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cycleprincess
08-20-04, 11:02 PM
I am looking to improve my form. I have been told that when I ride my calves are always engaged. I am concerned this will hurt my performance on a century ride. I have tried to ride with my heels in a more downward position but this feels un-natural to me. Don't get me wrong, my toes are not pointed down like a ballerina, but apparantly enough for someone to notice. This being said, it's never my legs that hurt after a long ride, it's my back and elbows. I know why my elbows have hurt in the past is because I have a tendency to lock out my elbows when I get tired. I'm working on that. And I have back issues anyway so I can't expect my back pain to go away. Anywho, I'm rambling now... Any suggestions on form improvement?
If your toes are pointed downwards, you couldn't be activating your calves. Not sure where you got that comment from.
If you're really interested in improving your form, I would suggest either going for one of those professional fits where they totally just rip you apart from beginning to end and give you a full analysis of form, positioning and bike fit, or get a coach- and one who is experienced in doing a bike fit.
For elbows, you may be pushing your weight too forwards on the bike, and you may be tensing the arms too much when riding. You should always aim for a quiet, relaxed upper body and activated core. When you say your back hurts, is it upper or lower back? For lower back, I would suggest doing more ab exercises (sit ups and such) to strengthen the core, plus more flexibility exercises for the hamstrings, back, glutes and quads, since any tightness in these areas can lead to lower back problems. If it's upper back, like behind the neck, you may either need to raise the handlebars, but if you're still feeling the pain, it could be that you may be tensing the shoulders too much- it's a problem I see often with people cycling. I'll usually come up behind them and smooth their shoulders down, away from the shoulders, and I'll ask them to relax the shoulder blades. I ask them to imagine themselves as something like birds about to take flight- when the birds open their wings just before flight they spread their wings out and take off. When you ride, feel the shoulder blades separate as you expand the chest and inhale, and allow the diaphragm to contract and fully open the chest and ribcage. Feel the fullness of the chest and back and focus on keeping the breathing as even as possible. Use this imagery (or something that works for you) to picture your form, then try to follow through the imagery you've created in your mind to improve your form. Imagery often works for me, and it may work for you.
You know you are locking out your elbows. Just make the mental reminders to yourself, and try to sit up every so often when you notice you're doing it and shake out the arms. It may help.
Koffee
awesome advice koffee.. my shoulder tenses and now i know why. another thing i've noticed about why my shoulders tenses is because i'm grasping the aero bar too hard, so it's tensing up my shoulder.
rui