Questions tagged [health]

Health issues affecting cyclists: comfort, pollution, energy, ...

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How can I keep riding with bad knees? [closed]

Let me tell you about my story first. I am diagnosed to have PFPS (patella-femoral pain syndrome) about 10 years ago. Some specialists also told me that my kneecaps were tilted outwards. I kept riding ...
Ender's user avatar
  • 1,432
3 votes
5 answers
3k views

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 ...
martin wanjohi's user avatar
6 votes
6 answers
3k views

Is cycling an aerobic or anaerobic exercise? What is the effect of cycling on weight loss?

I like to do cycling and I want to lose weight through cycling. But my friend told me about cardio instead of cycling, since cycling burns calories at a much slower rate. Is it true? So what's better ...
Santic's user avatar
  • 119
3 votes
1 answer
92 views

Should mountain biking scrapes and scratches be kept moist or dry in order for them to heal better? [duplicate]

I got a nice 2 square inch knee scrape from a mountain bike crash. The internet is all over the place on whether it should be kept moist and covered vs. open and dry in order to prevent infection and ...
Kyle Pennell's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
88 views

alleviating localised pressure from pedal cage

I ride my Brompton in normal shoes with quill/cage pedals and half-clips: I've done 25-100 miles journeys, and occasionally find the balls of my feet get sore / toes go a bit numb. It feels as though ...
jhnc's user avatar
  • 483
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Daily commuter - stamina got worse after saddle height adjustment

Over the last three years, I’ve regularly commuted by bike - thirteen kilometers each way pre-pandemic, now I’m down to five each - and until recently, it’s gone smoothly. To my surprise (especially ...
KeyboardCat's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
2k views

What are the disadvantages of bicycle saddles with cut-outs?

I'm thinking about buying a new saddle and I have seen that you can still buy high-end saddles without any cut-out / relief channel. I was always advised that I should go for the latter ones since ...
Mat's user avatar
  • 727
5 votes
1 answer
872 views

Does a build-up of CO2 in the lungs make you out of breath?

I used to get out of breath when cycling, running or swimming and a friend mentioned that it is important to fully breathe out when feeling slightly out of breath, as it is due to a build up of carbon ...
Julliet's user avatar
  • 53
20 votes
5 answers
2k views

How can I learn cycling with polio in my right leg?

I'm a 20 yrs old boy with polio in my right leg, and due to this fact I never tried to learn to ride a bike. But now I want to give it a go, but since I have no one to teach me (I have no friends or ...
Ganesh Karekar's user avatar
8 votes
4 answers
1k views

Has anybody recovered from or riding with PFS / Chondromalacia patella?

I'm 41 years old. I've had this problem 8 years ago and rode with it about 2 years. Then I had to stop riding when it got really worse. Nowadays, I'm trying to get back onto my bike again even if it ...
Ender's user avatar
  • 1,432
3 votes
4 answers
886 views

False hrm results

I use Garmin edge 520 with Garmin dual heart rate monitor and it shows completely false results like maximum hr >180 and average hr 150, while my ride is easy, slow and flat and I don't feel any ...
Alex Par's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
239 views

Can a conventional seat be reversed 180 degrees to be used as a noseless seat?

I am interested in potentially switching to a noseless seat (also called noseless saddle). Instead of buying one, can I simply reverse my conventional seat 180 degrees and sit on the edge of the new ...
user1114105's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
3k views

Might biking lower forehead temp readings at destination?

I often bike to work at a place that screens all who enter for fever. Lately this has been done with a no-touch forehead thing, presumably an IR gadget. When I bike, even if it is cold enough that I ...
Brian Donovan's user avatar
5 votes
5 answers
809 views

Returning to bicycling after a long hiatus

Does anyone have advice for someone who is returning to bicycling after a multi month hiatus. This is my followup question to Bicycle Storage. Before the pandemic, I was biking 20 miles per day every ...
emory's user avatar
  • 257
5 votes
2 answers
487 views

Do high and narrow seat and back bending provide good bike riding posture?

I would like to ride a bike as part of daily commute on roads someday, as I rode a bike to school in another country in the past. But I have been bothered by some uncomfortable points from the bikes ...
Tim's user avatar
  • 151
13 votes
2 answers
2k views

cyclist's palsy: how long does it last

I recently did a long ride and didn't move my hands enough. The pinky and ring finger on my right hand went numb and the webbing between thumb and index burned and ached. Two weeks later I still have ...
invictus's user avatar
  • 230
12 votes
4 answers
1k views

What's the proper science-driven way to treat mild scrapes/abrasions (that have a bit of dirt in them) from a mountain biking crash?

I tried to research this using search engines and found such a random variety of recommendations. Some were saying to make sure you have your tetanus booster while others were citing a study that ...
Kyle Pennell's user avatar
5 votes
6 answers
3k views

Cycling shorts: comfort vs bacteria / fungus?

I picked up endurance cycling a few years ago (30 - 100 km rides), and bought a few pairs of padded lycra shorts because that's just the thing to do. I wash them after every ride -- at least soap in ...
Mike Ounsworth's user avatar
12 votes
5 answers
3k views

Stiff but short daily commute leading to "heavy" legs

I'm a long time bike commuter (over 10 years), I was living some 4.5 kms from my workplace, a mostly flat commute (well, maybe 40 m up-and-down). After two years of that commute, it had made my ...
Vincent Fourmond's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
2k views

Will wearing a backpack on my chest make any difference on my health?

It's commonly acknowledged that wearing a stuffed backpack during cycling is somewhat bad for your back. I see a lot of people saying they have back problem because of the usage of backpacks during ...
RA828's user avatar
  • 127
11 votes
4 answers
7k views

What exactly do seats with a cut out in the middle achieve?

I've read that seats with a cut out are a good way of relieving stress on your sensitive areas. So we have seats like this: My question is: from what I've read, the problem with cycling with bad ...
WorldGov's user avatar
  • 219
1 vote
0 answers
188 views

Is cycling killing me? Excessive congestion [closed]

For lack of insight elsewhere I thought I'd turn to the this active Exchange to see if others have had similar experiences with their respiratory system while cycling. (note: I have already seen a ...
unpollo's user avatar
  • 111
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

Mild pain in lower forearms during biking

I feel some pressure and fatigue in my wrists and lower forearms during riding but not after it. I don't know whether it is due to weakness of my wrists or my suspicion that my 18" frame mount bike is ...
infatuated's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
491 views

Risks of pedaling with outward pointing knee

During my pedaling action I always try to keep my knee moving in plane parallel to the plane containing the frame, or, in other words, my leg parallel to the frame. I have however noticed other ...
L.Dutch's user avatar
  • 7,041
2 votes
1 answer
477 views

Thumb ring and index finger

I have a new bike for 3 month and after about 20 Km my ring and index finger on the left hand became numb. Just as an information for my hand position: These fingers are always on the brakes. Here is ...
ruedi's user avatar
  • 687
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

Low gearing and knee health

Background I have been riding a single speed bikes over the last few (8) years in both flat (Perth, Australia) and hilly terrain (Brisbane, Australia). I love riding single speed. It has become part ...
tymtam's user avatar
  • 271
3 votes
6 answers
3k views

How do you keep from coasting too much on a bicycle?

Something that has always confused me about working out on a bike. I want a Hybrid to ride for fitness. I do not want the Road bike, mostly because I'm not going to ride on the road (I am too afraid ...
johnny's user avatar
  • 183
15 votes
4 answers
8k views

I get dizzy when I dismount. Causes?

Saturday I went on a ride with the local cycling club. At a certain point in the ride (after about 20 miles/32 km), I was extremely tired to the point that I decided to get off of the bike and walk ...
EvilSnack's user avatar
  • 611
1 vote
3 answers
180 views

Which kind of bicycles is better and comfortable for shorter communtes, 4-5 km daily

This kind straight handles or this kind?
Jitendra Vyas's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
843 views

Adjusting bike fitting to cope with FAI (hip deformity)

After many years in the saddle (as a casual rider only) I am currently unable to ride to due a problem with my hips. I just got the X-rays back and it seems I have a "pincer" deformity on both hips ...
Paul R's user avatar
  • 111
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

Effect of drinking coffee before riding?

I'm 173 cm with about 45 kg weight (underweight). In the same ride of 30 km with short but steep uphill and downhill, if I drink coffee I tend to feel better when riding, but about two hours after the ...
Rizki Hadiaturrasyid's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
137 views

How To Improve? [closed]

Could it really be possible for a rider, like me (who is fat but loves cycling) to improve his skills and gain stability for riding a good mile? If Yes, How?
Aarish Rathi's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
183 views

What are the potential causes of my fingers going numb when riding?

My fingers get numb quite quickly when riding. I'm a novice and not sure to what this can be due. I've tried gloves but they didn't help. I've tried added different handles to be able to switch ...
curious's user avatar
  • 121
1 vote
0 answers
87 views

Can long cycle rides cause damage to people fitted with a bladder sphincter [closed]

Can any body tell me if they have experienced any problems or pain. I have a bladder sphincter fitted and am concerned about doing a long bike ride. My question is I am currently training for a 10 day ...
David Parnell's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
2k views

How to avoid the road bike physique

Due to a house move I am soon to become a road bike commuter with approx. 18 miles to cover. I could do with loosing a few kgs but am worried about developing the emaciated physique so apparent in ...
Adam893's user avatar
  • 151
2 votes
2 answers
146 views

Does USAC Allow Natural Suppliments?

I'm a non-competitive cyclist that wants to try a few Cat-5 USAC races for fun; unfortunately, at 40+ years of age, I'm taking more than one natural OTC supplement to self-medicate. Is there an ...
Shawn Eary's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
126 views

heart rate monitor / arrythmia [closed]

How do people with arrythmia manage the problem that most bycicle heart rate monitor devices cannot measure accurately their heart rate?
Alex Par's user avatar
  • 579
9 votes
3 answers
590 views

Cycling into tunnels

I am planning a long trip in Japan (about 1400 km) in a hilly/mountain region. I already know there will be no cycling path and then I will have to share the road with cars. This is allowed by local ...
L.Dutch's user avatar
  • 7,041
7 votes
2 answers
1k views

How to bike with less stress on the calves

I have a condition called functional PAES, which is caused by the calf muscles compressing the popliteal artery. My doctor recommended activities that would not put much stress on the calves, and ...
Pedro Tabacof's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
577 views

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. ...
CommuterBiker's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
1k views

Minor but persistent saddle sore - Safe to continue riding?

A few months ago I switched from a heavily padded saddle to a Velominati-approved one: http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#61 It was very uncomfortable at first (even with padded shorts), but I ...
BSO rider's user avatar
  • 5,650
2 votes
1 answer
73 views

Advice for resuming riding after illness?

Just got a rude reminder a few weeks ago that I'm middle-aged (let's call it a cardiovascular accident), and I'll probably be a while recovering fitness. I've signed up for a rehab program at the ...
keshlam's user avatar
  • 271
1 vote
3 answers
233 views

What is the best pedalling technique to heal and prevent patellar tendonitis? [closed]

I have a very mild case of patellar tendonitis. But, it is a chronic and recurring problem I have been dealing with since 2011. I get it mainly from playing tennis. But, I notice that when biking I ...
Sympa's user avatar
  • 227
8 votes
3 answers
182 views

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 ...
Anton Sherwood's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
415 views

Does cannabis affect cycling performance?

Some of my friends like to smoke (using both traditional methods and vaporizers that produce no "smoke") or eat edibles before rides, they say it makes it more enjoyable. I always wonder if it ...
ebrohman's user avatar
  • 5,426
49 votes
13 answers
14k views

Is commuting 10 km on an empty stomach harmful?

I recently moved to a new place and I started taking my bike to work. It is a ride of 10-15km, depending on how fancy I feel about taking detours. I wake up at 7:45, and 15 minutes later I am already ...
Emmit's user avatar
  • 735
11 votes
3 answers
6k views

How to avoid/deal with exhaust fumes when riding in traffic

I live in Chicago, and I ride through the downtown area and other congested streets to and from work every day. Often when I am at a stoplight, I am directly behind or next to several cars belching ...
chiliNUT's user avatar
  • 245
0 votes
1 answer
423 views

Alternative excercise to biking [closed]

Are there any alternative exercise to biking while it's raining? I have been fortunate enough to solve my insomnia with biking...something with it seems to connect and works well to solve my ages old ...
Kumar's user avatar
  • 123
13 votes
3 answers
2k views

Tips for cycling while pregnant, and is it safe?

To clarify, I am asking this for my wife! Blog articles and other webpages differ on the question of the safety of pregnant cycling. Most seem to think that it is okay, but some think that a ...
CJB's user avatar
  • 273
1 vote
2 answers
10k views

Cycling's effect On The Bladder?

What effect does cycling have on the bladder? There is some information online: Beginner Triathlete It is not uncommon to have genitourinary symptoms caused by prolonged contact with the bike ...
Mou某's user avatar
  • 111