| It's a no-brainer! Keeping fit is a great way to avoid | | | | Women tend to need shorter top tubes then men. |
| getting back pain and cycling is a great way to get | | | | Get the handlebar height right |
| fit. Cycling is undoubtedly fun AND good for you, but | | | | Both mountain and racing bikes tend to have |
| it can occasionally cause back pain - estimates | | | | handlebars lower in height than hybrid bicycles. Too |
| suggest between 30-70% of us will get back pain | | | | low and you may get back pain. |
| when cycling. So what can you do if you feel that | | | | Get the angle of the seat right |
| cycling increases your back pain? | | | | An interesting study (1) looked at 80 frequent |
| The answer often lies with the bicycle itself, so | | | | cyclists and discovered that 50% of them had back |
| follow these seven tips so you can enjoy the | | | | pain - all of them used either mountain or racing bikes. |
| benefits of keeping fit without the back ache. | | | | The researchers adjusted the angle of the riders' |
| Get the right type of bike. | | | | saddles, and found that by tipping the nose of the |
| Pick a bicycle that's specifically designed to do | | | | seat down by between 10-15 degrees the riders |
| exactly what you want it to do. Fit for the purpose | | | | back pain was much improved. Greater than 15 |
| you want to use it for. There are three main types | | | | degrees caused discomfort and slipping forward off |
| of bicycle; mountain bikes designed for off road use, | | | | the seat. After 6 months 93% still felt a great deal |
| racing bikes designed for speed and hybrid or town | | | | better with either no pain or a significant reduction. |
| bikes which are designed for commuting or more | | | | Get expert help |
| casual riding. | | | | Make sure you buy a new bicycle from a reputable |
| Get a bicycle that's the right size. | | | | dealer who has the skills and experience to make |
| The correct size for a bicycle is calculated by | | | | sure you have the right bicycle to fit your shape and |
| measuring your inside leg and then multiplying it by .65 | | | | style of riding. |
| for a road bike. Different bikes need different | | | | Test drive your bicycle |
| measurements so check with your dealer. | | | | Go for a test drive! Make sure the bike feels good to |
| Get the right seat-handlebar distance. | | | | use before you buy it - most good cycle shops will |
| Each type of bicycle is slightly different in shape and | | | | let you try out one or two before you decide to |
| there are key differences in areas such as the | | | | buy. |
| distance between saddle and handlebars - the top | | | | 1. Salai M et al. 1999, "Effect of changing the saddle |
| tube length. A greater distance between the seat | | | | angle on the incidence of low back pain in recreational |
| and the handlebars requires you to lean further | | | | bicyclists.", British Journal of Sports Medicine no. 33, |
| forward, changing the angle of your lower back. | | | | pp. 398-400. |