PT students volunteer in Ridgeland
Kathy Wagner, a third-year physical therapy student in the School of Allied Health, heard about a Family Fun Day and Bike Rally in Ridgeland, S.C. from her mother, who lives in the community near Hilton Head. She and fellow third-year student Amy Palmer thought it was the perfect opportunity to jumpstart this year’s American Physical Therapy Association’s “Bike Right, Bike Fit!” program, so they hit the road.
With the help of a stationary trainer that allows riders to sit on their bikes for measurements, Ms. Wagner and Ms. Palmer were able to properly adjust the riding positions of scores of the nearly 200 attendees of the July 8 event, sponsored by the Ridgeland Police and Fire Departments.
The most common error in bicycle position, said Ms. Wagner, is seat height. “Those marks on the shaft are break points. Don’t raise the seat any higher than the lowest break point or the seat can just snap off.”
Proper fit goes a long way toward making recreational bike riding pain- and injury-free. Incorrect posture is hard on the joints and makes it difficult to use muscles optimally. Here are a few tips for the recreational cyclist (courtesy of the APTA):
- Trunk position should be 40-80 degrees from horizontal. Shoulder
angle should be 80-90 degrees.
- Handlebar position will affect your hand, shoulder, neck and back
comfort as well as the handling of your bicycle. Correct positioning
will provide better pedaling efficiency, aerodynamics and improved
safety with cornering and braking. The width of the handlebars should
allow hands to be slightly wider than shoulders.
- The closer the angle of your knee to the pedal is to 35 degrees, the better function you will have with less stress on the knee. The angle should be no higher than 45 degrees.
Bike Right, Bike Fit!
Equally important to the way you and your bike fit together is your own
physical fitness. Flexible hamstrings, quadriceps and gluteal muscles are
crucial because they generate most of the pedaling force and experience a
high-frequency arc of motion. Proper stretching, balance and strengthening
exercises help with coordination of pedaling and maneuvering skills.
Consider your level of endurance as you determine the distances you want to
ride.
Posture tips for cyclists
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