If you ride regularly, you want to be comfortable on your bike. There are a few easy things you can do at home to make sure your bike setup is working as well as possible.
One of the most important things to look at is your seat. A seat thats too high is a recipe for sore pressure points and achy hips; a seat thats too low can lead to debilitating knee pain.
If you can feel your hips moving from side to side across the top of the seat, the seat is most likely too high. If your knee is bent considerably at the bottom of the pedal stroke, the seat is most likely too low.
So how do you get seat height just right? The expert opinion is that your foot is in the correct pedaling position when the ball of your foot is over the pedal and your knee is bent to approximately 25 degrees.
Of course, its not always possible to estimate knee angles accurately, so a quick way to figure this out is to move your foot so the heel rather than the ball of the foot rests on the pedal. Then adjust the seat so your leg is straight when you reach the bottom of the downstroke. When you move your foot back to the normal pedaling position, you should find that your knee is just slightly bent.
Dont cheap out on your seat, either. The more time you spend in the saddle, the more important a comfy seat.
Cheap gel covers dont provide nearly the same level of comfort as a well-constructed seat. Riding on a seat designed for the opposite gender is also not something I would recommend; there are anatomical reasons for the different designs!
Handlebars are another key aspect of riding comfort since poor positioning can lead to all kinds of back, neck, shoulder, arm and wrist problems.
You want to be able to hold the bars so you can cycle with your elbows just slightly bent and arent putting excessive weight through your hands and wrists. (The latter is especially important if you have issues with repetitive strain injuries.)
Keep your grip relaxed and try changing your hand position if you start to feel any soreness in your wrists or arms. I also highly recommend padded gloves; theyre not expensive and really help cushion bumps and road vibrations.
These are relatively easy tweaks to make, but I personally feel that one of the best investments you can make in your bike is a proper fit.
Its easy to think of these recommendations as suited only to the long-distance or hardcore cyclist, but even commuter cyclists with a relatively short daily ride can benefit enormously from a bike that has been adjusted to accommodate the dimensions and idiosyncrasies of their particular body.
A fit doesnt have to be expensive; most bike shops offer a basic fit for less than $100.
Kay Cahill is a cyclist, librarian and outdoor enthusiast. Read more at sidecut.ca or email kay@sidecut.ca.