Correct Cycling Technique? ? ?

OoOGazOoO said:

Hi guys how is everyone, i am new here and just have a few questions if that is ok.

I have had knee surgery in november and i have been told by my surgeon that i need to start building strength back up in the knee and start biking as that will help.

I have got a spin bike, bought it today (Pulse Life Cycle) and would just like some tips if i may on the correct cycling techinque. May sound like a silly question i know, but i just need to know how to minimise stress on the joints and make the muscle do the work more.

I would like some pointers please on seat heigh, leg position during cycling, where on the foot i should be pushing from, and any other tips or advice you can give me.

Many Thanks.

Gaz.

well, on a real bike you set your saddle height by sitting on the bike, and putting your heel on the pedal. on the bottom position, your leg should be straight. if it isn't adjust until it is...

while pedaling the bike, you should put the ball of the foot onto the pedal.

the following is my own preference that you might try... I find I prefer to pedal while pointing the toe down somewhat from "flat" position. It helps me push on the bottom of the stroke... but others will have their own preferences...

Hi there e0richt thank you for the post, i appreciate that.

Ah right i didnt realise the leg should be straight at the bottom, that is great, thank you, i will have to adjust the seat so that it is like that.

Im sorry that i sound like a complete beginner but i just need to mimimise risk to joints, etc... as you can appreciate, im sure.

The pointing of the toe, for you, does that place more work on the gastrocnemius? ? ?

OoOGazOoO said:

Hi there e0richt thank you for the post, i appreciate that.

Ah right i didnt realise the leg should be straight at the bottom, that is great, thank you, i will have to adjust the seat so that it is like that.

Im sorry that i sound like a complete beginner but i just need to mimimise risk to joints, etc... as you can appreciate, im sure.

The pointing of the toe, for you, does that place more work on the gastrocnemius? ? ?

I believe so but thats not the reason, it allows me to push through the bottom of the stroke easier... Eddy Mercx once said you have to remember to "scrape the mud off your shoe"... meaning don't neglect pushing the bottom of the stroke... obviously, would keep his foot parallel to the ground...

oh and finally, just to make sure, once you have adjusted your seat as I described. you need to test out the position, by putting the ball of your foot on the pedal. You should end up with a slight bend in your knee at the bottom position which is correct...

when you pedal, if you feel any strain in the quads or in the front of the knee, then you have the seat too low... if you feel any strain in the hamstrings or in the back of the knee, then you have the seat too high...

you can "dial in" the right height by raising/lowering the seat about 1/4 inch before a session and see how your legs feel...

Thanks again for the tips that is great.

I will have to have a go with these techniques tomorrow when i go on the bike again and then let you know how i get on.

Thanks again for the quick and helpful replies, i really appreciate it.

🙂

OoOGazOoO said:

Hi guys how is everyone, i am new here and just have a few questions if that is ok.

I have had knee surgery in november and i have been told by my surgeon that i need to start building strength back up in the knee and start biking as that will help.

I have got a spin bike, bought it today (Pulse Life Cycle) and would just like some tips if i may on the correct cycling techinque. May sound like a silly question i know, but i just need to know how to minimise stress on the joints and make the muscle do the work more.

I would like some pointers please on seat heigh, leg position during cycling, where on the foot i should be pushing from, and any other tips or advice you can give me.

Many Thanks.

Gaz.

If you want to minimize the stress on the joints (and ensure that all the muscles are exercised "equally" you should modify the bike and put PowerCranks on the bike. (www.powercranks.com) Just so you know I invented them and manufacture and sell them but we do give a 90 day moneyback guarantee so you could rehab and then return them if you desired. I am not sure the bike you have is modifiable but if you are interested we can help you answer that question. Anyhow, if rehab is your goal, PowerCranks should be part of your game, IMHO.

e0richt said:

well, on a real bike you set your saddle height by sitting on the bike, and putting your heel on the pedal. on the bottom position, your leg should be straight. if it isn't adjust until it is...

while pedaling the bike, you should put the ball of the foot onto the pedal.

Well it's a fairly simple way of looking at it but not a bad approximation. Start there are then see if it's comfortable. Your weight should be borne mostly on your sit bones and not on anything not designed to bear weight😉.

Best thing is to start easy, not ride for too long and gradually increase duration and resistance over time. It takes time for the body to adapt to new positions.

Not sure about the bike, is it like attached pic?

If so, you have a bit of adjustment choice. In terms of reach to the pedals, it is usually better to have the saddle slightly (i.e. a few mm) low than slightly high. If too high, you will probably find your hips/pelvis will rock side to side (not good) and hamstrings may become sore. If too low you can place a bit more stress on the knees (even though the total forces when pedalling aren't that great) but considering your injury it's why I recommend starting real easy. In terms of total reach to the pedals, you can also move saddle for/aft. If total leg reach to pedals is OK but you want to move the saddle back (say 10-15mm), you also should move it down a little (2-4mm). And vice versa....

As for the hands, again comfort is important - you shouldn't be bearing much weight on your hands - you should be able to ride and lift you hands off the bars without feeling like you are going to fall forward (if so bring the bars back/up). So consider adjusting the bar position accordingly.

[img]file:///C:/WINDOWS/TEMP/moz-screenshot-16.jpg[/img][img]file:///C:/WINDOWS/TEMP/moz-screenshot-17.jpg[/img]Here are some items about positioning in some detail:
cyclefitcentre.comfurther%20reading.htmOpen ↗

Good luck with it!

OoOGazOoO said:

Hi guys how is everyone, i am new here and just have a few questions if that is ok.

I have had knee surgery in november and i have been told by my surgeon that i need to start building strength back up in the knee and start biking as that will help.

I have got a spin bike, bought it today (Pulse Life Cycle) and would just like some tips if i may on the correct cycling techinque. May sound like a silly question i know, but i just need to know how to minimise stress on the joints and make the muscle do the work more.

I would like some pointers please on seat heigh, leg position during cycling, where on the foot i should be pushing from, and any other tips or advice you can give me.

Many Thanks.

Gaz.

In addition to seat adjustment as described already, I would recommend that you dont use too big a gear. It is much easier on the knees if you spin the pedals faster in a low gear than pushing hard in a big gear. Use your gears to adjust to a comfortable spinning rate especially on hills.

I would just be cautious of the pressure you are putting on the pedals 1)set the resistance at a level you could continue at for 4 or more hours to start (don't actually do 4 hours though go no more than 1.5 hours). 2)If you get 500 miles behind you with no problems increase the resistance but avoid a resistance that would force you to stop in less than 15 minutes . 3) Then after a few months try to find your 20 minute max speed/resistance and try riding at about 75% of that speed with the same resistance even when out of the saddle stay at that speed do 2 or 3 20 minute intervals every other day at that 75% speed evaluate your 20 minute max speed/resistance every couple of months.