Ahh cycling. A healthy low impact sport, great for your physical and mental wellbeing. If only…
As you probably know, as you ride more, it’s not uncommon to start suffering with annoying niggles which cause pain, discomfort and general misery. It’s not all bad news though, as quite a few of these niggles are avoidable!
Being totally honest with you, I have suffered with pretty much all of these at some point along my cycling timeline, so some of the advice is from personal experience. What I have learnt is that painkillers or homeopathic remedies will only mask or temporarily reduce your symptoms. To truly heal, you need to look at the root cause and adjust accordingly. Hopefully some of the advice I give you here is useful, but if you have exhausted all of these, it’s time for some specialist help.
Knee issues
It makes sense to start with the top dog of cycling niggles: The sore knee. Although most people’s exact point of pain varies, the main catalysts can be narrowed down to just a few common denominators. Knee pain is a complex subject that extends far beyond the scope of this article, so I’ll keep it brief…
Poor equipment condition or set up as below can result in extended periods of pain and in some cases, rendering you unable to cycle until the issue has been resolved. As with most injuries, a reduction in training volume is key to reduce the stress on the affected area, thus allowing swelling and inflammation to reduce. It is at this point that you need to consider your biometrics to try and figure out why the pain is being caused. Injury prevention trumps the cure.
-Worn cleats can cause misalignment and an unstable platform to stand on.
-Incorrect cleat position can cause knee pain by forcing the leg into an unnatural pedalling motion leading to strain on the joints and ligaments.
-Overly long cranks increase the range of motion required at the knee and hip.
-Saddle height being too high will make you overstretch your legs, causing excessive hip rocking, which can result in knee pain, lower back discomfort, and hamstring strain.
-Tight hip flexor muscles resulting from limited ranges of motion (sorry cycling!) can lead to immobility or tightness in the hips which is a major contributor of knee pain
-Poor muscle flexibility and tightness in hips, quads and hamstrings will cause you issues. Even a professional bike fit won’t get you out of this one!
Tight shoulders and neck
Neck pain in cycling is often caused by excessive pressure on the upper body, particularly when too much weight is transmitted through the handlebars. Ideally, the majority of your body weight needs to be in your saddle, but if the reach is too long, your saddle is nose down, or the handlebars are too low, the arms and wrists absorb excessive force, leading to discomfort.
I find a good test for this is to ride along and take your hands off your handlebars (also works on a turbo trainer provided your bike is flat). If you find you’re slipping forward on your saddle, adjust the saddle nose up by a degree. This should stop you from sliding forward off the front and in turn, will reduce the stress on your wrists.
If you’re still sliding forward, adjust again. Works every time for me!
A low handlebar position can also force you to hyperextend your neck to maintain visibility, straining the muscles over time. Additionally, this poor posture can contribute to a hot, burning pain between the shoulders, as the upper back muscles become fatigued from prolonged tension and overuse. For those aiming for an aggressive aero position, this is one of the tradeoffs.
Saddle sores
Saddle sores can occur in both beginner and professional riders. No one is immune to them. But what causes saddle sores?
Saddle sores are caused by a mixture of friction, localised pressure points, heat, moisture and sometimes bacteria.
If untreated, they can become serious enough to force even professional rider to climb off their bike. Beyond local discomfort, they can lead to further injuries if a rider starts sitting unevenly to avoid pressure, causing strain elsewhere. Saddle sores typically appear as raised, sore areas of skin on the buttocks or undercarriage due to prolonged contact with the saddle.
Once a sore develops, keeping the area clean with mild soap, dry, and free from pressure is key. Sometimes this means time off the bike. Prevention comes down to a well-fitted saddle and good quality cycling shorts. Chamois cream can reduce friction and prevent bacterial build-up, while changing out of shorts quickly after a ride and washing them every use helps maintain hygiene.
Hair removal should be minimal, as ingrown hairs can worsen the issue. In serious cases, topical cream can be applied to the affected area which drastically speeds up the healing time however at the expense of thinning the skin.
MTB knee and hand trauma
One for the mountain bikers! Aside from wearing a helmet and gloves which I’d argue are an absolute necessity when mountain biking, if you could have one other piece of protective equipment, I’d got for shin or knee protection… Aside from the high risk of flat pedals cutting deep into your shin, or landing knee first into rock, if you are going over the bars, your knees are usually greeted by your stem before the inevitable thud and crunch into the floor.
Even the most basic of protective pads will make a big difference, and modern technology means that movement is not restricted. Top tip. Always wash gloves and knee pads; otherwise, they’ll stink after just a few rides!
Hot foot
Given the constant pressure exerted through the pedals and the use of stiff-soled shoes, it’s no surprise to find many riders suffer from foot pain. ‘Hot foot’, is a burning sensation or pain on the ball of the foot which occurs when pressure compresses the nerves. In summer, swollen feet may require looser shoes or wider-fitting options. In my case, it was caused by riding long hours in a set of Sidi road cycling shoes which were a little on the tight side. The balls of my feet caused me a huge amount of pain, so I switched to Bont shoes which were custom mouldable and never had the issue again. I put this down to more space in the toe box and much better arch support.
Put simply, I opted for a shoe that fitted me, as opposed to one which looked good. If you get ‘Hot foot’, It may be time to reassess your shoe choice!
Wrist pain
Wrist and hand pain is usually caused by excessive pressure on the hands from poor bike fit and hand positioning, leading to numbness, tingling, or discomfort. Too much weight on the hands can compress the ulnar and median nerves, especially if the handlebars are too low, or the reach is too long. As with the issue of sore shoulders, saddle angle can play a big part here.
Keeping hands in one position for too long or gripping the bars too tightly can also lead to strain, while rough terrain increases vibrations that add to the discomfort. Aero bars are also another culprit for causing pressure points on your hands, so if buying a new bike, bear this in mind.
Injuries to wallet
Cycling is expensive enough as it is and having to replace bikes which have been crashed or stolen is not something that any of us want to do. If you don’t think you could afford to replace your bikes, why not consider insuring them with Pedal Cover? we have rolling monthly bike insurance policies which can be cancelled at any time, or if cancellation isn’t something that really worries you, why not take out a Pedal Cover all-in-one home and bicycle insurance policy?
All pedal Cover policies include theft, crash damage and accidental damage as standard and with no extra cost monthly on our bicycle-only insurance, the policies may be cheaper than you’d think. You can get a quote here or if you’d prefer to talk to one of our bike riding customer service team, just drop them a line on 0800 121 4424. They’re free to talk Mon-Fri 0900-1700
Cycling in isolation and high volume can be a double-edged sword. Yes you get fit and you’ll be strong on the bike, but without additional exercises and maintenance, it is possible to start suffering from painful and annoying niggles, many of which are avoidable.
Your body is exposed to a minimal range of movement and constant flexion. Adding extension exercises to your life will really help and it’ll reduce your off-bike downtime. like gin and tonic, always best served together.
If you want to save yourself from big physio bills, keep on top of your bike setup, embrace alternative exercise that includes a varied range of movement, and don’t forget to stretch!
