Mind/Body Bicycling
Attention and Awareness Are Great Tools for Safe Cycling
Applying the lessons of Mind/Body Fitness to Bicycling to get the most out of your ride. Safety and alignment start with a properly fitted bicycle.
The long term success of any bicycling program will be consistency. Cyclists are more likely to be consistent if they are comfortable, free from pain or injury, and able to relax and have fun while they ride. By applying the five basic components of Mind/Body Fitness to cycling, you’re ensured a safe and fulfilling ride.
Focus on Alignment: Fitting Your Bike
Your bike should fit you. Forcing your physiology to conform to ill-fitted equipment is asking for trouble.
Unlike most of the skeleton, the human spinal column is a self-supporting system that is able to retain its own shape and curvature without the action of the surrounding voluntary muscles. In anatomical terms, this is called “intrinsic equilibrium.” F. M. Alexander called it “Primary Control."
Most forms of Mind/Body Fitness include one main goal of freeing the spine of unnecessary tension and stress. The spine serves as a natural shock absorber for your body, and is responsible for helping you maintain control of the large, heavy skull and brain that is poised carefully at the top of the skeleton.
To allow your spine to serve you, first relax and try to free up the tension in your neck and shoulders.
By elongating the back of the neck, dropping the shoulders down and back, you will instinctively set off a chain reaction through the rest of your body. The lumbar spine will tuck under, and the abdomen will contract slightly to protect the back from undue shock of any impacts. The elbows will bend, and forearms will come into line with your wrists, preventing numbness in the hands and undue strain across the collarbone.
If your bike is fitted properly, you’ll have plenty of space to do this lengthening:
- The saddle should be positioned slightly above the handlebars. The angle of the seat should be parallel with the ground. Some riders prefer a slight tilt to their saddle, but this should never exceed 5 degrees.
- The seat should be high enough that your leg is almost straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke, but never completely. A 10 degree angle on the knee is considered optimum.
- The distance from the front edge of the saddle to the handlebar rod should be about the same distance as from the tip of your elbow to the tip of your fingers.
Concentrating on Movement and Muscular Action
Many body workers consider the word "posture" to be counterproductive to the alignment that is ultimately a physiological goal for comfort. In cycling, the correct "posture" is often described as arching the back "like a bridge". This curvature should be taking place primarily in your thoracic spine - the middle portion of your back.
The cervical spine should stay long and relaxed, and the shoulders should not hunch forward. This puts too much pressure on your collarbone. Protect the lumbar spine by tucking the pelvis under and keeping the head up (you may need to adjust the tilt of your helmet for visibility in this new position).
Another area of alignment that requires special attention is all of the "motor" area of the hips, knees, ankles and feet. All of the parts of the leg should be pointed forward from the hip socket down to the toes. Any side-to-side angles will cause injury in the soft connective tissue of the joints and will result in knee, ankle and foot pain.
The foot should come into contact with the pedal at the ball - not the toes. Pain and numbness in the toes may be an indication of incorrect alignment, or the incorrect positioning of the foot on the pedal. This may be prevented by the use of cleats.
