Questions tagged [ergonomics]
For questions about the ergonomics (human factors) of cycling and related activities, mostly related to the positioning and motion of the body and its joints to avoid injury and increase comfort and performance.
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How long should one wear a backpack while cycling
I have been cycling now for almost 6 years. I commute from home to work and I carry a laptop along with work clothes probably a sweater, an official shirt, and some bike tools. My estimated distance ...
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Help me analyze my mountain bike body position, dealing with crippling elbow pain
I have been dealing with crippling elbow pain these last couple months which has been keeping me off the bike. I have super long legs and a short torso, riding a Large Orbea Rise mountain bike, 780mm ...
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Why aren't there more bicycles and accessories designed specifically for women?
Why are there not more bicycles and accessories designed to ergonomically meet the needs of the female body? I'm not talking dresses or skirts. A range of skeletal features differentiate the female ...
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I'm an absolute beginner in bike touring, about to buy a bike. Is it worth it to hire a bike fitting service before the purchase?
I'm an absolute beginner in bike touring, about to buy a bike. Currently I'm using local shared bikes and I always wanted to start my adventures on a bike, camping and so on.
Given this, is it worth ...
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What are, if any, the signature postural differences between riding a 26″ bike and a 29″ bike?
Briefly
One way of asking
In the video accompanying Michael Jackson's "Black or White", people of various ethnicities are morphed to one another. Suppose you are looking at someone riding a ...
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Ergonomics - road cycling on mountain bike
I am new to cycling and have recently started to bike to work.
The distance is about 20 kms each way and I find that by the end of it my lower back starts to hurt.
I do work at a desk job and I ...
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Healthiest bike posture for slower long rides
I'm looking for some evidence on bike posture and overall best positioning for healthiest rides that might be "long" (say around 30km) but also where speed is not a concern - think of ...
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Pain on bottom foot when freewheeling for a time in a gravel descent
One of my favorite touring routs is on a rural route. It is 15 km* long, I take about an hour to complete it since a part of the first half is sandy and I need to dismount to traverse it.
At the 10 km ...
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Is there an improvement braking from the hoods from Shimano Sora 3500 to Sora R3000?
I'm struggling to brake from the hoods on my first drop handlebar second hand bike although braking from the drops is fine. I read on this site somewhere that older Shimano Sora ergonomics were ...
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Balance of leg muscle usage while riding out of the saddle
Minor changes in cleat and saddle position can greatly alter the amount of glute, hamstrings, quads and calf muscle that are used when cycling while seated. But is the same true of positions when ...
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Are Adjustable Stems With Reasonable Merit?
[Question overhauled after I realised it appeared snobbish, narrow and not in good faith, as pointed out by @gschenk . This sentiment originated due to a recent failure with a critical bolt mechanism ...
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Correctly and incorrectly mounting a bicycle
I am very fond of mouting bicycles this way:
Stand to the left of the bike.
Put the left foot on the left pedal.
Push forward with the right foot to set the bike in motion.
Swing the right leg ...
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Options to reduce reach on a gravel bike
I bought a 2020 GT Grade shortly after the pandemic hit. Bought it online, no test drive. It was a bit of a risk, but it seems to fit well enough with one exception: the reach feels a bit long. When I ...
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Don't like upright position so which bike should I choose?
Hi I used to cycle quite a lot and about 26 years ago bought a men's trek singletrack 970 which I loved. That eventually got stolen, and I haven't ridden for many years, but when I tried out some ...
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How to adjust hydraulic disk brake lever reach during bleeding?
During a crash I have bent my adjustment knob on Sram Code brakes and now after bleeding the lever is a bit too far away for my liking. The knob is bent and can't be turned. If I'll reduce the ...
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Neck and shoulder discomfort [closed]
I have a Raleigh Strada hybrid with flat handlebars.
Have recently been getting some discomfort in the neck and shoulder area which I suspect is down to poor posture on the bike.
Are there any ...
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Can I install an upright handlebar (curved towards me) on a touring bike?
I bike around the city on a daily basis, usually for short distances (5 km tops, typically less than that). I currently have a cheap, battered down touring bike that is nevertheless doing the job ...
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The palms of my hands really hurt
I understand that the pressure on my hands causes it.
I also understand how the nerves run through my hand.
What I don't understand is how to implement the advise of, "Take the weight off your hands"
...
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How should a bicycle fit? [closed]
What are the characteristic features of a bicycle well-fitted to its rider?
Are there a standard set of "rider positions" that we talk about in bicyle ergonomics?
What are the standard tolerances ...
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Calves overcoming glutes function, is this a set up problem?
I've noticed that I usually become really tight calves while my gluts don't work at all. It is specially so when I accelerate in my singlespeed while I'm stand up or when I climb.
Sometimes I get my ...
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Contradiction! Which back posture is correct for road biking?
It might be a basic question but I have searched and find no same question.
The question is...
There seems to be contradiction about the back posture for road biking.
Some people suggest arch-...
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Which kind of bicycles is better and comfortable for shorter communtes, 4-5 km daily
This kind straight handles
or this kind?
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Recommendations on how to make grips more comfortable?
I find that on longer rides on my Trek FX3 that my palms (particularly my right palm) go numb from the pressure I am exerting on them. I appreciate that part of this is related to my posture and the ...
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Are recumbents good for your back?
I am in my late 40s and yes I have a sore lower back. Most likely from too many bicycle rides on incorrectly sized / fitted bicycles.
I am thinking of getting a recumbent for my daily commute to work. ...
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Correct sitting posture for my bicycle
I recently bought the below bicycle 26 inch
https://www.trackandtrail.in/cycles/mach-city/ibike-7-speed/
My Height is 5:11, after riding for one week i started feeling pain at upper back below ...
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Is a fitting worthwhile for me?
I'm a guy with banged up knees. I'm trying to decide if it is worthwhile for me to splurge for a high-end bike fitting or go with a more ordinary fitting or skip getting a fitting altogether.
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How to fix raised shoulder posture?
When riding, I have found myself in a posture where my shoulders are raised (like a shrug). I assume this is a bad posture. When I notice it, I correct myself. However, sometime later I might find ...
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Potential risks of sitting upright on the saddle during a daily commute
I ride my bike to work Monday through Friday, about forty minutes both ways. The elevation changes a bit but not too much. I'm not a huge fan of holding the handlebars, and I often ride with no ...
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Bicycle design for a crooked hip
One of my hips turns out a bit more than it ‘ought’ to. It doesn't affect my walking, but on a bicycle it means that my knee on that side must transmit force at an unnatural angle. It was less of a ...
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How to handle vibration (big bumps, etc.) on flat bar when touring?
I've got a fully-rigid mountain bike with flat bars that I'll be using on a 150 mile bikepacking trip on a "rails to trails" trail. So it'll get a bit bumpy.
My hands get a little sore from all the ...
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Custom bike to offer smoothest possible ride on bad roads
So, I am in a peculiar situation - due to an injury, shaking in any direction leads to pain and my condition is improving very slowly. I'm looking to find/customize a bike so that it offers me the ...
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How to carry a step-through/mixte bike
How can one carry a bike with a step-through/mixte frame effectively?-- In comparison, any diamond-frame bike is a breeze for me to shoulder regardless of weight (okay, carrying a 25+-kg roadster is ...
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Did I choose the wrong size bike?
I don't know much about bicycles, and I have relatively little experience with them. I bike for fun, or to get around the city, not for sport.
Recently I bought a BTWIN Rockrider 340 mountain bike, ...
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Can I put my 2.1" 29er tires on a wheel with 25mm inner diameter?
So I broke my second front wheel last night when I hit a dip that rose too quickly for my wheel to climb before all my weight went behind it. I'm a big guy (300+ lbs), so my wheels need to be able to ...
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Replacing the handlebar grips with ergonomic ones?
I had bought this set a while back and I eventually managed to replace them the other day, but... It didn't work! The length of the bar is too short to reach the end of the new grips, i don't know ...
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Why are foot-long pedals not widely used?
A lot of effort and resources go into making cycling shoes stiff, presumably to keep the foot in a suitable shape and spread the force across the sole.
It seems like it would be possible to achieve a ...
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Knee position while on the aero bar
I find that my knees are coming ahead of the pedals while I am on the aero bars. I am not sure whether this is right or wrong.
In the below image, I don't feel pain on my lower back for a long ...
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How to work around a high seatpost?
So I bought this old bike but realized that its seatpost is stuck and high. When I ride I feel uncomfortable because it's slightly too high for me. Also I realized that it's really difficult to fix ...
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Will short arm crank conversion work for me?
I own an 18 speed "Columbia Journey Comfort Bike". Since having 2 knee replacements I find that I do not have enough knee bend to pedal. I have raised the seat & still cannot even do one ...
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I sit real far back on my saddle
Asked this on diaspora, but was urged to come here, so, here's my question:
I tend to slide BACK on my saddle really far, to the point where my sit bones are very near to the edge. If I try to scoot ...
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Should one buy a used Brooks saddle that is already broken in?
I understand that Brooks saddles (and similar leather hammock/sling style saddles) break in as they are used so that they conform to the particular shape of a riders sit bones, crotch, etc., and that, ...
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Breathable backpack [closed]
I carry a 15" laptop, headphones, tablet and other misc items in my backpack during the bike ride. This makes me sweaty in the back.
Are there 'breathable' backpacks specifically meant for bike ...
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Cycling position for commuting
I'm looking into buying a commuter bike. Observing other bikers I see some are hunched over their bikes and some are almost vertical. What is considered the best position for commuting?
[I will be ...
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Bicycle Seating Posture Ergonomics
Road bikes have a forward bent seating posture, mountain bikes have a straight seating posture.
I was wondering which of the above seating postures (of road bikes or mountain bike) is better for ...
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Pain in my front shoulder muscle - suggestions? (Hybrid cycle)
I ride a hybrid cycle to/from work each day (10 km / 6 US miles each way).
The handle bars are flat, and I ride with my thumbs gripped around the handle and 2 fingers close to or over the brakes (I ...
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What is the matter with this Shimano disc brake lever?
I got the BR-M445L + BL-M505L a month ago. I am new to hydraulic disc brakes, so I can't tell if there is any problem with air in the system or other problems. Asked a mechanic and he said the brake ...
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Tandem team with large height disparity - possible?
My wife and I would like to start riding tandem. I've been reading about it and am worried that we are not physically eligible.
She's 165cm, I'm 195cm...
I've considered buying a baby trailer and ...
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ergonomically sound seat types or features?
Are there seat types or seat features that are ergonomically better for certain kinds of ailments such as lower back pain, knee pain, etc.?
For example, perhaps cushioned seats might be better for ...
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quads feel over used while in an aero position
I typically ride on the hoods, but I've been working lately on a more aero position. When in the drops or using clip-on aero bars I find that my quads get fatigued much more than when I'm in a normal ...
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Bike position - Town bike
I have found a lot of documentation on the internet on how to chose the correct riding position for a mountain bike or a road bike.
The thing is that my bike doesn't fit in those classes.
My bike is ...
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