Preventing bicycling injuries

• Lower back pain
• Knee injury
• Neck and Shoulder pain
• Seat pain

Some of these can be avoided by adopting a good riding posture, making sure your bike is the right size and correctly set up and not demanding too much of your body

General advice for comfort and injury prevention

• Make sure your bicycle is the right size for you and seat is adjusted to the right height. There should be at least a few centimetres clearance between you an the frame's top tube when you straddle the bike with feet flat. Your knee should be only slightly bent when your foot is on the pedal with your leg fully extended.
• Make sure your bicycle is appropriate for your needs. Ask staff at bike shops for advice or use this handy online tool - Which bicycle is right for me?
• Altering your riding position from time to time reduces the risk of muscle overuse, stiffness and soreness.
• Use your gears to make pedalling easy - the most efficient pedalling speed is a little more that one full revolution per second.
• Maintain the same cycling rhythm when going uphill by changing gears. Once you've crested the hill, avoid the temptation to coast down the other side. Pedal a little bit to reduce the risk of lactic acid build-up in your leg muscles.
• Stretch regularly to maintain flexibility and to prevent stiffness
• Get into the habit of standing and riding with a straight back. This will ease the lower back pain and also improve your riding. Try pilates or similar exercise to strengthen your core abdominal and lower back muscles.
• Slowly build up your strength through training to minimise strain on the knees, and reduce the amount of hard training or hill work.
• Pedalling in high gear for a long time will stress your knee joints. Switch to lower gears whenever you can.
• Strain on the neck and shoulders can be caused by a hunched riding posture and over-reaching to the handlebars or excessive tension in the muscles by riding with straight elbows.
• An upright riding position reduces strain on the neck and shoulders and allows you to keep the elbows slightly bent and relaxed to stop the road shock transferring to the arms and upper body. If the distance between the seat and the handlebars is too great (causing you to over-reach), you could try a smaller bicycle, a 'ladies bike' or adjust or change the handlebars and seat position to enable a "straight back", upright posture.
• Narrow seats may be uncomfortable, particularly for women. Opt for a wider or gel-filled saddle. You could also pad the seat with a sheepskin cover or similar. In general, once you're riding regularly, you'll get used to the saddle and it's unlikely that you'll notice any discomfort.

The information above is general advice only. If you experience ongoing pain or discomfort, it is recommended that you see your health care professional.