Aeroplanes, Giraffes… and a few bikes too
Pointing down toes, dropped heels, locked arms, sitting up too vertically or with the back too hunched over, gluteus spilling over the back of the saddle and so on… the list of serious, postural problems that so many cyclists exhibit while pedalling along our roads is long. So here we go, today we talk just about a few of these most common issues…
Pro-Tour bio-mechanic Giuseppe Giannecchini explains
Often a rider thinks he is pedalling correctly and he gets used to some habits, so when problems arise, he thinks he’s on the wrong bicycle. But why? Simply, the cyclist is pedalling incorrectly - without realising it - and consequently his body is, unconsciously, trying to find a way to compensate for this. Therefore he gets used to a riding position that seems more comfortable and efficient. Only when this rider experiences an issue, such as an overload or stress, then maybe he asks himself the key question: “Is my riding position good? Maybe there is something wrong with my bike?”…And this realisation could be a blessing in disguise, because if this issue does not incur - perhaps because the stress isn’t serious enough - he may well continue to pedal incorrectly for good. He’ll never know about the loss of power, performance and / or comfort that he’ll experience in all his cycling life.
Anyway, in the event that this lucky revelation of “something is wrong” occurs, the first thought is always to blame the bike (unfortunately!) without considering the presence of very common postural issues.
But which are these most common postural problems and what are they caused by?
The AEROPLANE - Or position too long (handlebars too far from the saddle):
It is inevitable here that, in order to reach the controls and to handle the bike, the rider will inexorably slide forward on the saddle, with a consequent loss of the rounded, regular pedalling action. This also provokes an increased pressure on the perineal area and a change of the body’s centre of balance. This misleading position will actually give the rider a false sensation of bigger efficiency (it will feel similar to the efficiency of a TT position) but in time this position will produce more frequent overloads to the knees and specific muscles areas (such as the quads) and it will also cause a much higher work load for shoulders, arms and hands, with possible stress and paraesthesia; the famous pins and needles. Frequently, pins and needles in the feet are also experienced as a consequence of this problem, together with the tendency to pedal with toes pointing down.
Reaching controls easily when on the drops is a rather difficult thing to achieve - But it becomes totally impossible if you’re a too stretched out “Aeroplane”.
The GIRAFFE - position too short (handlebars too close to the saddle):
Cyclists who are compressed into a position too short for them tend to feel the opposite: that the handlebar is too far away. This is odd but always true. They look down and see their arms long and tense, while their backs are also unconsciously adjusting, looking for more space, consequently pushing the pelvis backwards and so sliding off the back of the saddle. This gives the sensation of relieving the pressure from hands and arms, which were under stress because of the lack of horizontal space. This is the ‘wrong’ adjustment though and it can cause a pelvic crisis. The rider will be too far backwards, moving hips away from the relation with the pedals and wrongly increasing the femoral angle. Also the cervical spine area gets caught into this vicious cycle, which will be compressed into a behaviour of pushing the arms, in the attempt to straighten the back (or arche it even) in an unnatural way. To explain this odd - but very frequent - problematic, I always try to figuratively describe it as if there was someone who, from the back of the bike, is grabbing and holding back your jersey as you try to cycle away - try it out! As a consequence of this issue which strongly affects the correct work of the pelvis, riders often also experience tensions and pain on the hip area, which can be dangerous. Therefore getting this right becomes incredibly important; especially in those frequent cases when cycling is used as rehabilitation for post hip replacement surgery. In fact, cycling is particularly recommended for this therapy as when correctly sitting on the saddle, the hip load should practically be equal to zero. Another negative affect of the ‘Giraffe’ position is the handling of the bike, which is compromised, especially when descending. This is because the weight is badly distributed on the bike; too much on the rear and too little on the front, compromising stability, performance and safety.
“Giraffe” before the fit - a real cyclist after the fit
As very general advice, I have indicated below a guide which will help to identify your bike size / geometry, with 700c wheels. For simplicity, I have used the body height as a reference point, however it would be more correct to measure inseam, sternal notch, arms and shoe size. This schematic guide below is obviously more applicable for riders of “normal” proportions, whereas people with particular disproportions between body height and inseam (very short or very long legs) will find it more difficult to find some standard size bike frames that fit… and in “extreme” cases, the only option is a made to measure frame. Not least, remember that disc brake bikes (road and especially gravel) do have a longer fork, affecting the height of the handlebars consequently.
Body height 155 - 160 cm >>> Top-tube 500 - 515 mm, Head-tube 85 - 105 mm, Seat-tube angle: 75 - 74.50 Deg.
Body height 160 - 165 cm >>> Top-tube 515 - 525 mm, Head-tube 105 - 120 mm, Seat-tube angle: 74.50 - 74 Deg.
Body height 165 - 170 cm >>> Top-tube 525 - 535 mm, Head-tube 120 - 130 mm, Seat-tube angle: 74.50 - 74 Deg.
Body height 170 - 175 cm >>> Top-tube 535 - 550 mm, Head-tube 130 - 145 mm, Seat-tube angle: 74 - 73.50 Deg.
Body height 175 - 180 cm >>> Top-tube 550 - 565 mm, Head-tube 145 - 160 mm, Seat-tube angle: 73.50 - 73 Deg.
Body height 180 - 185 cm >>> Top-tube 565 - 575 mm, Head-tube 160 - 180 mm, Seat-tube angle: 73.50 - 73 Deg.
Body height 185 - 190 cm >>> Top-tube 575 - 585 mm, Head-tube 175 - 190 mm, Seat-tube angle: 73 - 72.75 Deg.
Body height 190 - 195 cm >>> Top-tube 585 - 595 mm, Head-tube 180 - 200 mm, Seat-tube angle: 73 - 72.50 Deg.
Body height 195 - 200 cm >>> Top-tube 595 - 615 mm, Head-tube 190 - 220 mm, Seat-tube angle: 73 - 72.50 Deg.
(the head tube indicated above is considered integrated, outside to outside; the top-tube measure is given as ‘effective’, centre to centre)
This is not rocket science - bike fitting is actually very simple and just observes a few ergonomic rules of the nature of our bodies; yet, these rules are constantly ignored by the majority of recreational cyclists (and bike shops!) - to their disadvantage. Come for a bike fit!
To conclude, we need to stress that all of these problems discussed can gradually become very serious and even potentially cause injury. It is obvious that the correction of the above errors can only be done within the window of a correct frame size and geometry for the rider’s body. Clearly nothing can be done if the bike size is really wrong. Not least, always keep in mind that different components (brands, shapes of handlebars, saddles, different shoes and pedals) always have an impact the final riding position setup, in one way or another. So I always ask my clients to look at the bigger picture, not any single element. Generally, it is always better (and less expensive) to tackle posture and riding position before chucking away your bike - and definitely before purchasing a new one. I am always available for any type of consultation in a monthly clinic at Racer Rosa, London; please get in touch with your questions:
Tel +44 (0) 20719 37047
Mob. +44 (0) 77729 31543
hello@racerrosabicycles.co.uk
Pro-Tour bike fitter Giuseppe Giannecchini, 20 years experience in the cycling industry; thousands of fittings under his belt, from junior team riders , to professionals and many club and recreational riders.