Common Cycling Injuries

1st June 2015

The popularity of road cycling has increased significantly over the past few years. The recent and consistent successes of British Cycling and the London Olympics have certainly supported this.

Injuries are part of any sport, but ignoring the obvious traumatic falls from the bike, cyclists need to consider the repetitive nature of being on a bike as the most common sources of injury.

Injuries from a repetitive task are gradual in onset and often known as ‘Cumulative Injuries’. The most common body parts injured by road cyclists are the lower back, neck, knees and wrists. Long frequent rides result in a contrast of movement. The legs are working away, moving all the time, whilst the spine and uppers are relatively fixed in a static posture.

As the rider, if your position on the bike is not optimal, you will be likely to be over working some muscles and joints, whilst under working others. Naturally, this can result in aches and pains over time.

Often cyclists report a gradual build up of pain, such as in the knee or back. Something that is difficult is to say when it started, but the longer rides will tend to initially bring it on. The natural course of this, like most cumulative cycling injuries, is that the symptoms start lasting longer and arriving earlier in the ride.

The riding position is often the first thing to assess because whilst direct treatment will reduce the symptoms, it is unlikely to address the cause if you are riding in a non-optimal cycling position.

It is very important not to ignore pains and aches in any part of your body during or after a ride. They are more than likely to get worse if ignored and, besides, they will reduce your performance and enjoyment of cycling.

Request a call back from one of our Physios now and we will be more than happy to discuss the problems you are having and see how we can help.

If you do not feel that your bike is set up optimally for you then find out more about our Bike Fit Assessment Service where we will assess your riding posture in view of minimising injuries and maximising performance.