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Pedal Pushers by Erik Moen, PT & Elizabeth Salvo, DPT

Spring is finally here and it’s time to get out and ride your bicycle. The Pacific Northwest offers loads of cycling opportunities for women. This article will help you get started and, hopefully, get you hooked. Warning: riding outside in the fine weather with a group of like-minded people can be highly addictive.

First, you need to figure out what type of riding appeals to you. You could join some of the thousands of Bike to Work fans who commute to work on a regular basis (saving gas and money, and exercising, all at the same time), ride the beautiful trails through the woods at Tiger Mountain, join a group road ride around Seattle, or become a member of one of the many road, mountain or triathlon racing teams in the area. The number of miles you want to ride and the types of surfaces you ride on will help you to determine the best bike for the job.
Go to your neighborhood bicycle shop and take a look at your options. Bike shops will categorize bikes differently, but the basic categories are:

COMFORT/HYBRID BIKE
The comfort or hybrid bike for the recreational rider is a step up from the single-speed cruiser or leisure/beach bike we used to ride around on as kids. The tires are usually fatter than their road counterpart and weigh more too. You’ll be more upright than on a true road bike. This makes for a secure and comfortable but not super-speedy ride. Prices can run about $500 to $800.

MOUNTAIN
Mountain bikes are bikes specifically designed to ride off-road on gravel or forest trails. Like all bicycles, they range in price, weight and performance options. Although you can certainly use a mountain bike to ride to the grocery store, the money ($1,000 to $5,000) you are spending on this bike is for components that include front and/or rear suspension which allow you to ride over rougher (and incredibly beautiful) terrain.

ROAD
Road bicycles are meant for riding on the road! The tires are skinny and the bicycles are light, which makes for faster riding over longer distances. The components (the parts added to the bicycle frame), as well as the bike frame itself, will be made from materials ranging from heavy but inexpensive steel to light carbon-fiber and titanium. Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo are the main manufacturers of components that you will see in bike shops around here. These bicycles also range in price from about $1,000 to $6,000.

OTHERS
Believe it or not, there are still MORE options for bike riding. There are cruisers/comfort bicycles, cyclocross bikes, track and BMX bikes and other specialty bikes designed for specific venues and events.

For any bicycle, weight and the quality of the components make a difference. While you probably won’t want to start with the best bike in the shop, if you can afford a little more, the quality of your riding experience will increase as well. There is nothing more frustrating for regular riding than a poorly shifting bike or inefficient brakes.

It can all seem a bit confusing and maybe a little overwhelming unless you go back to your basic goal. What do you want to do? Once you know what type of riding you want to do, a bicycle shop salesperson can point you to a bike that should meet your needs. Try out several bicycles and just see how they feel. Bicycles from different manufacturers can vary greatly in the size and geometry of the bike frame. Two bicycles can feel very different relative to how far you have to reach to the handlebars and how easy it is to pull on the brakes. Different bicycle shops will carry different brands of bikes, so it is worth your while to go to several bike shops and try out other manufacturers’ models. Your bicycle should feel comfortable to you, and with a few adjustments your bike will come to feel like your favorite pair of old slippers.

A well-fit bicycle will minimize discomfort, increase efficiency and help prevent pain and injury. Trained bike shop personnel, cycling specialists and physical therapists (PTs) can evaluate the way your body is positioned on the bike to make sure your biking position and style “fit” your functional goals, whether they are for comfort and endurance or for speed and performance.

To ensure a better bike fit, PTs have recommended positioning guidelines. It is not critical that you know all about bike fit in order to ride your bicycle, but it is important that the person selling you a bicycle knows about bike fit or refers you to a bike fitter. You should expect them to start with something called ‘stand-over height’ where you stand over your bike and they look to be sure that you have at least an inch or two of clearance from the top tube of the bicycle (the part that connects the seat to the handlebars) to your crotch. This actually varies greatly depending on the type of bicycle and the slope (or angle) of the top tube. However, if they stop there and do not check any other measurements, you will want to talk to someone else who knows more about bike fit.

This is especially important for women since there are only a few women-only bicycles out there and you will most likely be looking at bicycles with angles and distances made for a man’s body. In order to get a good fit, your bicycle may require adjustments to the handlebar stem length, handlebar width and seat height, at a minimum. These minor adjustments (changing out a stem or handlebars) are services that a reputable bike shop should provide at no extra charge. Remember, if you are not comfortable on your bicycle, it can turn a fabulous sport into an uncomfortable nightmare. So here are some of the basics that your bike fitter should be checking in order to provide you with a good bike fit:

TRUNK AND ARM POSITION
If you are a recreational rider, you will be seated fairly upright on the bicycle with a slight forward bend in your trunk. Your hands should rest comfortably on the handlebars. You should not feel like you have to overstretch to get your hands on the handlebars. If you are a more serious, performance and speed-oriented road cyclist, your trunk will be bent closer to the handlebars and your arms will reach out a bit farther.

THE HANDLEBARS
Handlebar position will affect your hand, shoulder, neck and back comfort as well as the handling of your bicycle. For the road cyclist, correct handlebar positioning will provide better pedaling efficiency, aerodynamics and improved safety with cornering and braking. The width of the recreational rider’s handlebars should allow hands to be slightly wider than the shoulders. For the road cyclist, hands should be approximately 2 cm wider than the shoulders for comfort and to help ensure good handling of the bicycle.

SADDLE HEIGHT
Your bike fitter should aim for the recreational cyclist to have a little bit of bend (35-45 degrees) in their knee when they are pushing all the way down on the pedal. For the road cyclist the knee is not bent quite as far as for the recreational cyclist (30-35 degree angle).

THE SADDLE
The saddle on your bike should be level. If the saddle tips downward, pressure will be placed on your hands and lower back. The saddle also should be a comfortable distance from the handlebars — too close, and extra weight will be placed on your mid-back and arms; too far away, and you may put extra strain on your lower back and neck.

FOOT TO PEDAL
Position the ball of your foot over the pedal spindle for the best leverage, comfort and efficiency. If you are just starting out riding, a stiff-soled shoe is best for comfort and performance. As you advance, you may want to consider clipless pedals and shoes to increase cycling performance. The clipless system consists of cycling shoes with cleats mounted on the bottom that snap into the pedals, on your bike. It allows you to transfer more energy to your pedal stroke and will help you to go faster. They can take a bit to get used to as your feet are ‘attached’ to the pedals, and you will need to learn how to unclip safely and quickly to avoid falling over at slow speeds. That said, once you learn to ride with clipless pedals you will wonder how you ever rode any other way.

ACCESSORIES
Now that you have a bicycle that fits your body, you will need a few more bicycle accessories to help make your experience more comfortable. Invest in a good pair of cycling shorts (worn without underwear, by the way) to increase your comfort on the saddle. The saddle itself is a very personal item that should be wide or narrow enough to support your ‘sit bones.’ While sitting down, reach down with your hands and place your fingers under your butt. The boney protrusions at the base of either cheek are your sit bones (ischial tuberosities, if you really want to know). You want to try to center the saddle’s cushions on those bones. Ask to try several of the women-only saddles, cut-out saddles (which have a hole where your pubic bone would go) or even the men’s saddles to see which one fits you best.

You can purchase additional accessories, if your main goal is comfort, by adding softer handlebar tape, shock absorbers for the seat post and front fork, and wider tires.

Before you head out on the road, you will need a bike helmet. Bike helmets can cost as little as $25 and are required by law in many cities in Washington. In addition, you will want to bring a basic kit containing a pump, a spare tube, patch kit and some money. If you would like to know how to change your tire (this is a great idea and SO empowering once you get it), ask for a quick lesson when you purchase your bike. Free or nominal-fee, basic bike maintenance and bike handling classes are also available through many of the local cycling clubs.

Erik Moen, a physical therapist, athlete, coach and educator, is known for his work with bicycling biomechanics and injury intervention. His practice is Corpore Sano in Kenmore.

Elizabeth Salvo, a champion road cyclist and avid mountain bike and cyclocross racer, has a doctorate in Physical Therapy and is a licensed physical therapist.

CYCLING RESOURCES

Cascade Bicycle Club
www.cascade.org provides bicycling education programs for bike maintenance and bicycling skills on the road. A ride calendar for group rides of all abilities is available.

Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance
If riding the trails is what you are after, check out www.evergreenMTB.org. Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance (EMBA) is a good place to start with mountain bike lessons and group ride information.

Luna Chix
www.teamlunachix.com
This women-only organization provides education and group riding opportunities for social, noncompetitive and competitive road, mountain and triathlon events.

Seattle Bicycle Club
www.seattlebiketours.com has a link on their home page which provides a fairly comprehensive list of area clubs and cycling resources.

www.bicyclepaper.com
This link provides a list of bike riding events for the Northwest and Rocky Mountain areas.

www.bikeride.com
Here, you will find a comprehensive calendar of bike riding opportunities around the country.

www.wsbaracing.com/women
This link provides information about joining road racing teams in the area.

www.cyclethewave.com
Cycle the Wave is “an all women’s noncompetitive bicycle ride through Bellevue, Issaquah, South King County, Maple Valley, Renton and Newcastle. It was created by women passionate about cycling, friendship, fitness and the desire to make a difference.” This organization supports the Eastside Domestic Violence Program.

www.seattlecyclocross.com
Go to this link to learn about this emerging sport. Races in the Seattle area last year regularly attracted more than 500 riders. Find out what the buzz is all about…

www.velodrome.org
Check out the Friday night racing (and beer garden!) at the velodrome at Marymoor Park. Who knows? You may even decide to take a track class.

King County and many cities offer bicycling maps that show recommended roads to ride on based on shoulder width and traffic. They can be a great way to plan your bike commute to work.

King County Bicycling Guide Map
www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/Roads/Bicycling

Seattle Bicycling Guide Map
www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaps.htm

Bicycling In Bellevue
www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/pdf/Transportation/bike_map_2009.pdf

Redmond Bicycling Guide
www.redmond.gov/cityservices/maps/bikemap.pdf

Regional Trails in King County
www.metrokc.gov/ftp/gis/Web/VMC/recreation/RT_2004_map.pdf

Event rides, such as those held in conjunction with the Tulip Festival or Issaquah’s Salmon Days, can be a lot of fun, a great opportunity to meet other riders and a good way to learn new bicycling routes. These events (designated as ‘touring’ when checking the ride calendars) are noncompetitive and usually have loops of varying distances. Pit stops with good food and bathrooms are placed strategically along the routes.

©2009 Caliope Publishing Company