Mountain Biking Repetitive Strain Injury Advice
Mountain Biking and indeed cycling in general is one of the most popular sports in the world. The reason for this is because there are so many things a bike can be used for, including competitive racing, getting to and from work each day or just as a bit of leisurely enjoyment. However, if you don’t take necessary precautions, cycling can lead to quite nasty pains in injuries, especially for mountain bike riders who often ride quite aggressively. Let’s take a look at 3 of the most common complaints and how they can be avoided.
Wrist Strain. When you are traveling over bumps or uneven ground, the force is usually transmitted through the forks and into the wrists. What’s more, as your upper body weight is usually pushing down on your wrists, they can often be put under a lot of strain and become inflamed or injured.Having quality suspension on the front forks of the bike will reduce a lot of the pressure, or if you cannot have suspension, make sure the forks have shock absorbing qualities like you find on the Trek Madone.
Pain In The Backside. This problem can range from a mild discomfort to full blown muscle inflammation and damage, and is often seen in long distance riders. It is in every rider’s interest to address backside problems as soon as they can quickly become quite serious and even lead to problems with fertility. Buying a decent bike saddle is the number one thing to do and you should test ride one for a good few miles before you buy one. You can also purchase advanced cycle clothing such as padded shorts which act to dampen the effect of harmful pressure.
Knee Injury. Another common complaint among riders is knee injuries, inflammation and general soreness. There are bike settings that can aggravate this problem, such as having the saddle too high but generally it is caused by overuse and too much strain on the knees. Try making sure all your bike components have shock-absorbing qualities, such as Zipp wheels which reduce the amount of force transferred through the knee joint.
