Power is nothing without control...

Power is nothing without control, so the Pirelli advertising slogan goes...

How about 'flexibility is nothing without control'?

When assessing Riders in the studio flexibility is often a notable obstacle to a comfortable and efficient bike fit.

That coupled with common asymmetries can cause the Rider issues in achieving his or her desired cycling goals.

So what does this mean, an aggressive regimen of forced stretching of muscles and tissues with the aim of 'willowy' flexibility, in a 'no pain no gain' style assault on the task in hand.

Well ideally no.

Flexibility is great and certainly a useful attribute to us all, not least those riding a bike, but flexibility on it's own is not the aim.

Having the body control to sustain a comfortable and efficient position is also very important. Without the control there is an ever present possibility of over stretching and causing injury to the joint or other structures.

When stretching posture is very important.

Being able to touch your toes when standing is a perhaps an indicator of flexibility, but without considering if all the structures in the chain that are being stretched are moving as they should, repeating this activity will just lead to the flexible structures getting more flexible and the tight structures at best simply staying tight - ultimately leading to injury.

Perhaps consider that the chain is only as good as it's weakest link.

When fitting a bike to the rider, the comfortable position that is able to be maintained is more important that the ideal numbers for joint angle to a point. The ideas are a great guide for reduction of injury and can provide an aim for the rider, but comfort is the key.

The same is true for stretching, being comfortable and sustaining a good posture is key for continued improvement and consistent gains both off and on the bike.

Good position when working through the degrees of (almost) inevitable asymmetry is hugely important. Often I find the dominant side of the rider is a little tighter than the contralateral side. In many case this leads to a less efficient and potentially injurious movement on that less dominant side.

Care is then also required when stretching to pursue balance where possible.

Some simple self tests will highlight your own asymmetry and if you are seated reading this have a thought about your posture...

until next time, thanks for reading and happy miles.

fit-me-up

contact me with any questions

more information?

It is getting colder, but is finger numbness just due to the weather..?

It is getting colder, but is finger numbness just due to the weather..?

Increasingly I am asked about wrist pain or finger numbness and ‘pins and needles’ sensation in the fingers and hands. If we get the obvious out of the way first…

 As more of us spend greater amounts of time at our desks accomplishing tasks requiring our attention, we can neglect our postures.

 Specifically that of our backs, which can lead to a visual ‘rounding’ of the shoulders is viewed from the side.

 When sitting on the bike this posture alteration can transfer on to the bike and lead to excessive extension of the spine at the neck, which can cause a whole set of issues including hand and finger numbness, pain and pins & needles sensation.

 Wrist position examples

 With the help of the Studio Skeleton ‘Rodney’ we can demonstrate some simple wrist positions. 

This example shows a ‘neutral’ position for the wrist and the likely distribution of force along the line of the limb rather than creating a specific point of pressure and potential injury. 

This will encourage a more comfortable position allowing most of the road buzz and bumps to be attenuated through the elbows, reducing the risk of injury at the wrist.

Comfort is key here, on longer rides and rides over rougher ground the wrist position will become more critical.

The position here shows the wrist is bent down from the thumb. This can often result in increased pressure in the direction of the arrow, together with discomfort, numbness and injury.

This is often the case when the hoods are rotated back towards the rider, though alteration in isolation can lead to other issues as it can change the position of the rider on the saddle.

In this example the wrist is angled downwards, the opposite to the image above. The resulting pressure is the again transferred into the wrist joint rather than dissipated along the limb, perhaps with some flex at the elbow joint.

This can often be the result of having to over reach for the hoods on bar.

Both the second two examples will load the wrist and make it less comfortable and more difficult to handle the bikes, particularly over rougher ground.

Hand size is worth a mention too, for ladies and smaller riders who may have problems holding the hoods and still being able to exert sufficient pressure on the brake levers in the event of needing to stop quickly. Whilst a one size fits all type solution is provided here more than at any other part of the bike, it is worth considering different manufacturers offering before purchase.

In addition to the wrist specific issues dealt with above, hand position can have further reaching (sorry!) implications for weight transfer.

For example, if you are transferring too much or too little body weight through your hands it will adversely alter the handling of your and make it awkward to turn or ‘skittish’.

A common cause of too much weight on the hands is the tilting of the saddle nose down. An upward tilt will have the opposite effect, but that will generally be the least of your concerns due to the forced spinal position this often creates.

Gloves.

While some riders prefer fingerless and some prefer a full finger glove the importance of both feeling and ,in the UK at least, warmth. As with other items of clothing that require the fit to aid comfort, trying for size is important. If your gloves are not comfortable and offering the right amount of padding for you in the right place for you, you will alter your hand position. This is not immediately terrible as we all move hand position while riding, but when we choose to and not out of discomfort distraction.

Remember any change in isolation will lead to alterations elsewhere in your position.

Happy Miles

Fit Me Up

info@fit-me-up.com

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