Whether you’re at home or in a spin studio, cycling is a fun, engaging, and effective way to exercise. It has loads of health benefits such as improving cardiovascular health, building muscle strength, increasing blood flow to the brain, improving your mood, and helping with weight loss. All while being easy on your joints. The key to enjoying these benefits is proper bike ergonomics and cycling form.
Setting the correct height and distance for your seat and handlebars and nailing your pedaling form will activate your muscles evenly and prevent you from putting too much pressure on your knees, ankles, calves, or legs.
Whether you’re a beginner or a cycling pro, this guide to proper exercise bike settings and form will help you maximize your workouts and avoid painful injuries.
Getting the Right Seat Height
Setting the height for the bike’s seat, also known as the saddle, is one of the most important settings on your bike. Getting the saddle height correct determines how much force you’re able to use when driving your heel down and prevents you from hurting your knees.
Start by setting the saddle at hip height when standing next to the bike. Sit in the saddle and paddle down on one side. Your knee should have a very slight bend, maybe 5 or 10 degrees. When you sit in the saddle with your feet dangling, your toes should just touch the floor.
Setting Your Exercise Bike’s Seat Distance
After seat height, its distance from the handlebars is the second most important setting on your exercise bike. To find the right distance, sit in the saddle with your feet on the pedals and pedal until your feet are roughly in the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. It doesn’t matter which is front or back.
Look down at your feet. Could you draw straight lines down from your knees to the balls of your feet? If your knee is over your toes the seat is too far forward.
If your seat is too far to the front or back, you’ll limit your ability to engage your leg muscles and glutes. Riding with a misaligned seat will also put extra pressure on your knees, causing joint pain and increasing the risk of injury.
Proper Handlebar Height
To set your handlebar height, start with the handlebars about even with the seat. If you have to round your back to grab the handlebars they’re too low. If you feel like your elbows are bunched up into your chest, they’re too high.
The key is to find what works best for you. The right handlebar height will help you build core strength and increase the mobility in your hips.
The Power of Good Form
Once you’ve got your bike fitting down, it’s time to ride. Proper pedaling form is about achieving a smooth full 360-degree motion. Focus on pulling up with one leg while simultaneously pushing with the other to engage your legs and glutes evenly to maintain cadence and momentum. When standing up out of the saddle on a spin bike, engage your core muscles and keep from bouncing or swaying side to side too much.
Now that your bike fits you perfectly and you’ve nailed your riding form, you’re ready to enjoy the full benefits of this amazing workout. With the right saddle height, seat distance, and handlebar height, you’ll peddle more effectively to build strength and endurance while minimizing the risk of pain or injury.
