The Role of Ergonomics and Bike Fit in Bike Touring
Proper ergonomics on your bike can significantly lessen discomfort for both yourself and your ride partner by better dispersion of opposing forces, eliminating uncomfortable pressure points which may lead to injury.
The Bike
Finding a bike that perfectly fits you is the key to minimizing discomfort on the bike. Achieved through proper bike fitting techniques, an optimal bike fit reduces cycling injuries while increasing comfort, efficiency, performance and enjoyment levels.
Bike ergonomics also depend on proper posture and pedaling technique. Riding with straight back, relaxed shoulders, and slightly bent elbows will help evenly distribute weight on the frame while relieving joint stress and muscle strain.
Study conducted to compare the effects of standardised bike fitting on pain, fatigue and perceived exertion in healthy mountain bikers showed all measures improved after adjustment was performed. Contact points at saddle contact points (saddle contact points, neck contact points and back) experienced significantly decreased discomfort levels while perceived exertion levels on Borg scale decreased following bike fitting sessions.
The Gear
Setting up your bike properly with the appropriate gear and setup is key to avoiding cycling injuries on long rides, particularly vibration-reducing techniques or improving posture adjustments that make a difference in both hands or posture. Even minor adjustments can have big effects.
An effective seating position is critical for an enjoyable ride. Achieved through keeping hips centered and shoulders anchored while keeping elbows slightly bent can help evenly distribute weight over your body.
Studies utilizing a whole-body kinematic approach to evaluate riding posture have revealed that an improper saddle height leads to poor power transmission, increased knee flexion, and greater pressure on buttocks and lower leg muscles. Conversely, too-low saddles cause excessive wrist flexion as well as less-than-ideal shifts of torso forward pressure center; optimal joint angular ranges found by these studies could serve as guides for mountain bike ergonomic adjustment for improved comfort and fatigue reduction.
The Rider
Position and posture play an integral part in how enjoyable and safe a ride is, and in terms of injury risk. A few simple adjustments to saddle, handlebars and pedals can reduce discomfort, maximize efficiency and create an experience like never before on two wheels.
Adjusting the seat height correctly is of vital importance in terms of both comfort and safety. Too high will tilt your pelvis during pedal stroke; too low will put too much strain on muscles.
Make sure to pay special attention to your elbow alignment. Riding with bent elbows will allow for greater blood flow to your hands and fingers, providing better blood supply to both.
The Environment
Straight backs, relaxed shoulders and slightly bent elbows are characteristic of healthy cycling posture. This helps distribute bodyweight more evenly. Riding with sore hands may be due to poor hand positioning on handlebars preventing blood circulation or flow.
Results of this study indicate that riders’ subjective levels of discomfort, fatigue and knee pain remain lower after attending a standardised bike fitting session than before the session began. Improvement was most notable on FEEL and OMNI scales, with knee pain having the highest effect size (d=0.86).
Bikepacking can be an exciting adventure or sustainable travel, depending on what motivates you, so the key to successful bikepacking is packing light with appropriate gear – this means efficiently packing as well as being equipped with tools for quick adjustments like multi-tools. Packing light will keep your journey enjoyable while staying comfortable throughout.