But, if it feels easy, you're probably not doing it right (sigh). Your hips aren't in the right position.Īh, position three - it always feels easier. Lift your heart and eyes and relax the shoulders down and away from the ears. There should be a slight lift of the pelvic floor - your belly button pushes back towards to spine to offer added core support. With your hands resting gently on the sides of the handlebars, relax your elbows towards the floor. The nose of the saddle should be sticking out between your thighs, and your tail should be hanging slightly off the back. Your handlebars aren't at the right setting.Įvery rider is different, but here's the general rule of thumb when it comes to sitting on the bike, according to King: "Keep a slight bend in the knees, with tush on saddle. If your knee has too much bend, position the saddle higher." 2. If the leg is straight, adjust the seat so that it is slightly lower. Be sure to keep your foot parallel to the floor and avoid pointing your toes. When your foot is flat and at the six o'clock position (the base of the pedal stroke), there should be a very slight bend in the knee. "The seat post height should be adjusted so that it comes right up against your hip. "To find the sweet spot for your saddle, stand next to your bike with your feet flat on the floor," says King. "If your seat is too high, it forces the knee to hyperextend and, in time, will cause damage and pain to the knee joint, hips and back." Um, it's also super uncomfortable, right?
"When the seat of your bike is too low, there is potential damage to your knees and lower back, plus your quadriceps work harder in this position leading to a labored pedal stroke and muscle fatigue early on in the ride," explains King. Having your seat too high or low can throw off your whole ride.
So, we called up Jessica King, a coach at the NYC cycling studio Peloton, to school us in all the common indoor cycling mistakes - and how to fix them. It sounds obvious (and is true of pretty much any workout), but many people don't realize exactly how important the right technique and preparation is in order to get the most out of a great cycling session. My point is, as much as I love indoor cycling, the benefits - major calorie burn without too much of a time commitment, plus endurance and strength training - are totally negated if you aren't doing it the right way. As everyone else was trudging up a hill to Depeche Mode, this guy looked like he was about to spin himself right off his bike. I'm not a certified instructor (I may be obsessed, but even I'm not that hardcore), but his seat was too low, his knees too high, and his speed way, way too fast. It wasn't his looks that kept me staring at him throughout class, it was his technique. At one of my old indoor cycling studios, there was this guy.