Remember how much fun you had
riding a bike when you were a kid? In my
case, I was twenty when I learned how to ride but in retrospect I guess I was
still a kid at the time. Anyway, it was
great!
It can still be great, even
if you haven’t ridden in years. With a
few modifications you might still be able to ride a bicycle whether it is for
fun, for exercise or just to save a few dollars on gas! So, what is the single factor that is keeping
you from hoping on a bike again (I would be willing to bet that there is at
least one bike hanging in your garage)?
My least favorite part of
biking is that gosh awful hard bike seat.
When I bicycled through Europe
Arthritis Today magazine
(July/August 2009) had a write-up by Ellen Fix on finding a seat that fits your
fanny. She recommended some key points
to consider when looking for a new bicycle seat that will work for you.
Bicycle saddles are
generally covered with vinyl, Lycra or leather.
The article recommends a seat with a thin layer of leather over foam
rubber which breathes better.
Bicycle saddle shapes: Some narrow seats look like miniature torture
racks and just looking at them makes you want to avoid riding at all costs. A very narrow seat causes painful pressure in
the crotch and that will end your bicycling endeavor in a hurry. A too wide seat with bulky padding on the
other hand, can cause thigh chafing and isn’t any better. Personally I like the recumbent which has a
nice bucket seat, but I wasn’t exactly comfortable balancing from that position
either, so you will have to try that one out yourself to see what you
think. I alternate between a standard
mountain type bike and a Sidewinder Tri-cycle that I purchased for my old age,
as I plan on biking indefinitely.
Saddle Angle: Saddle angles are adjustable so getting the
right position is possible. The nose of
the saddle should be angled down so that you take part of your weight on the
handlebars. Most of the weight should be
on the bones forming the base of the pelvis.
Personally, I have more trouble
with my hands than with the seat so I was grateful for the tips offered that
gave some suggestion for people who have issues with pain.
- Pain at the back of your neck? Try raising the
handle bars.
- Low Back discomfort? Try raising the saddle and/or the
handlebars.
- Front of the knees? Try raising the saddle.
- Pain on the inside or outside of the knees? Turn your foot out as you pedal or wear
an arch support.
- Back of the knee or hamstring discomfort? Try lowering the saddle.
- Painful hands?
Try moving the saddle back to decrease the amount of weight on the
handlebars.
- Buttocks hurt?
Try raising or lowering the saddle and push harder on the pedals to
t counterbalance the weight from your buttocks.
Have you seen the GlideCycle? (http://glidecycle.com/) What do you think of this new bike?
Posted by: Anne | December 22, 2009 at 10:23 AM