Tiemeyer PositionCycle tm
There are a few things to remember about the relationship between the body and the bicycle:
- The cycling position, even one “bent over the handlebars,” should not be uncomfortable. It is based on a variation of the classic “athletic stance” used in almost all sports. Whether it is seen in skiing or tennis or baseball, it is achieved by finding a point of balanced weight distribution over your feet. This then allows your shoulders, arms, and neck to relax and you able to hold onto whatever is called for out front, whether poles or racquet or bat, or handlebars.
- The cyclist will find the most sustainable performance when balanced comfortably in this “athletic stance.” The point of the stance is that it relieves the muscles of all but the most basic postural duties, so they can work towards the sport-specific performance.
- Virtually any discomfort or pain while on a bike can be addressed through proper bike-fitting. Even though the fitting process begins with the general, effective “athletic stance,” its focus is on matching your bike to the specifics of your body’s particular strengths and limitations, allowing the bike-fit coach to chase the biomechanical problems specific to you. Think of the pedaling biomechanics as being your body’s way of applying its inate hard-wired motor program for running to the closed-gait limits of the bike. Of course, we change our stride lengths naturally to adjust to the grade going up- or down-hill, or as we change pace, but we will always go back to the default, normal stride pattern. Imagine being asked to add or subtract three inches from your stride length while you are walking or running – all the time. It would be possible for a while, like making the adjustment on a hill, but it would leave you exhausted if continuous! The point of the bike fit is to match the equipment to how your legs want to move through the equivalent of your stride, plus leave enough wiggle-room that you can self-adjust depending on conditions.
For some cyclists, fine-tuning their position is all about improving performance. But for many, especially as they age, proper bike fit is essential in avoiding or eliminating injury. Even though cycling is often a recommended form of exercise because it is low impact, injury can result from the high number of repetitions. If something is a little off, your body can adjust up to a point but has to deal with it many thousands of repetitions per ride.
In most sports it is up to the athlete to self-adjust within her body’s range of motion, to stay within the zone that keeps the skeletal system aligned and muscles optimally extended. For example, a hiker on a rocky trail must consciously adjust her gait and footfall to avoid losing her balance or spraining her ankle. In contrast, the cyclist’s position is virtually fixed in place to the contact points of pedals, seat, and handlebars. The placement of those points determines joint alignment and muscle extension/contraction. If the contact points determine a poor position, the body looks for ways to compensate elsewhere, leading to discomfort, greater fatigue, or injury.
From a therapeutic, or corrective standpoint, having the contact points determine your alignment means that problems can be remedied by making specific adjustments to those points of contact. It is worth getting the points right because, like after any repetitive motion injury, you still have to get back to the motion of the activity and not have the injury recur.
Important reminder:
Obviously, not every problem is solved through proper bike fit. Sometimes referral to a medical professional is necessary. Pain is a warning signal for something being wrong and should be respected. As long as it is clear that bike-fitting is the appropriate route, well-considered adjustments to the bike and rider posture often avoid a trip to the PT, doctor, or surgeon later.
