Fit for the Road

Fit for the Road

BY THE EDITORS OF BICYCLING MAGAZINE

Here's how to achieve a comfortable, efficient position on your road bike. By following these adjustment procedures and cycling techniques, you'll ride stronger and reduce your chance of sustaining aches and injuries to muscles or joints.

1. Neck. Try not to keep your head in one position for a long time. As you're riding, periodically tilt it or roll it to either side to reduce strain or stiffness.

2. Upper body/shoulders. Overall, let your legs do as much of the work as possible, not your upper body. Even when climbing or pedaling hard on the flats, keep your upper body and shoulders relaxed. Don't hunch them.

3. Arms. Keep your elbows slightly bent to absorb road shock, and hold them in line with your body, not splayed outward. Your arms will be more relaxed if your grip isn't overly tight.

4. Top-tube and stem length. Because women have relatively short torsos, extra attention must go into the top-tube and stem lengths when buying a bike. When you're sitting normally with your hands on the brake lever hoods and your arms slightly bent, the handlebar should obscure the front hub when you glance down. A new rider should aim for a straight back positioned at about a 50-degree angle to the ground. With flexibility and experience, you should evolve into a 45-degree position and possibly need a stem that's 1 or 2 cm longer. This will aid aerodynamics, improve pedaling power, and help straighten your back.

5. Stem height. The top of the handlebar stem should be about an inch below the top of the saddle. If you can lower it a little farther without upper-body or breathing discomfort, do so. It will make you more aerodynamic.

6. Handlebar. The bottom, flat portions of the handlebar (known as the drops) should be level or angled slightly down toward the rear brake. Handlebar width should equal shoulder width. This opens your chest to facilitate breathing without creating unnecessary wind drag.

7. Brake levers. Wrists should be straight when you're grasping the levers with your hands in the hooks of a drop handlebar. To accomplish this, set the levers' positions so their tips just touch a straightedge extended from the bottoms of the drops.

8. Hands. Don't hold the handlebar in a death grip. Place your hands down in the hooks or on the drops when going fast or riding into a headwind. Grasp the brake lever hoods on top for easy-paced, flatland riding. Sit up and hold the top of the bar for added leverage and easier breathing on long, steady climbs. Change hand position often to avoid the constant pressure that can make hands become numb. When standing, grasp the hoods lightly and gently rock the bike from side to side in synch with your pedal strokes. Always keep your thumb and at least one finger closed around the hood or bar to prevent losing your grip on bumps.

9. Back. Whether riding on the brake hoods or the drops, your back should be straight, not bowed or hunched. If you rotate the top of your hips forward, you will minimize the bend in your lower back. It helps to imagine that you're trying to point your belly button at the top tube.

10. Butt. During normal riding, your sit bones should be perched on the broader rear portion of the seat. If it isn't wide enough in the rear for proper support (or if you are uncomfortable in this position), replace the saddle with a model that's anatomically designed for women. For better leverage, slide backward on the saddle when climbing or pushing big gears. Move forward for increased leg speed during sprints or other short, hard efforts.

11. Saddle height. The distance measured from the center of the crankset axle, along the seat tube, to the top of the saddle should be 0.883 of your inseam length (measured in stocking feet from floor to crotch). When height is right, your knees will be slightly bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke, and, when viewed from behind, your hips will not rock as you pedal. Raise the saddle an extra 2 to 3 mm if you have large feet for your height. If your present saddle height is way off, make changes 2 mm at a time over the course of several rides in order to avoid knee or muscle strain.

12. Saddle tilt. The saddle should be level or pointed very slightly down at the nose, depending on what feels better. Don't tilt the nose down any more than it takes to relieve pressure or you will slide forward, putting additional weight on your arms and knees.

13. Knee-over-pedal. A weighted string held to the front of your forward knee should touch the end of the crankarm when you're seated comfortably with the crankarms horizontal. Adjust as necessary by sliding the saddle fore or aft. Or you may wish to try a slight variation. Placing your saddle 1 to 2 cm farther back fosters a more powerful pedaling style for climbing or time trialing. Moving it 1 to 2 cm forward aids spinning and sprinting.

14. Frame. Frame size should result in 4 to 5 inches of exposed seatpost once saddle height is correct. (Frame size refers to seat-tube length, generally measured from the center of the crankset axle to the top of the top tube.) Overall, a smaller frame is desirable for lightness and stiffness. However, don't use such a small frame that the top tube is too short or the seatpost must be raised past the maximum-extension line engraved near its end.

15. Feet. To prevent knee injury, shoe cleats should be adjusted so that the angle of your feet on the pedals is natural. Think of your footprints when you walk from a swimming pool--some people's feet angle outward, while others' are pigeon-toed. The Rotational Adjustment Device (RAD), part of the Fit Kit bicycle sizing system used by many shops, can help transfer your natural foot position to the bike. Or you can reduce the need for precision by using a pedal system that allows your feet to freely pivot ("float") several degrees and find their natural angle. Either way, cleat placement should put the widest part of each foot directly above or slightly in front of the pedal axle. If you use toeclips, be sure they allow about ¼ inch of clearance beyond the tips of your shoes. If the clips are too close, you'll have a hard time getting your feet in and out. Put washers between the clips and pedals or install the next larger size.

16. Pedaling technique. You need a clipless pedal system or toeclips with straps for optimum pedaling efficiency. Concentrate on feeling the pedal all the way around and making smooth circles. Use your hamstrings to pull back at the bottom of each stroke (a motion similar to that used to scrape mud off the bottom of your foot), then raise your heel on the upstroke and bring your knee forward toward the handlebar. This helps eliminate dead spots, where no force is being applied.

17. Crankarm length. In general, if your inseam is less than 29 inches, use 165-mm crankarms; 29 to 32 inches, 170-mm; 33 to 34 inches, 172.5-mm; and more than 34 inches, 175-mm. Crankarm length is measured from the center of the crankarm axle bolt to the center of the pedal hole. But you won't need a ruler--the length is engraved on the back.