Are you Ready to Ride?

3 TIPS TO START THE CYCLING SEASON OFF RIGHT!

Read on for great info on how to get you AND your bike ready for the upcoming season.

Tip #1:  Start off low, slow, and flat

Starting the season off easy is the key to long-term success!  Whether you spent the winter on the slopes, in the gym or on the couch, the stress cycling places on your body is different from other activities. It is important to give our body time to adjust to the new stress we are placing on our tissues and cardiovascular system.  In my experience, the majority of cycling-related injuries occur when we put too much strain on our bodies too quickly. Our tissues are amazing at adapting to physical stress, but too much strain too quickly frequently is a recipe for pain.

Avoid hills  – steep inclines place a higher strain on joints, muscles and cardiovascular system; try to select a route with fewer hills – if you must do hills, selecting an easier gear and spin your way up a climb to place less strain on your body.

Lower Intensity – Working at an easier pace in the early season helps to build cardio, while minimizing the stress we place on our heart, lungs and muscle tissue.  Using the “talk test” is a good way to gauge how hard you are working. If you are unable to speak more than a couple of words without breathing, you are probably working too hard for the early season.

Ramp it up –  Once your body is adjusted to cycling (~4-6 weeks) it’s a great idea to begin slowly adding hills and harder work intensities into your rides to challenge yourself and your body!

Tip #2:  Tune up your body

• Getting your body ready for the biking season is an important step to an injury-free summer. Over the winter we may lose some of the strength and mobility needed for cycling. Performing a combination of light strengthening and stretching exercises in preparation for the cycling season will not only make pedalling feel easier, it will also help you stay healthy.
• Strength training, yoga, Pilates and cross-training with other activities are all great ways to tune up your body for cycling.
• Specific strengthening- performing specific exercises to help train our muscles for the strain of cycling is paramount. Look for our blog next week where we will discuss specific exercises to help avoid common cycling injuries.
• If you are currently injured or have an injury that re-occurs every season, consult a physiotherapist to help alleviate the pain and prevent further injury.
• Warm-up – a great way to prevent injury is to perform a simple dynamic warm-up right before your ride. A dynamic warm-up is a simple 3-5 minute routine that preps your body for riding, like warming up your car on a cold day. Click here and try this great warm-up…

Tip #3:  Get your bike fit

• Once your body and bike are tuned up for the season, it is important to look at the fit of your bike. Having a properly adjusted bike to your body will help reduce injury, optimize your comfort and efficiency, and generally improve your riding experience by making it feel much easier.
• An improper bike setup can lead to injury by placing increased forces on our joints and tissues, and makes you have to work MUCH harder!
• This video explains how to perform a basic setup on your bike. These tips can be used as a basic guideline to get you started.

** For mountain bikes- you may want to lower your seat an additional 2-3 cms when using the above method for seat height, which allows for added stability.

Important! While a basic setup will get you started, these tips may not work for everybody. The position of our bike is highly individual and can greatly differ from person to person. Our body type, flexibility, strength and past injuries can all impact the way our bike should be set up. If you currently are injured, bike frequently, or find the general guidelines don’t work for you, you would benefit greatly from a personalized bike fit.  If performed by a physiotherapist, a portion of your bike fit may be covered by your extended health benefits.

Happy Riding!

Ross Horsley – MScPT, BKIN

Ross is a physiotherapist and an awesome bike fitter. He is an avid cyclist that enjoys two-wheeled adventures from road riding, hitting the dirt on some trails and simply commuting around town.