How To Avoid Hurting Yourself When Cycling

When cycling long distance, you should always bring your repair kit and enough water and energy replenishments

. It is also very important that you change your body posture and position when cycling long rides. Doing so can avoid ache and pains the next day. The key is to ride smoothly and not rigidly.

A word on hand positions

If you have constant aches at your hands, neck or shoulders, then the problem is clear. You keep the same hand position all the time during your entire ride. This might be great discipline. But, you should change the orientation of your hands now and then.

How to do this? You can change your hand positions on the handle bars. This is because different hand positions utilize different muscle groups of your body. Therefore, if you maintain a certain hand position for a very long time, that very same muscle group would tire and eventually give you problems later on.

Another tip on your hands

Generally, you would never want to grip the bicycle handle bars too tightly. The same applies when trying to steer your bike. Apply enough pressure so that it your hands rest and grip the handle bars at the same time. No need for crazy, strong grips here.

How to change hand positions

You have already known the benefits of changing hand positions. But how to do so? All racing bikes come with handle bars with hooks. There are 3 handle bar positions for your hands.

The first is placing your hands on the tops. This is similar to riding a mountain bike where your palms will be facing the ground. Of course, you can try putting both your hands further or closer, creating variations. This is by far the most comfortable position. But there is a downside to this. It will make your body go upright immediately. This increases wind resistance.

The second hand position is by putting your palms over the brake lever hoods. You will want to use this hand position for climbing purposes. Like the tops position, this will take off pressure from your back and shoulders.

Thirdly, there is the hand position for achieving the best cycling speed. During sprints, this is the favorite hand position that is used by professional riders. Grip the curved hooks when you cycle. This will allow your body to bend further into a more aerodynamic shape. But this will create more tension on your back and lead to fatigue faster.

How to save your neck

Other than hand positions, you can also change your neck positions. This is done by alternating your head direction towards the left, middle or right. Note that for sideways, you should not overdo it. Just a little turn to the side will utilize a different set of neck muscles, giving the other parts time to relax.

How to manage your elbows

The rule is to always keep them relaxed. If done properly, your upper body will be more relaxed. This is the key to a better riding experience. You never want to make your elbows too rigid or fixed. It will also cause other body parts like the shoulders and neck to become stiff as well.

by: Freddy R. Johnson

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