Your Bike Can Talk. Listen to it.

Your equipment and clothing has a story to tell, but what are they trying to say? Notice one side of the chamois becomes unstitched on every pair of shorts you own?  One side of the bar tape always seems to push away or a gel pocket on only one glove seems pummeled?  Only one side of something seems to be continually sore?

Cycling is a closed kinetic chain with only 5 points of contact for the normal rider and 7 contact points for a triathlete in which to distribute the body’s entire weight on the bike, all while moving.  Now consider the body’s weight distributed over those points but with a skeletal twist or a hip rotated forward. Would all the points continue to evenly bear the weight? In most cases, no, as the body will simply adapt; we’ve given it no other option. Take this concept into consideration in regard to time and intensity on the bicycle. Minor asymmetries typically show less bearing in shorter slower rides but can be debilitating over multiple hours or high intensity. 

While the causes can be various and far greater than my short list, here are a couple of things to look for, and fix, to get a little more comfortable on the bike.

1.       Saddle:

View from the back and side to ensure one side has not collapsed or is lower than the other, or that there is a bent seat rail and/or seat post issue. When viewing overhead is the saddle straight with the bike? Is the saddle straight but the nose twisted? Is there material worn or missing from one side?   Focus on wear patterns when looking overhead. Are there clues such as divots and if so are they even side to side?

2.       Pedals/Cleats:

If you can’t recall the last time you changed your cleats, it’s been too long, especially if you are a Look Delta/Keo user.  Always clearly mark the outline of your cleat by tracing them with a pen.  Start your cleat inspection by making sure the cleat is intact noticing any differences left vs. right.  It is normal to find accelerated wear on your dominant foot but too much will cause a change in the pedal gait of that leg since the material interface and proper engagement angle have changed.  Inspect the body of the pedal next, looking for gouges, irregular wear or any missing material. Don’t overlook bearing wear and bent axles.  Either of these two items can cause many problems if chronically neglected.

3.       Handlebar/Shifters:

I coupled these two pieces of equipment since they each contribute to different yet simultaneous issues.  First and foremost check to see that the wheel is straight with the frame. You will often notice it more while riding rather than standing over the bar. Overly worn bar tape on one side, calluses on the hand that do not match or worn rubber on the shifter are tell-tale signs that too much force is being exerted, or at least at the wrong angle. This is not limited to just the top of the bar but uneven, dirty or wear marks on the drops tell a story as well. It is best to use a wind-trainer or a repair stand to ensure your hoods are level.  Use a traditional level or measure each side from the tip of the saddle to the center of the horn of the hood.

Regular visual or measured inspection can be the best preventive maintenance for the health of your position and alleviate nagging or painful scenarios while riding.  By putting the pieces of the puzzle together based on these common signs, you can better understand the needs of what your body is trying to tell you on the bike. Enjoy the ride. 

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