is too low and long puts a lot of pressure on the perineal area. However, if the riding position is too high, the shearing forces can quickly lead to skin irritation.
When your knee hurts...
The knee only works painlessly in two dimensions. Lateral movements and pressure on sensitive parts of the joint lead to problems. If the muscles in the hip, leg and foot are shortened or muscular imbalances are present, the load is particularly high. The Strengthening and stretching the knee flexors and extensors have a preventive effect. Also Exercises with the Blackroll can help. The connections behind knee pain can be particularly complex. That's why it's particularly worth going to a bike fitter if you have such problems. Common causes are incorrect adjustment of the cleats and a saddle height that is too low. Special insoles can have a stabilising effect and support problem-free movement.
When your feet hurt...
People who "keep their feet still" a lot in everyday life probably don't train their foot muscles enough. As a result, the arch of the foot lowers, which leads to pain on the inside of the foot. The foot muscles can be specifically trained. Barefoot running is particularly suitable for this. When cycling, suitable shoes with a good level of comfort are a must. We tested the latest touring models for you in BIKE 4/2022. An orthopaedic insole can provide additional relief for the foot and is sometimes even covered by health insurance.
When your hands/wrists hurt...
In the hand, 27 bones are held together by tendons. If the wrists are bent too much when biking, nerves can be pinched, and Pain or numbness occur. This happens above all when the position of the brake levers is not correct. If there is too much pressure on the hands, the fingers tend to fall asleep. If the seating position is too short due to a short cockpit or a very steep seat angle, this pressure is particularly high. If the saddle is not exactly horizontal, the body weight is distributed to the detriment of the hands. Special gloves and grips can reduce this pressure.
Jan Timmermann
Editor
