With big names such as Alberto Contador, Mark Cavendish and Chris Froome all out of the Tour de France early this year due to crashes its clear that cycling takes a toll on even the fittest of bodies.
The truth is, crashes for most amateur cyclists are fairly uncommon with the majority of injuries being purely psychological. Daniel Lawrence, a physiotherapist and member of the ROCKTAPE team sees and attempts to cure a wide range of cycling injuries. He believes the majority of injuries are caused by overuse or posture problems however, sometimes the issues are a little more difficult to resolve. Here are a list of common cycling injuries, how to avoid them and how to treat them:
- Point of contact injuries:
This includes where parts of the cyclists touches the bike i.e hands, feet and bum. These injuries are possibly the most common complaints.
Most road cyclists clip into their bike by fastening their feet to the pedals via special shoes. The problem caused here is if the shoes aren’t fastened in in the correct angle and cyclists suffer from shooting pains in their knees as a result, these pains will continue to grow until corrected. Fastening in to the bike was designed to help cyclists generate more power with each pedal stroke so correct fastening will not only save knees, but also boost the over all ride experience.
Saddle sore is suffered by almost all cyclists and is caused by the friction between skin, clothing and saddle. A result of this is sore buttocks and a nasty rash. This issue can be resolved by investing in a decent pair of padded shorts and not wearing any other form of clothing underneath (yes, that means going commando).
Hands are another popular point of injury for cyclists whether its gripping too tight, staying in the same position for too long or leaning too far over the front wheel the ulnar nerve that runs all the way from the little finger up through the elbow and to the upper arm can be compressed. The ulnar nerve is the largest unprotected nerve in the body therefore leaving it very vulnerable to injury. The best advice to save ulnar damage is to move hands around the handle bar a bit. Getting stuck in one position on lengthy rides is going to increase pain and discomfort once the ride is over. Road bikes are designed to allow riders to grip the handle bars in different places and make it easy to alter riding positions.
- Muscular problems:
Professional cyclists tend to have hefty quads as they all rely on the muscle on top of the thighs to power their bikes forwards. As a result of this excessive use, these muscles tend to fatigue easy. During long rides lactic acid build up causes pain and discomfort. Massages are a popular way of dissolving the acid and ensuring muscles are repaired before another day of riding. If you’re not a professional however, a DIY tip is to try keeping your quads in shape by using kinesiology tape which helps promote muscle endurance and recovery. Pedalling in and out of the saddle also gives the quads relief and spreads the load among other muscles.
Another common muscular complaint is tight hamstrings and calves. Although the tightness might not be obvious whilst on a ride but attempting another exercise such as running etc and it will soon manifest itself. To prevent tearing always warm up before exercise and cool down afterwards. Stretching calves out so that muscle fibres retain their elasticity is vital. Foam rollers are also popular to smooth out muscles.
For more information visit this handy article on the telegraph