Bike fit : optimise your bike position for high performance and injury avoidance

This practical guide, written by a leading BIKE FIT expert, takes you step-by-step through the BIKE FIT process - to ensure you maximise your cycling potential. Do you suffer from lower back pain after a long weekend ride? Do your shoes wear out on one side more than the other? Are you experiencing numbness in your hands, or knee pain? Phil Burt, Head Physiotherapist at British Cycling and Team Sky Consultant Physiotherapist, has worked with hundreds of cyclists to help them solve these and many other classic cycling niggles. In this book he outlines his methods to help you analyse your positi Read more... Abstract: This practical guide, written by a leading BIKE FIT expert, takes you step-by-step through the BIKE FIT process - to ensure you maximise your cycling potential. Do you suffer from lower back pain after a long weekend ride? Do your shoes wear out on one side more than the other? Are you experiencing numbness in your hands, or knee pain? Phil Burt, Head Physiotherapist at British Cycling and Team Sky Consultant Physiotherapist, has worked with hundreds of cyclists to help them solve these and many other classic cycling niggles. In this book he outlines his methods to help you analyse your positi Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 FOREWORD: SIR CHRIS HOY 8 FOREWORD: CHRIS BOARDMAN 12 1 INTRODUCTION 14 BIKE POSITION: A BRIEF HISTORY 18 SUMMARY OF METHODS OF FIT 24 2 BIKE-RELATED ANATOMY 26 ANATOMY OF THE LOWER BODY 28 ANATOMY OF THE TRUNK AND BACK 33 CONTACT POINTS 36 3 THE BIKE FIT WINDOW 38 JOINT ANGLES 42 HOW TO GET INTO YOUR BIKE FIT WINDOW 42 SADDLE 42 HANDLEBARS 52 PEDALS 59 FOOT/PEDAL INTERFACE 61 FOOT/PEDAL FLOAT 64 STANCE WIDTH 68 4 THE THREE PILLARS OF FIT 70 TEAM PURSUIT 72 TIME TRIAL 73 SPORTIVE 73 COMMUTER/SHOPPER 73 GOAL SETTING 76 EVOLUTION NOT REVOLUTION 76 MICRO-ADJUSTERS AND MACRO-ABSORBERS 77 5 WHEN PROBLEMS OCCUR 82 OFF-THE-BIKE WORK 84 FOOT/ANKLE 85 KNEE 96 HIPS 105 SADDLE-RELATED INJURIES 108 LOW BACK PAIN 112 LEG LENGTH DIFFERENCE 115 SHOULDERS 118 NECK 118 TRICEPS 119 HANDS AND FINGERS 119 6 SPECIALIST AREAS OF CYCLING 122 AERODYNAMICS 124 TIME TRIALLING 128 UCI RULES (AT TIME OF WRITING) 138 MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDING 142 TRACK CYCLING 143 THE GROWING RIDER 147 7 OFF-THE-BIKE WORK TO HELP CYCLING AND BIKE POSITION 148 WHY? 150 WHEN? 150 FOR HOW LONG? 150 THE EXERCISES 152 FOAM ROLLER 152 BUSTING THE CORE MYTH 158 8 CASE STUDIES 164 CASE STUDY 1 166 CASE STUDY 2 167 CASE STUDY 3 167 CASE STUDY 4 170 CASE STUDY 5 170 CASE STUDY 6 171 CASE STUDY 7 171 CASE STUDY 8 172 CASE STUDY 9 172 9 MYTH BUSTERS 174 SET YOUR CLEATS AS FAR FORWARD AS POSSIBLE 176 IN PEDALLING, HIP FLEXORS ARE IMPORTANT IN PULLING UP ON THE PEDAL 176 HIP FLEXORS BECOME TIGHT IN CYCLISTS BECAUSE THEY WORK A LOT 176 YOU CAN COACH PEDALLING 176 CRANK LENGTH IS AN IMPORTANT DETERMINANT OF CYCLING EFFICIENCY 178 YOU SHOULD SET YOUR CLEATS TO HAVE YOUR FEET FACING STRAIGHT AHEAD 178 CANTING OR WEDGING LEADS TO DIRECT IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER OUTPUT 179 YOUR KNEES SHOULD TRACK DIRECTLY UP AND DOWN VIEWED FROM THE FRONT 179 MOVING AROUND A LOT IS AN INDICATION OF POOR CORE 179 CYCLING AT 100RPM OR ABOVE IS MORE EFFICIENT 179 OVAL CHAINRINGS ARE BETTER THAN CIRCULAR ONES 180 FLOAT ROBS YOU OF POWER 180 FLOAT STOPS YOU GETTING KNEE PAIN 180 10 RECORDING YOUR POSITION 182 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND PICTURE CREDITS 185 GLOSSARY 186 RECOMMENDED READING AND USEFUL WEBSITES 188 BIBLIOGRAPHY 188 INDEX 191 This practical guide, written by a leading BIKE FIT expert, takes you step-by-step through the BIKE FIT process – to ensure you maximise your cycling potential. Do you suffer from lower back pain after a long weekend ride? Do your shoes wear out on one side more than the other? Are you experiencing numbness in your hands, or knee pain? Phil Burt, Head Physiotherapist at British Cycling and Team Sky Consultant Physiotherapist, has worked with hundreds of cyclists to help them solve these and many other classic cycling niggles. In this book he outlines his methods to help you analyse your position and get the best from your bike. The right BIKE FIT can mean the difference between a good ride and a bad one, but a professional fit can cost more than you paid for your bike. The information is all here. Let Phil Burt guide you through your own BIKE FIT, to ensure your bike and body work in harmony. Packed with useful diagrams, step by step diagnostics and case studies, this is the must-read for any cyclist keen to get a performance advantage. The essential practical guide to setting up your bike to maximise performance and avoid injury, written by renowned Lead Physiotherapist at British Cycling, and Consultant to Team Sky, Phil Burt. Foreword by Sir Chris Hoy and introduction by Chris Boardman