The Correct Cycling Posture
As you may already know there are many things that can be done to improve your cycling performance, however there is one that is often overlooked: posture.
How do you hold and control your body on the bike? Of course, this has nothing to do with how you look like when cycling. It has to do with adopting the right posture in order to improve your comfort and performance on the bike.
Each person is unique and of course there are different ways to hold your body when riding the bike. You don’t need to look exactly like the pro cyclists to have a proper posture on the bike.
So what does it take to do it right?
Relaxed Arms – One of the best things you can do to improve your cycling posture is avoiding locked elbows. Your arms should be relaxed with a slight bend at the elbow.
The bend in your back – Cyclists should have an even and smooth arch in the back when sitting on the bike.
Hip and Torso Rotation – Ideally, you are pedaling with your legs and glutes. Sometimes cyclists use torso muscles as well….and this is when improper posture sets in.
It is quite difficult to know exactly whether you have proper posture on the bike. Of course, you have to be aware of it before you can fix it.
Shoot a video or ask one of your friends to watch you. Ideally this should be done while on the road, but if you have to you can do it on a trainer. Do this from all angles so you can get a good feel for how your posture is while cycling.
Women specific – It’s not always the case, but quite often women are more subject to tight neck and shoulders while riding. Usually this is caused because women often experience increased pressure on the front of the saddle. To counteract this, it’s common to push on the handlebars to take pressure off the front of the seat. But that tension then moves onto the shoulders and upper body.
Do you have the correct posture when you ride the bike? Share with us in the comments below.
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