5 Most Common Sources of Bike Riding Discomfort: How to Fix the Issue?

5 Most Common Sources of Bike Riding Discomfort: How to Fix the Issue?

You want to be able to enjoy the freedom of the open road and maybe test yourself to achieve a good route time but that is going to be harder to achieve if you are not comfortable. It often pays to find a range of comfortable bike seats so that you ride for longer and not feel the sort of discomfort that can interfere with your enjoyment. It also helps to understand what other issues create that level of discomfort and what you can do to fix the problem.

5 Most Common Sources of Bike Riding Discomfort: How to Fix the Issue?

[ photo: pexels by pedro sandrini ]

Is the angle of your saddle a problem?

A common complaint amongst bike riders is that they are suffering from painful hands and don’t understand why this is. The basic answer is that you are applying too much weight on your hands combined with the wrong amount of bend in your wrists. 

One possible cause of this pain is if your saddle is not level. If it is leaning forward, even slightly, it can put undue pressure on your wrists. Adjust your saddle tilt until you notice an improvement in the angle of your wrists when you are in a riding position.

Check if you are stressing your back

Low back pain can be debilitating and there are a couple of potential causes that you need to check. Firstly, your saddle might be positioned too high or too low, or your riding posture needs correcting. When your saddle is too low it means your knees will have to rise above hip level with each revolution and that can apply extra stress to your back.

A most unpleasant experience

If there is one area of your body where you can feel the pain and discomfort more sharply it is in your groin area. A common cause of this complaint is when your saddle is the wrong shape for your anatomy or it can’t support your weight sufficiently.

The way to resolve the issue is to invest in a saddle that feels like it has been designed with you in mind and supports your weight and shape. You also need to ensure you adopt a suitable riding position as well.

Painful knees

Suffering from painful knees is always going to be uncomfortable and it will halt your progress unless you can fix the problem. A typical cause is when your saddle is set too low or is higher than ideal. Adjust the height to achieve a riding position that allows you to rely on generating power from your glutes and hamstrings which will put less stress on your knees.

Several reasons why your feet might be hurting

There are a couple of things to check if you are suffering from foot pain. It could be that your cleat position is incorrect and if they are set too far forward this will mean you might be doing too much pedaling using your toes. The other obvious thing to check is whether your shoes are a good fit and provide support where you need it when you are on your bike. 

Riding your bike should be fun and not uncomfortable, so check out these common problems to see if one of them needs fixing to improve your comfort levels.