Rediscovering the joy of bike riding

It’s frustrating when the sport you love causes discomfort. Instead of racing the wind, you’re thinking about parking your bike.

Riding a bike should be comfortable. It shouldn’t put added stress on your joints. If riding consistently triggers discomfort, the problem could be how your bike fits you.

At Aurora Health Care, we offer expert sports medicine care and a special bike fitting service to help you ride in comfort. Many times, small adjustments to your bike, along with simple treatments, can make all the difference.

Becoming one with your bike

If any part of your bike is too big or too small – even by just a fraction of an inch – it can lead to an uncomfortable ride. To get you comfortably back in the saddle, our advanced-trained bike fitters will adjust your bike so it feels like an extension of your body. After evaluating your flexibility and strength, we’ll coach you on training techniques to help relieve stress on your joints and enhance your cycling experience.

Highlights of our program include:

• Bike fitting services: Our bike fittings are different from what you get at most bike stores. When bike and body don’t fit, there's added stress applied to the joints. We combine our knowledge of how bodies move (body mechanics) with bike fitting expertise to adjust your ride for comfort. Read more about our Bike Fit Program.

• Convenient access to sports health care: When you’re in pain, we don’t keep you waiting. Free injury evaluations are often available within one business day. If physical therapy is recommended and your insurance plan allows direct access coverage, you may be able to begin treatment right away without a doctor’s referral. Get sports health care.

• Coordinated care: As an integrated health system, we offer the specialized care you need in a single, coordinated program. This collaborative care by doctors, physical therapists, athletic trainers, chiropractors, and massage therapists has been shown to speed recovery and improve results – allowing you to spend less time at appointments and more time doing the activities that you enjoy. Meet our sports health team.

Discomfort caused by an improper bike fit

Riding a bike that doesn't fit your body can cause many types of pain, including:

• Knee pain: The most common overuse injury affecting cyclists is knee pain. Continuously riding a bike that’s not properly fitted to your body – especially the saddle position and cleat set up – will put added stress on your knees.

• Shoulder pain: An improper saddle position that makes you put extra weight on your hands and overextend your arms to reach the handlebars can lead to shoulder pain.

• Wrist pain: Incorrect hand positioning on the handlebars or relying on your hands rather than core strength to keep your body in the correct riding position can produce wrist pain.

• Lower back pain: The type of saddle, its position or the difference between the height of the saddle and bars (drop) can contribute to lower back pain.

• Foot pain and ankle pain: Pedals that aren't in the right position can contribute to foot pain and ankle pain.

• Neck pain: Poor posture coupled with improper handlebar position can put added stress on muscles that support your neck resulting in neck pain.

Treating discomfort from improper bike fit

A proper bike fit puts the least amount of stress on your joints and allows your muscles to work efficiently. The goal of the fitting is to achieve a neutral spine position to create a more natural and effortless riding experience.

For lingering symptoms as well as injury prevention, certain treatments can provide relief. Treatments may include:

• Custom foot orthotics: Orthotics correct irregular foot movements and provide extra support for your feet, especially during activity. These devices are custom-made to fit the natural curves of your feet. Find out more about custom foot orthotics.

• Massage therapy: To address muscle pain, our massage therapists use the power of touch, movement, and different degrees of pressure to loosen and heal the muscles and soft tissues of the body. Read more about massage therapy.

• Chiropractic care: Using hands-on techniques, this treatment option can help relieve joint pain and improve mobility. Find out more about chiropractic care.

• Physical therapy: Physical therapists can help you build strength in your core and legs, making it easier to ride with the proper form. Learn more about physical therapy services.

Don’t wait until you’re broken

By correctly fitting your bike to you and your personal riding style, you can prevent injury and improve your riding performance. To learn more or to sign up for our Bike Fit Program contact us.