I’ve worked with a lot of cyclists over the past 4+ decades. This includes avid and competitive riders whose identity is, among other things, being a biker. And those who appreciate the two-wheeled mechanism and consider themselves to be a person who rides bikes. At different times, I’ve been both of those people. Maybe you have, too. It’s all good.
The bicycle is an amazing tool. An incredible invention from the early 1800’s that has evolved into a machine of many uses. Fitness. Transportation. Sport. Play. Freedom. In fact that last term, freedom, probably needs no explanation. I recall an old Warren Miller film in which he described skiing as a unique liberation of the soul…a freedom. It’s the same with bicycles. There’s something special, and incredibly enjoyable, about getting on a bike and going down the road or trail. This is a very familiar sensation to which almost everyone can relate.
Cycling is a fantastic lifetime sport, and it can be explored in many ways. Racing, touring, bikepacking, commuting, trail riding, downhilling, BMX, club rides, family outings, or just taking a casual cruise. Bikes come in every style, size, and flavor to match your riding preferences. At price points from very affordable to “second mortgage” level. Working on bikes is a great hobby. And your gearhound needs can be satisfied at the most basic and simple levels all the way up to “the sky is the limit.”
As we roll (pun intended) through the lifespan, there are a number of biking-related aspects that lifetime cyclists may want to consider. Today, let’s discuss 3 major categories: setup, training applications, and safety.
Bike setup includes bike fitting and component selection. Fitting focuses on two main objectives: ergonomic efficiency and comfort. You want to be positioned on the bike so that you have good power delivery and handling. And, that setup needs to be comfortable, so that your riding position does not cause undue stress on your musculoskeletal system, or aggravate pre-existing conditions.
Setup begins with frame sizing so that your bike’s geometry meshes with your morphology. Crankarm length, bottom bracket width, stack height, handlebar configuration, and seat position (height, fore/aft alignment, and upward/downward tilt) can be tuned to fit your body dimensions. This is definitely a place where art meets science. There are great shop professionals and sportsmedicine clinicians who can help you with this process. All this starts from a general position known to be relatively ideal. Then, each rider’s individual differences (tibia, femur, trunk, arm length, etc.) are factored into the adjustments.
As a lifetime cyclist, you’re looking for the sweet spot where comfort and orthopedic longevity (preservation of your joints and connective tissues) coexist with power output. I don’t see this as a compromise…more of an optimized situation. Giving up a little aerodynamics in exchange for a pleasant, non-aggravating riding position is a huge win for the lifelong rider.
Beyond a well-designed setup, contact points are the keys to a great riding experience. Obviously, these are your hands, feet, and butt and each area offers many fine-tuning possibilities. As we age, our positional preferences tend to become more upright with less forward reach and lean. True for most of us…eventually.
Bringing your hand position up and back generally involves swapping out your stem and/or handlebars. Unless you are setting up a custom bike from scratch, the steerer tube of your fork has probably already been cut to a specific height. Usually this involves the addition of several spacers in order to get the desired stem placement. So, unless you are changing out forks, your adjustment begins with your stem.
Rise and reach are the measurements your stem will allow you to address. Rise is usually expressed in degrees, while reach, or horizontal length of the stem, is in millimeters. Going to a slightly higher rise, and shorter reach, stem, can often take care of your evolving fit needs in your bike’s cockpit.
However, many lifetime cyclists also end up exploring handlebar design as another way to address fit and comfort. If you ride drop bars, such as on a gravel or road bike, you can address overall bar width, depth and flare of drop, and material choices (aluminum, carbon fiber, titanium) which relate to weight, vibration dampening, and shock absorption. If your bike features flat bars, typical of mountain and hybrid bikes (and others), you can look at any number of “alternative” bars which offer multiple hand positions, as well as a variety of rise, backsweep, and width options. Funny point to mention here. Many of the newer “alt” bars look exactly like the bars we had on all-around cruiser bikes years ago. Some things change and some things stay the same. Or at least they come full circle. Since we are talking about bikes, I guess that’s another pun.
On a personal note, just to provide an example, the last few bikes I’ve ridden and tinkered with have all included shorter, higher stems and elevated, backswept bars. Nothing extreme but subtly different. I’m in my early 60’s now and about 10 years ago, my neck, back, and shoulders began telling me that the long, low, racer position which I’d used for so long was no longer great for my maturing body. Most riders have the same experience.
Making those cockpit adjustments will alter your bike’s handling characteristics and you’ll definitely want to experiment with these options and/or consult with a bike fitting professional. You’ll typically get used to the new position and handling properties over just a few rides.
The other thing to be aware of when you are changing out bars and stems is shift cable/housing (unless your bike has wireless electronic shifting) and brake line length. If your up-front position goes high/wide/back far enough, you may need new (longer) cables and lines. This is an inexpensive but necessary upgrade.
Grip (or tape) selection completes the hand contact point. Three areas here. Texture, padding, and shape. All of this can be adjusted and it comes down to personal preference. For grip, especially when riding with gloves (early and late season), I like the Kraton grips. Silicone rubber grips have a little more cushioning, especially the gel-filled ones. Foam grips feel the best for me with bare hands. Ergonomic grips with palm swells displace pressure over a larger surface area. All of these same technologies are also built into the various handlebar tapes for drop bars. Grips are cheap, don’t last forever, and represent a great place to customize bike fit and add a personal touch to your setup.
The contact point for your feet equates to your pedals and shoes. With pedals, there are two main types, which are clipless and flat. There is a nomenclature issue to mention here. In the old days, you could put a plastic or metal toe clip and strap on a flat pedal to increase the security of the connection. But in the late 80’s, we experienced an evolution in pedal design towards pedals with spring retention mechanisms that mated to a small cleat which was bolted into the bottom of a cycling shoe. Thus, they were “clipless” in that they no longer used the old-style, bulky clip over the front of the shoe. But you typically “clip-in” (or click) into the pedal to lock in for riding. A flat pedal is simply a pedal with a relatively large, flat surface and no click-in retention system. It can be used with almost any shoe. There are even hybrid designs which have a cleat interface on one side and a flat surface on the other.
Pros and cons exist for each pedal type and it all comes down to personal preference. There are many designs for clipless pedals. Most allow you to adjust the strength of the retention mechanism as well as the “float” or slight degree of rotation present in the connection (for ideal biomechanics). These pedals give you a secure connection and arguably the potential to apply more power through the pedal stroke, especially the ability to pull back and up with each rotation. This typically makes you slightly more efficient. But, they can be finicky to set up (although once you get it right they are great) and they “lock you in” (pun intended) to using just one dedicated cycling shoe. If you are highly concerned with performance, are not generally on and off your bike a lot, and prefer a stiff, energy-transferring cycling shoe…these might be your choice. At least for most of your rides.
Flat pedals come into their own in several circumstances. They provide a large surface area upon which to place your foot and the ability to frequently “microadjust” this position. They allow you to use any shoe you desire and are very convenient when you are on/off the bike frequently. Many riders prefer these pedals for technical conditions because you don’t have to deal with retention/release mechanisms.
Whether you use clipless or flat pedals, shoes are available with the fit, stiffness vs. flex characteristics, and walkability you prefer. My general advice is if you are looking for the highest level of performance, experiment with clipless pedal/shoe combos. If you consider your riding to be more casual and you like the convenience of wearing a variety of footwear and the ease of getting on and off the pedals frequently, explore non-cleated cycling (and other) shoes.
Last up in the contact points, but certainly not least in importance, is your saddle. This is a lot like trying on multiple pairs of shoes and finding the one that fits and feels best. Your pelvis is unique to you. Everyone’s ischial tuberosities, or sit bones, are shaped and spaced a little differently. The overall shape, width, length, and depth of cushioning in your saddle will determine the happy place for your crotch. Numbness, chafing, or other discomfort is unacceptable. You will find the saddle that matches your anatomy best. Maturing cyclists usually report that, as they age and their position trends towards more upright, they appreciate a little more padding in this contact area.
It should be noted that, once you have a good anatomical match in your saddle, you can always add more padding through dedicated cycling shorts or liners. These are great, or even essential, for longer rides, although there is room for a lot of personal preference here. I’ll use cycling-specific shorts for occasional lengthy rides, but not for most of my (almost) daily quick spins. I prefer a gel-padded saddle and it works great for my applications. That stated, you should try several saddle and short (or tights) combinations until everything feels dialed in.
Now that you’ve gotten your bike position and contacts very comfortable and efficient, it’s time to think about riding that bike. I initially framed that up as training, but the beauty of the bike is that it represents play just as much as any official fitness pursuit. So, let’s never forget that simply jumping on your bike and going for a ride is a beautiful thing. There are no rules. Or, said differently, you make your own rules.
The discussion on the use of bikes for training comes down to a distinction we made right at the beginning of this piece. Dedicated cyclists versus people who ride bikes.
Folks who consider themselves cyclists, and who pursue biking as their primary sport, generally utilize sophisticated training programs. These are our bike racers. They often use power meters, heart rate monitors, Zwift, Wahoo, TrainingPeaks and other technology. Biking is their priority and any other training they do is considered supplemental. Training (year-round) is performed in the quest for high fitness levels and competitive results. Many of these athletes join teams and/or work with coaches to get the most out of their endeavors. I’ve worked with a lot of cyclists and triathletes over the years. My role with these athletes is to facilitate the achievement of peak performance while sustaining a lifelong athletic career.
Then there’s another type of dedicated cyclist. These are the commuters, tourists, bikepackers, and avid riders who love being on their bikes as much as possible. They ride often and for many reasons but fitness may not be their first or only objective. Cycling is their jam. Their freedom. These riders don’t always seek the programming and data management of the racers. They just go out and ride. When I get the opportunity to engage with these folks, my focus is usually on keeping them healthy for the long term. This often looks like addressing an injury or fit issue so we can keep them on the roads and trails where they thrive.
Finally, there’s the rest of us. We appreciate cycling and we use riding, a little or a lot, as a part of our Lifetime Athlete process. A popular term these days is “hybrid athlete.” You can also say “all-around fitness enthusiast.” Or anything else that feels good.
First of all, none of these groups is better than the other. We’re just identifying people who celebrate bikes…in the manner which they prefer. No more, no less. In this community, everyone is welcome. We’re all equal. No judgement. Any advice I offer about training can apply to any bike-riding Lifetime Athlete. That stated, the racers often don’t desire much input because they tend to use elaborate methodologies with a lot of athletic principles already built into their mixology. The tourists (and similar) usually prefer to just ride themselves into shape and let the training happen serendipitously. However, both these groups, when longevity becomes the name of the game, will benefit from the suggestions which follow. Let’s look at a few categories.
Low Impact Cardio: Since riding a bike involves partial weight-bearing through the pedals (some is in the saddle) and there is constant contact with the pedals, cycling is actually a “no-impact” activity. But we typically classify it along with other modes of “landing-free” exercise, like rowing and elliptical machines, as being very low impact, which it is. Cycling is a familiar, and effective way to get in some aerobic training volume without having to deal with a lot of ground reaction force and lower extremity joint loading. This is equally outstanding whether you want to get some easy aerobic training when your legs might be in recovery mode – e.g. a little tired or sore from hiking, running, playing sports, etc. – or you are wanting to do some high intensity work that won’t beat your legs up very much.
Zone-specific Training: The bike is probably the absolute best tool for working with training zones, such as the 5-zone model we use at TLA. This is especially true for indoor training, where distractions are removed, and one can easily concentrate on heart rate, power, gearing, RPE, etc. It’s easy to monitor and adjust what you’re doing specific to the objective of the workout, and your body’s responses. One thing worth mentioning here, though, is that cycling fitness is specific in the legs, and it usually takes several months (at least) of bike training before you can fully actualize your potential in the upper intensity zones (3-5). This is because the neuromuscular recruitment patterns, muscle fiber and capillary development, and metabolic properties in the leg muscles need some time with consistent training to fully adapt. One of the classic examples is taking a highly fit runner who doesn’t cycle much and having him/her try to perform a VO2max workout (which they could do relatively easily on the running track) on the bike. Their legs will be smoked before they can reach and sustain the higher heart rate zones. Just like any athletic endeavor, it takes some time to accrue cycling fitness. We must acknowledge this process, and be patient and gradual in the application of the appropriate cycling workload.
Sprint Training: Sprinting is high speed movement at or very near maximum velocity. Physiologically, the human body can sustain an all-out effort for 3-7 seconds, depending on the context of what one is doing. It is important to differentiate true sprinting from Zone 5 training, in which you might be doing 20-60 seconds of hard work (interval training) at or near max heart rate. There’s a place for that, but it’s not true sprinting. The only way to stimulate the neuromuscular system to develop and maintain max velocity is to do sprints. Full stop. The bike is a great place to sprint because it is approachable for many people who don’t or can’t run. Plus, the pedal stroke primarily emphasizes concentric muscle contractions so the soreness potential is significantly reduced when compared to running.
For bike sprinting, I recommend 10-second bursts because you can ramp up for 1-2 seconds and ease out for the same duration on the back end of your blast (thus getting 6-8 seconds of top quality max velocity). Use a work/rest interval of 1:5-10, meaning that you crank it hard for 10 seconds, then gear down and pedal very easily for 50+ seconds before going again. 4-8 reps is great. If you can do this 20 times, you’re not going hard enough in your reps. This workout doesn’t take very long and it can be a part of a larger session, but be sure you warm up well and cool down adequately. The session is over when you can’t hit max speed anymore (as opposed to an arbitrary number of reps). You can sprint in the sitting or standing position but I usually recommend staying seated most of the time.
Here’s a safety consideration. If you’re using a fixed gear bike such as a dedicated indoor fitness bike (many of which are excellent) to do your sprints, be aware that the bike doesn’t freewheel. This means the cranks keep turning and you can’t stop pedaling and leave the pedals stationary. As you get up to 140 rpm’s and (often much) higher your legs are flying around that circle. You have to work on coordination to avoid “driving with the brakes on” (or worse) and you’ll get a feel for this over time. Avoid straining and letting your body get out of sync. Sprinting involves going hard for a few seconds just like you see pro riders do at the finish of a stage race. They’re barely on the control side of berserk and it looks like they are trying to break their bikes. We want to be close to that but always in the safe zone. Don’t let this scare you. Sprinting is great for every Lifetime Athlete. To avoid it when you’re capable means you’re missing out on an evolutionarily-required capacity.
Cross Training: First, let’s differentiate cross-training from supplemental conditioning. Cross training (XT) is alternative mode aerobic conditioning. Supplemental conditioning is supportive exercise that complements one’s primary sport applications. If we use runners for an example again, they bike for cross training and lift weights for supplemental conditioning. But you don’t have to be a runner to use the bike for cross-training. Downhill and cross-country skiers do it all the time. So do tennis and basketball players. The list goes on.
The beauty of using a bike for cross training, or essentially mixing up your cardio to include the bike among other activities such as hiking and swimming (just two examples among many), is twofold. First, it allows you to accumulate more aerobic volume (when that is your goal) than you can usually get from one sport alone. Second, it spreads forces around, changes things up, and uses different body positions and muscle contraction patterns. This can be significant in reducing the risk of overuse injury. When we have multiple movement experiences in our training week, we avoid mental and physical monotony while simultaneously providing the neuromuscular system with varying stimuli.
Indoor Cycling: These days, opportunities to ride indoors are just as prevalent as those that take you outside. While it’s technically true that you can ride in any weather, and there are bikes specifically designed accordingly, indoor cycling has a number of outstanding benefits.
Obviously, riding inside can be highly valuable when the weather is stormy or otherwise inclement. A frigid downpour or slick, icy conditions can be avoided, as can the risk of associated undesirables such as hypothermia or a crash.
But where indoor cycling really shines is for interval training. Whether that’s in a cycling class or on your own. At the gym or in your garage or basement. You can hit an interval session of almost any type, with high consistency. No stoplights, challenging traffic conditions, rushing dogs, headwinds, or unwanted terrain changes. You can get a great workout without a lot of hassles or safety considerations. High efficiency training for sure, and by doing intervals when you’re indoors, it reduces the chance for boredom to creep into your session.
Just Riding: OK, so I just said that indoor intervals were great, especially when you have a very particular workout framework that you want to utilize. However, just heading out on a nice day and going down a trail or road, and letting the terrain, your riding partners, or your whimsy – dictate when (or if, or how much) you go hard or easy – is glorious. Attack a hill, cruise for a while, grind a long climb, power through a section, or just pedal easily and enjoy the scenery…it’s all good. Just have some fun mixing effort and don’t worry about zones, segment durations, rest intervals, etc. Don’t take yourself, or your sport, too seriously.
Cycling in a Gym Workout: The use of the bike when you are at the gym can be quite diverse. You can use the bike as part of a warmup for a resistance or circuit session. Or a dedicated bike workout might be your primary component. Maybe the bike gets incorporated into your cooldown to spin out your legs after other types of training. Those are all great. I’m also fond of programming which uses an “on/off” methodology. This is usually some form of circuit training in which the trainee alternates riding for a few minutes with performing other exercises. The rides can be the easy or hard part of each round, or even in between. A stimulating workout that is equal parts conditioning and fun. Many more possibilities here.
Now let’s get to a few safety considerations every lifetime cyclist should keep in mind.
Helmets are non-negotiable. If you are outside on your bike, your helmet should be on your head. Avoid the temptation of thinking “Oh, this is just a short, easy ride and I don’t need my helmet.” You always need your helmet.
Don’t ride on the roads on Friday afternoon. This tip comes from the study of transportation statistics as well as extensive personal experience. The Friday afternoon mindset is one that we all recognize. The workweek is wrapping up. The weekend is beginning. Drivers have more than the road on their minds, and they are often either feeling a bit carefree or in a hurry to get to wherever they are going. There is an uptick in traffic violations (speeding, failure to stop, etc.) and accidents/citations. As a rider, your odds of being in a problematic situation go up exponentially. Skip the road ride and go mountain biking, get your session done indoors, etc. Just don’t ride the roads on Friday afternoon.
Become competent with basic bicycle maintenance. Nothing major here, just the basics. When everything is relatively clean, properly adjusted, adequately lubricated, and appropriately inflated…your bike not only performs better, it becomes more safe and reliable. And this makes your riding more enjoyable.
Obey the traffic laws. Bikes are legally considered vehicles and we are required to follow the same rules as cars in most situations. It’s important to be an ambassador and give cyclists a good name. Try not to ride in such a way that puts you at greater risk or unnecessarily offends drivers.
Practice your bike handling skills. This tends to happen automatically as you ride, and it’s specific to the terrain and type of biking you do. But no matter how tough you are, crashes are best avoided. This isn’t just for mountain bikes and technical terrain either. Braking, shifting, turning, sit-to-stand transitions, etc. are essential skills everywhere. Ride within your limits of control and extend your abilities carefully to match the demands of your riding.
Get comfortable with group riding. Obviously, racing in the peloton requires more finesse than joining your buddy for a cruise. But the same etiquette applies. Drafting or maintaining safe following distances, passing, signaling, communicating your intentions, and other key aspects of group cycling are essential. You want to have a secure feeling about the other riders, and you want to give them the same feeling about you. Nobody wants to be around a squirrely-riding clown who endangers everyone.
I think the last bit of advice I’d like to offer up in today’s message isn’t really about mechanics or conditioning or safety. It’s about attitude. We’ve noted that cyclists, and bikes, come in many flavors and styles. But ultimately, we’re all celebrating two-wheeled freedom, exercise and sport, and people enjoying the athletic life. There’s a tendency for the different groups within cycling to view their way of riding as the best way, and the choices of others to be somehow lesser. Let’s avoid that. We can do better. Just like everyone is welcome in The Lifetime Athlete community – we all should be encouraged to ride the way we like – for LIFE!