Cycling injuries, decoded: Your bike fit might be the problem

If your foot is burning with pain or you feel numbness in your hands or wrists as you pedal your bike, your bike fit may be the issue.

Like any sport, cycling comes with some risk of injury.

It’s a great, low-impact workout, but if you don’t properly prepare, you could end up with a number of aches and pains. Here are some tips to prevent those injuries.

Get a bike fitting

Buy the right size bike and get a professional bike fitting. You can avoid a lot of aches and pains and be more comfortable on your bike if you start off with the correct positioning.

The proper position varies from person to person and depends on your style of riding, your size, your flexibility and your age.

The bike fitter will look at seat height, handlebar reach, pedal motion, cleat setup and more. If you experience any pain while riding, go back and let the fitter know, as minor adjustments can help.

Where it hurts and what it could mean

• Aching knees – Though cycling is low-impact, it can cause knee pain if your saddle height, cleat position or bike frame size aren’t correct.
• Pain in your neck, back or wrists or numbness in the hands and wrists - This could be caused by handlebar reach issues, an unsupportive posture when riding, or a lack of core strength, causing other parts of your body to try to compensate.
• Hot foot – Some people develop burning and pain on the bottom of their forefeet, called hot foot, that’s caused by irritation and pressure to the nerves in that area. This could be caused by your shoe fit, cleat position or a nerve-pressure issue. Select the proper type and size of footwear, and wear moisture-wicking socks.
• Saddle sores – These are an irritation of the skin in the area where you sit on your bike seat. The sores are typically caused by excess friction on the skin from the bike seat while riding. Saddle sores can be just a minor irritation, but if not taken care of, they can progress to an infection, abscess or skin ulceration. Consider changing out your bike shorts or your saddle for a smoother ride. Cycling shorts with built-in padding provide cushioning, and chamois cream can help prevent excess friction that leads to saddle sores.

Prevent crash-related injuries

The risk of wiping out on your bike is ever-present. Large holes or gravel on the road could cause you to crash. You could also run into a fellow cyclist or be involved in a car crash. A crash could result in scrapes, bruises, broken bones or head trauma. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are about 120,000 emergency department trips for bicyclists for injuries across the country.

• Wear a helmet: The only cycling gear you should never leave home without is a helmet to protect your head in case you fall.
• Choose the right clothing: Comfortable clothing can prevent crashes and pad a fall. For example, padded gloves help with handlebar pressure and vibration and can protect your hands.

Keep your eyes on the road

Knowing the rules of the road or a dedicated bike path and following them is the best way to prevent crashes. If you fall and get gravel and debris in a wound, gently flush the area with water, clean it with soap and water, and cover it with gauze. If there are foreign bodies that you can’t remove, or if you have extreme pain or deformity that may indicate that you’ve broken a bone, seek immediate medical attention.

Practice group-riding safety

When cycling with others, be very aware of everything around you. Don’t stop fast or short when others are around, and warn them when you’ll be stopping, turning or changing lanes by shouting alerts or signaling.

The below video from Pelotonia, the annual bike ride to raise funds for cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, include tips on rules of the road, universal hand signals and verbal alerts, such as “stopping,” “slowing” or “car up.”