The basis of a bike fitting assessment at Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy is to establish a position which enables you to cycle for a long time and frequently, whilst minimising the risk for injury. A large body of research indicates that bike set-up and pedaling technique can both significantly improve cycling performance and minimise the risk of repetitive strain injuries. A bike fit by a physiotherapist is optimal – we can fit your body to the bike as much as the bike to your body!
7 Tips to Help You Prepare for Longer Bike Rides
Wanting a longer bike ride, now that winter is over? Unfortunately spring here in Australia means we move straight into magpie season! It’s not the best time for cyclists. However there are a few big events coming up and it’s time to start some serious training.
If you are anything like me, you have been doing shorter rides (maybe indoors on the trainer) over winter to stay out of the cold. Now it is time to start putting in some longer sessions to get ready for Fitz’s, Le Tape, Peaks Challenge or some other suffer fest that will occur over summer.
There are some simple tips to making this transition from short rides to long rides more comfortable. [Read more…]
Jim’s Lower Limb and Cycling Article in Canberra Cyclist Magazine
We just wanted to note Jim’s article that he wrote for the Canberra Cyclist magazine late last year. It is a great read for any cyclist who wants to improve their lower limb strength and their cycling. Jim covers the main areas of the Calf muscles, Quadriceps, Gluteal muscles and the Hamstrings. He’s also included easy exercises to help you improve your lower limb strength.
Bike Position: How to improve your neck, shoulders, wrists and body position on your bike
Are you wanting to improve your bike position? Common problem areas for cyclists are the head & neck, shoulders, wrists and body positioning. In this article, I’ll take a look at these areas and how to improve your position and prevent injuries.
Spring has definitely arrived, bringing with it the best time of year to get out and about on your bicycle! Whilst those hardy commuters throughout winter have braved the Canberra chill, the rest of us now have a great chance to go mountain biking or road cycling once again. The outline of this particular topic revolves around the oft-forgotten art of upper body positioning; involving your neck, shoulders, arms and wrists.
Don’t forget to have a read of Sophie’s article on 5 Core Strength Exercises for Cyclists. Our resident core specialist, Sophie, has produced an excellent article regarding the importance of abdominals and back muscles when riding.
An amazing statistic I found whilst researching for this topic was that 57% of participants in this particular survey indicated that they had never done anything to reduce any discomfort whilst cycling. Whether you have purchased your bike new or off Gumtree, I find this astounding. It is highly unlikely that the bike will fit your body type perfectly, straight out of the crate. You will also not be exactly the same build as the seller. [Read more…]
Cycling Knee Pain? Here’s 3 Stretches You Must Try
If you suffer from cycling knee pain, you know how debilitating this can be. With the warmer weather approaching it is time to start getting back on the bike and building up your fitness over summer. Whether you are training for a full day race or just interested in commuting more, this can be a potentially problematic period of time for the body. This is because the amount of time you spend on the bike increases. We’ve covered Bike fitting previously on this website and I have recently had another article of mine published in Flow Magazine, Bike Fitting Fundamentals: A Case Study with Dylan Cooper.
On this occasion I thought we could take a closer look at knees as a potential problem area for cyclists and some ways of preventing knee pain. At an elite level in one study, knee pain accounted 57% of injuries that required time off the bike. However, there are some steps you can take to help prevent you falling into this group.
What I’ll cover in this article:
- Anatomy of the knee
- Types of knee pain
- How to fix cycling knee pain
- How to prevent cycling knee pain
- Best 3 stretches for cycling knee pain
An excellent opportunity exists at Sport & Spinal Physiotherapy for a motivated physiotherapist interested in looking after a diverse range of clients, developing their therapy skills, being challenged and wanting to work with a great team in a multi-disciplinary setting. We have two growing multi-disciplinary practices at Gungahlin Town Centre and Canberra City West, providing services in physiotherapy, podiatry, massage, exercise physiology and pilates. We pride ourselves on our education program and the support we offer for our physios, both new grads and experienced therapists alike.