Why Improve the Fit? – for a faster, more comfortable ride

You love riding your bike

 but after a while it feels more like a torture device than an extension of your body. It doesn’t have to happen. Getting your bike fit dialed in will go a long way to improving both comfort and performance. People think a fast position is low and uncomfortable but if your body won’t tolerate an aggressive then you won’t be as fast as you could be. While I can’t cover all the details of bike fit in a single article I will address some of the more common complaints and easy fixes for them.

Numb or Sore Hands
This may sound odd but the most common cause of numb hands is your seat being too far forward. Most bike saddles are on rails allowing you to move them backward and forward. Try sliding your saddle back 5-10 mm. In my own case, I have a long upper body so I need to be extra far back. I’ve got a seat post with extra offset and the saddle slid all the way back.

As well your handlebar may need to be raised or your stem swapped for length.

For every 2 mm you move your saddle back, lower your seat 1 mm as you are moving away from the pedals so it has to be compensated for. Make sure your saddle is level as well as a saddle tipped down will have you sliding forward on your hands.

Butt and Crotch
Most of your weight should be on your sit bones on the rear widest part of the saddle. If you feel like to much of the pressure is on the crotch, then lower your seat 3 mm. Test it out and keep lower a little at a time until you are supported on the sit bones with minimal pressure on the crotch or perineum area.

Sometimes with crotch and butt pain it’s just that you have the wrong saddle. If you develop sore spots in the inside of your sitbones then the saddle could be the culprit. If your saddle feels like you are sitting between the sitbones rather than on them consider a saddle that is slightly wider at the back.

Feet
If you ride in sneakers then the best thing you can do for your feet is get the biggest platform pedals you can find as your shoes don’t support your feet so the pedal has to. BMX or downhill pedals are a great way to go.

When you are running cycling shoes and clipless pedals there are a number of ways to improve foot comfort. If you are experiencing foot numbness or a hot spot in the forefoot then my first adjustment would be how you tighten your shoes when you put them on.

Start at the top, nearest your shin and work towards the toe. When you start at the toe you tend to over tighten across the ball of your foot leading to numbness.

The next step is to move your cleats back further towards the heel. Start with 5 mm and test to see if that relieves the pressure. Keep moving it back if the problem is getting better but not gone. When you move your cleats back you will have to move your seat down half the distance you moved your cleats.

If the pain is in the arch or outside of the foot then you may need to replace the stock insoles with one with more arch support. There are a few brands of heat mold-able insoles that have a firmer arch support.

Knees
Knee cap / Front of the knee
This is usually a sign your seat is too low or you are doing to much hill climbing in a big gear. Raise your seat 3 mm at a time until the pressure on your knees has eased. And while not a fitting issue, focus on spinning lighter gears, even uphill. It takes work but you will become a more efficient cyclist once your adapt your body to a higher cadence. If you have persistent pain or discomfort than you may have developed some inflammation. Going to see your doctor is a good idea in this case. Go light on the riding for a couple of weeks spinning easy gears to give the joint a chance to heal.

Back of the Knee
This is less common but is usually a sign that your seat is too high. Pain behind the knee is often accompanied by low back (along the belt line) pain as the hips will tend to rock when your seat is too high.

Sides of the Knee
If you get pain in the outside of the knee from riding it’s a sign your feet are set too narrow. This is a problem with some of the modern pedals from Look and Shimano as the stance width is narrower than older models. Most cleats will allow some side to side adjustment so you will want to move them in towards the inside of the foot which will move your feet wider. Another way to get a wider stance is to put a washer on the pedal axle between the pedal and the crankarm.

The other thing that can cause pain in the side of the knee is cleat angle. It’s most common to need the heels in a bit but that doesn’t apply to everyone. Try adjusting the angle a little and see how it feels. If it’s worse go in the other direction until the pressure eases.

Lower Back and Hips
This can be caused by a number of factors including seat to far forward, bar too low, reach to the bar too long or seat too high. Follow the step outline above and see if they help with the lower back. Other factors include tight hamstrings and pushing too hard of a gear.

Without a professional fit, it can take a bit of trial and error to correct fit problems but try the tips I’ve outlined above and you should start to see some improvement.

Safety Equipment

Helmets

The best helmet is one that fits properly, is worn correctly and has been manufactured to meet strict safety standards. Look for a safety standards sticker meeting the approval of safety organizations such as the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Snell, ANSI, ASTM, BSI, CPSC and SAA.

An approved bicycle helmet can greatly reduce the risk of permanent injury or death in the event of a fall or collision. A helmet works by absorbing the forces of a crash, so if the helmet has been in a collision, it should be replaced even if there is no visible damage.

Helmets from other sports such as hockey, baseball, and football are not recommended for cycling. They are designed and tested for different types of impact.

To provide maximum protection, the helmet should fit level and square on your head. It should fit snugly and not slip when you move your head.

To check a proper fit:

• There should be two finger widths between your eyebrows and the helmet.
• The straps should be flat against the face.
• The side straps should meet just below the ear making a V-shape under your ear lobe.
• The chin strap should be fastened snugly with enough room to fit one finger between your chin and the strap.
• Use the sizing pads provided with the helmet to adjust the fit

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Over the next number of blogs we will cover Safety Equipment (Sizing, Safety Check, Helmets, Visibility), Handling Skills, Riding in Traffic (Where, Intersections, Signs and traffic signals, Dealing with trucks and buses), Obstacles and Road surfaces, Cycling and the Law and Electric Bicycles.  Stay tuned for the next few weeks as we cover some important information to keep YOU safe while cycling!

Watch for” CYCLING SKILLS (Safe Cycling)  Part 4 – Safety Equipment -Visibility” in the Blog on Thursday, August 5th.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

The above information is taken from the Government of Ontario website and addresses “Ontario’s Guide to Safe Cycling”.  For more information please see http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/cycling-guide/index.shtml

Safety Equipment

Sizing Your Bike

There is a variety of bicycles on the market to choose from. Whether you’re choosing a touring, sport, mountain or hybrid bicycle, it should fit properly, making it easy to control and comfortable to ride.

Check these important fitting points on your bicycle.

Frame Size

Frame size varies by type of bicycle, but as a general rule, you should be able to stand flat-footed over your bike’s frame (top tube) with two to five centimetres of space. For a woman’s frame bike, when sitting on the seat, the base of the seat should be at least five centimetres above the seat tube when the tips of both feet touch the ground.

Seat and Handlebar Height Adjustment

Seat

Positioning your seat properly will help make your pedalling more efficient and reduce strain on your knees. To ensure your seat is at the correct height, sit on the seat with the balls of your feet on the pedals. At the bottom of the pedal stroke, your legs should be almost straight with your knees slightly bent.

Handlebars

In a normal riding position, your weight should be evenly balanced, allowing you to rest your hands lightly on the handlebars. You can adjust the tilt of your seat and the height of your handlebars to achieve a good balance of weight.

Your handlebar stem and seat post must be at least five centimetres into the frame. Both usually have a mark that indicates the maximum extension point. Longer seat posts and stems are available if you need them.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Over the next number of blogs we will cover Safety Equipment (Sizing, Safety Check, Helmets, Visibility), Handling Skills, Riding in Traffic (Where, Intersections, Signs and traffic signals, Dealing with trucks and buses), Obstacles and Road surfaces, Cycling and the Law and Electric Bicycles.  Stay tuned for the next few weeks as we cover some important information to keep YOU safe while cycling!

Watch for “ CYCLING SKILLS (Safe Cycling) Part 2 – Safety Equipment -Safety Check” in the Blog on Thursday, July 29th.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

The above information is taken from the Government of Ontario website and addresses “Ontario’s Guide to Safe Cycling”.  For more information please see http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/cycling-guide/index.shtml .

Hey everyone,

It has been a long and rainy week, and I have not been able to enjoy as many rides as I normally do. This has allowed me to further appreciate my morning commutes into the shop and made me analyze the many different styles of bikes available and the different applications they are designed for.

In this post, I hope to identify and distinguish between the different bikes that are available and the applications and riding styles for which they are designed. This can be significant when looking at purchasing a bike or when determining if the bike you have is the correct one for you.

There are 4-6 different styles of bikes available depending on how you divide up the styles.  However, I will break them down into the 6 full categories to give you the best comparison between them.

First, there are what are known as Road bikes (see above): these bikes typically have 700C or 650C wheels and are designed with an attack geometry to favour speed, over comfort or functionality. These bikes are fully rigid and can be made of materials from Steel to Carbon Fibre. They are available in all component levels and can extend from recreational to race or competitive models. Road bikes are designed strictly for road riding as their narrow tires and low gearing range promote high levels of speed on back country roads or the track.

Second, there are devoted Mountain bikes (seen above): these bikes typically consist of wheel sizes from 26″ to 29″ and are designed for durability and speed for use off roads on technical trail sections. These bikes are available in rigid models, front suspension models and full suspension models, depending on your preference. Further, these bikes are available in all component levels and can extend from recreational or entry level models, to racing or endurance models. Mountain bikes are best for trail riding, as they have  knobby tires and a high gearing range to make clearing all obstacles a possibility.

The third style of bicycle is known as Hybrid bikes (seen above): these bikes typically consist of a 700c wheel size, but are equipped with wider tires, and front suspension (to the riders preference) to make them more practical in multiple riding conditions. These bikes are very common for commuting as they are designed with gearing ratios for in city riding and can be equipped with internal gearing components to make them year round reliable transportation rigs.

The fourth style of bicycle is what`s known as a Cross Bike (seen above):  these bikes are designed with 700c wheels and road components, with gearing ratios to support on road riding  and speed. Similar to road bikes they are fully rigid. However, these bikes are considered cross bikes as a result of their ability to cross over into the mountain trails because of their design with re-inforced wheels and knobby tires which provide grip and control on single track trails. These bikes still have drop bars in a road bike fashion, yet they are equipped with mountain levers to offer better control in multiple riding conditions.

The fifth style of bicycle available is what is known as Comfort Bikes (seen above): these bikes are designed typically with 26` wheels and large volume tires to make the ride as smooth as possible. These bikes are typically designed with front suspension and suspension seat posts to make the ride as smooth and enjoyable as possible for the user. These styles of bikes are currently designed for style as well as function with step-through frames for women, and wooden racks and fenders for style.

The sixth style and final style of bicycle is actually a tricycle! These bikes are known as Adult Trikes (seen above): they are designed with wheel sizes from 20-26″ and are built with two rear wheels and a single front wheel to increase stability. These bikes are designed for light on road use, typically by the elderly or those who have trouble with balance or stability. These bikes have a relaxed riding position and can accommodate all styles of riders to make them multi-functional.

Now that I have discussed the Main styles of bicycles, it is your job to decipher which one best suits your riding style and how you intend to use the bicycle. If you are like myself, one bike will not fit all applications and you will end up with a garage full and have a different one for each day of the week, just like the clothes in your closet.

If you did not see a style of bicycle above that suits your needs, you may fit into a specific category that I did not discuss in this post. These styles of bikes are typically more unique and although widely used… are not as highly demanded as the others. If you have any questions about the styles of bikes I discussed, or what else is available from our retail stores, just ask me in a comment or contact either of our stores!

As always… I hope to see you out there and remember to be careful when riding!

Bryan

Explaining the mystery of saddle (seat) selection

Quite simply – If your bike seat hurts, it’s either not yet set up properly or it may be the wrong saddle for you!  If it hurts to ride, you will not ride as much as you otherwise would and you will not enjoy it.  So saddle comfort is really important.

There are a number of details a cyclist needs to consider when selecting their bicycle seat.  Here are the main ones:

1. There are gender specific shapes and widths of seats
2. What is the seat is made out of 
3. What padding the seat supports you with
4.  The positioning of the various padding systems internally within the saddle structure

Then once you have selected the correct seat you need to mount it to your bike in a way that you will benefit most from.  In other words, you need to be comfortable and this is done by having the seat correctly positioned on your bicycle.

1. The (up and down) angle of the seat
2. The fore vs aft position of the seat as it compares to the seat post & pedals
3. Is the seat straight relative to the bicycle frame

This may seem like a lot of things to consider, but if you aren’t comfortable when you sit on your bike seat and start to ride, almost nothing else will matters.