Cycling injury prevention
Cycling injuries are rarely impact injuries — they come from repeating the same position tens of thousands of times per ride. Most are solved by a fit change plus a load change: adjust one thing on the bike at a time, build hours gradually, and add hip, glute and core work off the bike.
Lire en françaisSymptom to cause
Change one variable, ride three or four times, then judge. Changing saddle height and cleat position on the same day tells you nothing.
| Symptom | Usual cause | What to try first |
|---|---|---|
| Pain at front of knee | Saddle too low or too far forward | Raise saddle 3-5 mm, check cleat position |
| Pain behind knee | Saddle too high | Lower saddle 3-5 mm |
| Lower back pain | Reach too long, weak core, low flexibility | Shorter stem or higher bars, core work |
| Numb hands | Too much weight on the bars, wrist angle | Raise bars, relax elbows, thicker tape |
| Numb crotch / saddle sores | Saddle shape, nose angled up, worn shorts | Level the saddle, change saddle width, fresh shorts |
| Neck / shoulder ache | Bars too low, locked elbows | Raise bars, bend elbows, look with eyes not neck |
| Achilles or foot pain | Cleat too far forward, shoes too soft | Move cleat back a few mm |
Fit principles worth knowing
- Knee should stay roughly over the pedal axle at the 3 o'clock position, with a slight bend at the bottom.
- Saddle level, or a degree nose-down at most. A nose-up saddle causes most soft-tissue pain.
- Bars high enough that you can hold the position for your longest planned ride, not the position of a pro on television.
- Millimetres matter: adjust 3-5 mm at a time and write down what you changed.
Load errors on a bike
Because the bike is low-impact, riders raise hours faster than tissues adapt — a spring jump from four hours a week to twelve is a classic cause of knee and back complaints. Increase weekly hours by roughly 10-20% and drop back every fourth week. Big single rides carry their own risk: your first five-hour ride of the year should not be twice your longest ride of the last two months.
New cleats, a new saddle or a new bike restart the clock. Treat the following two weeks as an adaptation phase and keep intensity modest.
Off-bike work that keeps you riding
- Hip hinge strength: deadlift variations or hip thrusts, 2 sets of 8, twice a week.
- Single-leg squats or step-ups to fix the left-right imbalance cycling hides.
- Core anti-extension: planks and dead bugs, 2-3 sets — this is what saves the lower back.
- Thoracic and hip flexor mobility, five minutes after rides.
- Some weight-bearing exercise: cycling alone does little for bone density.
Crashes, cold and the things to take seriously
Replace the helmet after any impact to the head, and get checked after any crash where you lost awareness, however brief. Road rash should be cleaned properly the same day. Numbness or tingling that persists off the bike, knee swelling, or pain that changes how you pedal are signs to stop and see a doctor or physiotherapist rather than adjust the saddle again.
In cold weather, cover the knees below roughly 15°C — cold, hard-working knees are unhappy knees.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does my knee hurt when cycling?
- Front-of-knee pain is often a saddle that is too low or too far forward; pain behind the knee often means a saddle that is too high. Change one thing by 3-5 mm, ride a few times, then judge.
- Why do my hands go numb?
- Usually too much weight through the bars: raise the bars, unlock the elbows, and check saddle tilt, which pushes you forward when the nose points down too much.
- Do cyclists need to do other exercise?
- Some weight-bearing work is worth it, since cycling does little for bone density. Hip hinge strength and anti-extension core work also protect the lower back.