A Holistic Approach to Biomechanics for Cycling Performance and Comfort

Bike fitting and biomechanics assessments share a common goal: optimising movement to enhance performance and prevent injury. Together, they form a powerful approach to help cyclists achieve the best possible results while riding in comfort and safety.

The Art of Bike Fitting

Despite technological advances, bike fitting remains part science and part art. Experts must account for individual differences such as flexibility, anatomical variations, riding style and goals, personal preferences and budgets. Studies highlight that there is no universal consensus on bike-fitting parameters, making experience and intuition invaluable tools for fitters.

Achieving the perfect fit involves fine-tuning these four areas:

• Foot Position: Cleat placement determines foot angle and alignment on the pedal, critical for knee health and efficient power transfer.

• Saddle Height: Setting the correct height ensures slight knee flexion at the bottom of the pedal stroke, preventing strain and improving pedalling efficiency.

• Stem Length and Angle: Influences the reach to the handlebars, affecting upper body posture and comfort.

• Handlebar Position: Adjusting height and width reduces strain on the back and shoulders, ensuring a stable, relaxed riding position.

A good bike fit is invaluable for powerful riding

How Bike Fit and Biomechanics Work Together

Let’s consider a cyclist experiencing knee pain during longer rides. Most cycling-related knee pain can be attributed to a combination of:

• Training volume

• Your bike setup (extrinsic)

• Your body’s individual anatomical or biomechanical factors (intrinsic)

Training Volume: The Importance of Doing the Basics Brilliantly

Training load errors can directly contribute to knee pain, regardless of the bike setup or biomechanics. Cycling’s repetitive nature means that overuse injuries can develop from doing "too much, too soon" - a sudden increase in training volume, intensity or frequency, or from inadequate recovery.

Key strategies to manage training volume:

• Work with a coach to ensure progressive overload, allowing the body to adapt gradually.

• Prioritise rest, nutrition and recovery to repair tissues stressed during training.

• Focus on fundamentals like mobility, stress management and sleep, as they are integral to sustaining performance and preventing injuries.

Your Bike: A Tailored Fit

The bike acts as an interface between the cyclist and their body and its setup directly impacts knee health. The knee, a hinge joint, operates between fixed points at the foot (pedal) and hip (saddle). Misalignment or improper adjustment of the bike can create rotational stresses, leading to discomfort or injury.

Common setup adjustments for knee niggles:

Saddle Height: Too high or low can alter knee extension, affecting force transmission and joint stress.

Cleat and Foot Alignment: Misaligned cleats can cause torsional stress on the knee.

Crank Length: Appropriate crank length can optimise pedal mechanics and reduce strain.

A skilled bike fitter can customise these adjustments based on the cyclist's anatomy and riding style to ensure a balanced interaction with the bike.

Before (left) and after adjustments for recreational cyclist with no discomfort

Your Body: Intrinsic Biomechanics and Muscle Function

The efficiency of the pedal stroke depends on how well the cyclist’s body moves through two phases. Muscle imbalances, weaknesses or tightness can disrupt the kinetic chain, leading to compensatory patterns that stress the knee.

Power Phase (12 o’clock to 6 o’clock):

• This phase involves the glutes (hip extensors), quadriceps (knee extensors), and calf muscles (plantar flexors). It is where most of the propulsive force is generated.

Recovery Phase (6 o’clock to 12 o’clock):

• This phase sets up the next power phase and helps maintain a smooth pedalling motion. It involves the tibialis anterior (ankle dorsiflexors), hamstrings (knee flexors), and hip flexors.

For individuals aiming to enhance movement quality and cycling performance, our approach is rooted in assessment-based strategies. By identifying and addressing dysfunctions or compensations within the body’s kinetic chains, we create personalised mobility and strengthening programmes that enhance stability, alignment and overall biomechanics. These interventions not only aid in mitigating stress on joints like the knee but also complement bike fitting adjustments, ensuring a more cohesive and optimised cycling experience.

Intrinsic biomechanics screening for ligament dominance in recreational cyclist

While we, as PTs and Pilates instructors, cannot diagnose the causes of pain (a responsibility that lies with primary care practitioners), we play a vital role in supporting their diagnoses by helping implement corrective exercises.

Strength Training for Cyclists

Neglecting strength training can lead to muscle imbalances, overloading certain areas and increasing injury risk. This is especially important for women, who may experience muscle loss of up to 3-8% per decade without targeted training. A strong, well-balanced musculoskeletal system not only enhances cycling performance but also allows cyclists to maximise the benefits of a good bike fit.

Overhead squat assessment - assessing not guessing!

Where to Get a Biomechanics Assessment

At EmpowHer, we offer movement screens with each new personalised training session. Our movement screens help identify and address the root causes of inefficiencies, ensuring long-term improvements in performance and comfort.

If your budget doesn’t stretch to a personalised programme or you aren’t local to our studios near Cookham and Watford, don’t worry! We have amazing options for all budgets, based on our experience training cyclists for events such as Dragon Ride, Chiltern 100 and London to Paris:

Group classes: The social way to work out! Circuits and mobility training.

Online coaching: Fit strength training into your life with a sport-specific programme.

Online workouts: No need for coaching? Take advantage of our most affordable sport-specific programme.

The Synergy of Bike Fit and Biomechanics

While bike fit optimises how the cyclist interacts with the bike, intrinsic biomechanics addresses how the body functions within that setup. By combining both approaches, cyclists can enhance performance through efficient movement patterns, minimise injury risks by reducing stress on vulnerable areas like the knee, build resilience with a personalised strength and mobility programme.

Whether working with a bike fitter or engaging in biomechanics-informed training, the goal remains the same: empowering cyclists to ride pain-free while achieving their performance potential.