Correct posture on road bike????

[hilldweller]

Hi there, I'm confused :confused:. Can anyone point me towards pics or diagrams showing good posture on a road bike? Or the things you have to remind yourself of to maintain correct posture while riding? I'm trying to reconcile how I think I look on a bike with what I think the physio is saying (similar to good posture on an office chair, but tilted forward), and also how other cyclists look to my uneducated eyes (more like beetles with rounded backs LOL).

Thanks heaps :).

[crazycanuck]

Ok, try this one..

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/pain.html

I'll keep searching..

[OakLeaf]

I'm not sure why the pros round their backs so extremely - I don't think it's for "shock absorption" as Sheldon suggests, so maybe the racers here will chime in. But I'm guessing it's so they can still pedal when they're in a deep aero tuck. For me, if I'm in even a shallow tuck, with very my shallow drops and high stem, if I'm in neutral spine, my knees hit my chest.

If you're more concerned about the long-term health of your spine, than about your momentary performance, then never force your spine out of neutral for extended periods of time. Some say never intentionally bring your spine out of neutral ever. (I don't necessarily agree, but there are prominent fitness experts who hold that opinion.)

Do use your core muscles to support your back, just as you would sitting or standing. I think the Sheldon Brown piece is talking about people who completely relax their bellies and sink into their shoulders in an extreme hyperlordosis, not people who maintain neutral. The forces of gravity are obviously acting on your spine differently in a tuck than they are standing, but neutral is still neutral, and compressing a disc unevenly is still compressing a disc unevenly.

[Andrea]

I sit however is comfortable at the time and shift positions as needed. If you just keep your upper body relaxed things tend to fall where they should without much work. If I'm doing a sustained hard effort (like in a time trial), sometimes I'll shift my hip angle "back" for a few seconds to let my quads get a brief recovery while I'm still keeping some power to the pedals by using my hamstrings a little more than usual. I find that I do the opposite on climbs- I tend to sit upright/back, but will occasionally roll forward a few seconds every now and then. The point is, though, I position myself to whatever feels "right" at the time.

Take home message- as long as you are relaxed, do whatever feels natural.

[maillotpois]

Agreed with do what feels right - in general. But there are things you can do to improve comfort and performance.

LOWER BODY:

If you get your hip angle right, that will set you up for maximum power/comfort. Here's a fairly simple way to do that (easier demonstrated on the bike so ask if this doesn't make sense):

1. While on a flat road (or better yet a stationary trainer) coast and stand with your feel at the 3 and 9 position (level).

2. Lower your nose to your stem.

3. Sit down.

This will give you the best pelvic tilt (though it may take some getting used to) for riding, in general. If this causes frontal soft tissue pain, check your saddle to ensure that it is level and not tilted back.

UPPER BODY:

As for your upper body, keep it relaxed always. Bend your elbows. Hand position should be relaxed and wrists neutral - as if you are shaking hands with the bike. Shoulders down (not acting as ear muffs).

GENERAL:

Smile. It is almost impossible to hold a tense riding position if you are smiling.

[hilldweller]

Thanks for the posts. You're all very helpful :)

MP I will try what you have suggested (when it stops snowing LOL). Think it might help with pelvic angle as I have been wondering whether I'm sitting wrong - butt too tucked under perhaps.

Upper body I'm completely confused about because the position that feels relaxed and comfortable for the first half hour or so has me in agony by an hour, and at that point I don't seem able to find another position. I don't know if my posture starts out OK and then goes wrong and starts to hurt, or whether it's wrong from the beginning. Elbows always look slightly bent and relaxed when I remember to take note of them and hands and wrists don't hurt. Legs/knees/feet are all good too, just not strong enough :rolleyes: Pretty sure I have the ear-muff shoulder issue though :o and physio seems to think I need to get the lower spine position sorted in order for the shoulders to sit where they should, which does make sense.

Anyone got a pic they don't mind sharing? If I could figure out a way to get a photo of myself in my normal riding position I would post it here for you all to critique.

[aicabsolut]

I'm not sure why the pros round their backs so extremely - I don't think it's for "shock absorption" as Sheldon suggests, so maybe the racers here will chime in. But I'm guessing it's so they can still pedal when they're in a deep aero tuck. For me, if I'm in even a shallow tuck, with very my shallow drops and high stem, if I'm in neutral spine, my knees hit my chest.

If you're more concerned about the long-term health of your spine, than about your momentary performance, then never force your spine out of neutral for extended periods of time. Some say never intentionally bring your spine out of neutral ever. (I don't necessarily agree, but there are prominent fitness experts who hold that opinion.)

Do use your core muscles to support your back, just as you would sitting or standing. I think the Sheldon Brown piece is talking about people who completely relax their bellies and sink into their shoulders in an extreme hyperlordosis, not people who maintain neutral. The forces of gravity are obviously acting on your spine differently in a tuck than they are standing, but neutral is still neutral, and compressing a disc unevenly is still compressing a disc unevenly.

A rounded back is not ideal, even for a pro. A rounded back means that you have less room for your lungs to expand fully. It may be efficient in terms of power output, but it will tax your aerobic capacity. You can be a freak like Lance and have a big hump in the back and manage to breathe more or less through the gut (his diaphram breathing is kind of extreme--looks like an alien is about to pop out of there). Pros tend to have above average saddle to bar drop with compact frames and large stems, so they need to have a long reach when tucked in the drops. Some are more effective at bending from the hip and keeping the back relatively flat than others. Of course, if you are too flat in the back when bent over like this, you will need a periscope to be able to see the road. Some hunching of the upper back allows the rider to look forward. At any rate, an extreme tuck is difficult to maintain for long periods and should only be used when aerodynamics are essential. Otherwise, a more neutral back will allow better breathing and improve overall efficiency, but it will be at the cost of aerodynamics. Much of the time, that's ok.