(Credit: Adobe Stock)

When cyclists start to feel an ache here or there, some pain perhaps, or God forbid an actual injury, it’s tempting to blame the body for letting us down. The first question you should ever ask, though, is “Has my bike been professionally fitted?” Without a proper bike fitting, it’s hard to tell where the problem is rooted; the body or the bike…

All of the physiotherapy, personal training and 90-minute massages in the world could be null and void if your bike is putting you into a less than optimal position. This article will teach you about what to watch for and how a bike fit can impact your body.

What Is a Bike Fit?

Bicycle fitting is the process of adjusting different components of the bike in order to account for a person’s unique limb proportions, body composition, joint mobility and pain history/concerns. The goal is to make the rider comfortable, while at the same time optimizing efficiency in their pedal stroke and reducing the likelihood of injury. It all translates to more riding and less pain!

Some parts of your bike that may be adjusted include:

• Saddle height
• Saddle tilt
• Saddle fore-aft (forwards/backwards) 
• Saddle width
• Handlebar height
• Handlebar reach
• Handlebar width

Before any of that, though…it’s important that you have the right size of bike to begin with.

Size Frame & Geometry

Getting a correctly sized bicycle is an important first step. It’s hard to out-bike-fit (is that a term?) a wrongly-sized bike. A professional bike fitter will do their best to do so, but better just to get the appropriately sized rig in the first place. If you haven’t yet bought one, you can use this simple guide based on rider height as a starting point:

Mobility/Flexibility Considerations

The mobility and flexibility of a given rider can have a drastic effect on their bike fitting, particularly if they have notable restrictions in any of their joints or muscles. Cycling involves a lot of repetition (literally tens of thousands of pedal strokes), and all of that repetition has the potential to wear on things that aren’t positioned properly.

Take the hips for example, a common problem area for cyclists. If a rider has very tight hip flexors that are hyperactive and causing lower back pain, they may not be able to extend their hip and leg as far as they need to go (almost fully straight, keeping just a slight bend in the knee). Doing so could traumatize the rider’s hip, causing them even more problems in the future.

This is a step that often gets missed, even in professional bike fittings. Stretching and mobility training is extremely important for long-term health as a cyclist. If you’re looking for an all-inclusive app and online platform that you can easily follow along with to help you train, give us a try here at Dynamic Cyclist! Sign up for a 7-day free trial by clicking this link.

Fit Window

Mobility has a large impact on what is called your fit window. Every bike fit parameter has a range that, if adhered to, will still provide a good position for the rider to be in. Cyclists who are smaller and/or have poor mobility will often have a smaller range in their fit window; taller riders and/or those with better mobility typically have a larger range. 

It’s difficult to determine this range on your own, but it’s a good metric to understand and take note of when getting a professional bike fitting.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

How to Fit a Bike

Getting a bike fitting done at your local cycling shop is great, but you can expect it to cost you anywhere from $80 for an entry level fit to $300+ for a high level, comprehensive fitting. The use of advanced technologies and fitting systems coupled with the expertise of the technician is what drives the cost up so high.

Good news, though, you can do a half decent job on your own to at least get you riding in the right direction. Below we’ve laid out some simple bike fit advice on how to adjust the different parts of your bicycle (and what might happen if you don’t).

Saddle Height

The height of your saddle should be such that your leg is almost at full extension in the 6 o’clock (bottom) position of your pedal stroke. Your foot should be flat on the pedal, and there should be some wiggle room to drop the heel a tad while maintaining a slight bend in the knee.

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If your saddle is all the way extended, the frame is likely too small. If it’s all the way down, the frame is probably too big.

Saddle Too High

If your saddle height is too high, you’re going to be reaching down excessively with your leg to get through the bottom of each pedal. This will likely overextend the knee, as well. The hips will rock (irritating the lower back) and the knees will be sore from all of the hyperextension. 

Saddle Too Low

If the saddle is too low, there will be a lot of extra pressure on the knees and they’ll stay in a more flexed position. The hips will also be more cramped, leading to excessive tightness in the hip flexor muscles.

Saddle Fore-Aft

Start with the saddle in a neutral and central position, and adjust from there. When the pedal is at a 3 o’clock position, your knee should be directly over the pedal spindle or just slightly behind it. Too far forward and you’ll have to slide the saddle backwards, and vice-versa.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

Saddle Too Far Forward

When the saddle is too far forward it puts more pressure on the knees (same as when the saddle is too low). This can lead to things like patellofemoral knee pain, known in the cycling world as cyclist’s knee.

Saddle Too Far Back

When the saddle is too far back it can lead to excessive strain on the hamstrings, dysfunction in the sacroiliac joint, IT band stiffness and general fatigue/numbness in the groin and genital area, respectively. 

Handlebar Position

The handlebars should be positioned so that you have a slight bend in your elbows to assist with shock absorption. You shouldn’t be reaching too far forward. The angle between your hips and torso shouldn’t be more than 45°, and the angle between your torso and arms should be about 80°-90°.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

Handlebars Too Far Away or Too Low

When the handlebars are too far forward or too low, it will force you to reach and bend over into an unnecessarily aggressive position. This will make recreational riding very difficult and uncomfortable, as it puts lots of strain on the neck, lower back and hips.

Handlebars Too Close or Too High

When the handlebars are too far back or too high, it compresses your posture, bends your arms too much, and makes for less variability in your riding positions. The muscles in your arms will become exhausted and tense. Numbness and tingling in the hands are common, as a result.

Join the Best Cycling Platform in the World

Dynamic Cyclist has tens of thousands of members across the globe. People at all levels of experience, fitness and ability who are riding and competing pain-free. Give us a try by signing up for a 7-day free trial today! Any questions? Just send us an email at [email protected]

Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist