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Unfortunately cycling pain are not strangers to each other. Riding a bicycle is an intense physical activity. It can put a lot of stress on major body parts and systems, mainly on your muscles.

Common Cycling Pain Symptoms

Here are some common complaints of cycling pain and how to avoid them.

Cycling Pain – Neck Pain

Read here more about neck muscle pain [ Back to Human Picture ]

Cause	Cure	Comments
Bike that is too long	Choose the right bicycle size	See the article about bicycle sizing
Bicycle handlebars are too low	Raise the handlebars. Use the right handlebars and stem	By doing this you will not have to bend too much forward
Improper Riding Position (Posture)	Change Your Posture on the Bike	The more flexed a posture you adopt on the bike, the more extension is required from the neck. To support that – the neck muscles may tighten. That may lead to neck muscle pain or fatigue.
Poor helmet adjustment (leads to poor cycling posture).	Make sure that your helmet is properly fitted for your riding style.	Helmet that is too low in front might block the view, and force you to tilt the head upward to keep the helmet from blocking the view forward.
Poorly fitted eyeglasses	Wear biking sunglasses that perfectly fits to your face	If your sunglasses are sliding down your nose, you will have to tilt your head up higher to be able to look through the glasses.

Cycling Pain - Shoulders Pain

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Cause	Cure	Comments
Saddle angle too low in front	Adjust your saddle angle: Raise its front.	This tends to make you slide forward as you ride, and you end up using your hands to push yourself back into position on the saddle.
Asymmetry body (one arm is longer than the other)	Slightly skew the handlebars.
Top Tube too long	Choose the proper bicycle frame size	A Bicycle that is too long will force your arms to be stretched forward. By this, your arms will not function as "shock absorbers"

Cycling Pain - Back Pain

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Cause	Cure	Comments
Incorrect bicycling posture.	Correct cycling posture	Proper posture is one that not only allows efficient pedaling, but also eliminates short and long-term injuries and pain.
Core muscles are not strong enough	Strengthen your core muscles	When our core muscles are not strong enough our back has to carry the load, causing excessive back pain.

Cycling Pain - Numbness or Soar Hands, or Wrists Pain

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Cause	Cure	Comments
Riding without gloves	Ride with bicycling gloves!	Don't ride barehanded. Riding with cycling gloves has many advantages. Please visit my page about bicycling gloves
Wearing unpadded gloves	Wear padded bicycling gloves	Use padded bicycling gloves provides cushioning (such as these gloves.
Using improper handlebar grips	Use ergonomically optimized bar ends	Once I've tried ergonomically handlebar grips I can't move back to conventional ones. I am using the Ergon GP1 Performance Comfort Grips (See all Bike Grips & Accessories).
Improper hand positions on the bicycle handlebars	Ride with your elbows slightly bent, not straight or locked	Bent elbows will act as shock absorbers and help absorb the road bumps.
Saddle angle too low in front	Raise the saddle's nose	This tends to make you slide forward as you ride, and you wind up using your hands to push yourself back into position. See also information about "shoulder pain"
Excessive pressure on the hands "valley"	Avoid excessive pressure on the hands "valley"	Make sure are holding your handlebars correctly. Incorrect holding posture may lead to excessive pressure on the nerves, and to injury.
Excessive gloves padding	Use bicycling gloves that have the right amount of padding	Ironically, instead of preventing cycling pain, wearing bicycling gloves with too much padding may lead to excessive pressure on the hand's nerves and pain.
Incorrect wrist position	Change wrist position (it's not that easy to do)	Hands that are bent too much upward may cause long-term hand and fingers numbness (it took about two years for a friend of mine to recover from this injury!).
Holding the handlebars too tight	Hold your bicycle handlebars with less pressure	During long rides shake your hands periodically (one at a time...). Change your holding position. Get off the bikes from time to time. Take a rest.

Cycling Pain - Saddle Sores

Read more in my article about bicycle saddle sores [ Back to Human Picture ]

Cause	Cure	Comments
Saddle that does not fit you correctly	Use the best bicycle seat that is both comfortable and fits you properly.	A saddle that is too narrow, too wide, too soft, too hard, or has an unfitted width or unfitted shape can be a real cause for bicycle saddle sores. Be aware: Long ridings are quite demanding on a small saddle. It can cause cycling pain, and increase (in rare cases) the risk of biking impotence.
Unpadded bicycle riding shorts	Use padded bicycling shorts or biking pants	Improper cycling shorts may cause chafing. Take the time to find the bicycling shorts that works best for you.
Improper seating position	Change your seating position periodically	Also try to change the saddle height, tile, and forward / aft position.
Too many hours on the saddle	Start with short rides, and gradually increase your cycling distances	It is also recommended to stop the ride occasionally

Cycling Pain - Chafing on the Inner Thighs

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Cause	Cure	Comments
A saddle that is too wide	Select a narrower saddle	Longer rides on an inappropriate saddle, especially during hot weather may cause painful chafing on the inner thighs.
Saddles with excessive foam/gel	Use a bicycle seat with less gel	The best bicycle seat for preventing chafing is a traditional leather saddle.
Improper cycling shorts	Wearing proper bicycling shorts	Beware that shorts with excessive padding can make things worse!

Cycling Pain - Knee Pain

See also bicycling knee pain [ Back to Human Picture ]

Cause	Cure	Comments
Wrong (usually too high) gear selection	Select a different (lower) gear	With too high gear there is an overstress on the knee. Try to use a gear that allows you to pedal quickly, from 70 to 100 strokes per minute.
Incorrect Saddle placement	Adjust the saddle height, tilt, and forward/back position	A saddle that is too high will cause the knee of the down leg to extend beyond the optimal 170-degree angle, potentially causing pain in the back of the knee.
Incorrect placement of the bike riding shoes cleats	Adjust the cleats to permit your foot to be at its natural angle, use cleats that allow foot rotation, or ride without cleats.	The lower leg twist resulting from misadjusted cleats will affect the alignment of the knee joint, and cause serious problems! Unfortunately, I have my own experience with this (see my Rhine River Tour)
Cranks are too long	Use the proper crank length	Riding with too long cranks forces the knees to flex farther. This may cause problems such as knee pain.

Cycling Pain - Cycling Leg Pain

See the complete article about cycling leg pain [ Back to Human Picture ]

Cause	Cure	Comments
Over load on your leg muscles	Try to change your cycling speed (shift to a "lower" gear)	The cause for such muscle pain is the accumulation of "waste products" such as lactic acid in the muscle.
Insufficient hydration	Balance the lost salts: drink isotonic water drinks, and consume salt capsules.	Salt is necessary for the proper functioning of the body: beyond the direct effect on cardiac function and normal muscle contraction, Shortages in salty elements may well cause pain and fatigue in the legs muscles

Cycling Pain - Foot and Ancles Pain

Discomfort, hot, burning sensations, numbness, pain, ankles pain [ Back to Human Picture ]

Cause	Cure	Comments
Inappropriate (usually too tight) bike riding shoes	Wear wider shoes, especially with a wider front	Buying shoes towards the end of the day when feet are most swollen might be a good idea.
Riding in soft-soled shoes (may cause ankle pain)	Wear rigid soled bike riding shoes	The ball of the foot is more capable of carrying the pedaling load, more than the arch is. However, without wearing rigid-soled shoes this may become an issue, especially on long rides.
Inappropriate bicycling socks	Use appropriate socks	Thin bony feet may need thicker socks for padding the ball of the foot. Bigger feet may benefit from thinner socks and more room.
Insufficient foot ventilation (may cause foot overheat)	Wear cycling sandals	Cycling sandals have come and have decided to stay. During warm months, cycling shoes just don't cut in.
Cleats set too far forward (may cause ankles pain)	Move the cleat backward	The farther forward the contact between the foot and the pedal, the greater the stress on the Achilles tendons.
Bent pedal or crank, causing the foot to wobble back and forth as the pedals turn	Fix the bent bicycle pedals and the bent bicycle crank
Saddle set too high (may cause ankles pain)	Lower the saddle	Saddle that is too high forces the cyclist to point the toes excessively to reach the bottom of the pedal swing, potentially causing ankle pain.
Flat-footed (may cause ankle pain)	Use orthotic shoe inserts.

Articles About Cycling Pain

Cycling Back Pain - Back pain from cycling is one thing you did not expect from today's wonderful bicycle ride. Back pain is another quite common type of pain resulting from bicycle riding. Read more.

Cycling Knee Pain - Bicycling knee pain is the most common cycling pain. Biking might put pressure on many parts of the body. Here's how to handle cycling pain.

Cycling Leg Pain - If you experience from time to time a leg muscle pain or muscle contraction during your bike rides you're not alone - many other riders feel the same. Let's make some order here and try to explain exactly what happens when we suffer from leg muscle pain or muscle contraction.

Cycling Neck Pain - Many cyclists are complaining about shoulder and neck muscle pain during and after the ride, although these parts of the body do not take a major role in the cycling activity.

Cycling Shoulder Pain - Neck shoulder back pain is a common problem for cyclists that have just started, especially when they decide to push themselves to the limit without first knowing how to cycle properly. Read more about how to avoid neck muscle pain.

Saddle Sores - Have you ever sitting down with friends, trying to explain to them that the reason for your sudden unrest while sitting on the sofa is yesterday's bike trip? Many cyclists suffer from bicycle saddle sores during and after a long ride. In the bicycle forums, you can find many questions about saddle sores and how to solve saddle sores. Find here all the answers.

Books about Cycling Pain

For more information, there are some informative books about cycling pain. You can find them in several online bookstores.

Summary

Each time you suffer from cycling neck pain, cycling leg pain, cycling knee pain, saddle sores or any other cycling pain which is related to bicycle riding, there are several actions that you can take to ease the pain, or even to prevent it. If you have severe pain it is always best to consult a doctor. With pain related to bike riding you should consult a doctor who specializes in cycling pain.

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