By Dr. Colin van Werkhoven, PT, DPT, CSCS
Saddle Height:
The height of your seat is very important when it comes to pedaling efficiency and power output when out on the trail. If your seat height is not fit to your body correctly, it could also lead to numbness in your feet, or pain around your knees and hips. If you are overreaching for your pedals, your hips will rock back and forth on your seat causing unnecessary stress on your muscles, nerves, and tendons. This stress, which could last over hours depending on the type of ride you are doing, can have negative side effects in the long term on your health and riding capabilities. Research shows that a 10-15 degree bend in your knee at the lowest position of the pedal stroke allows for the most consistent power output, while also reducing stress on the structures of your leg.
Handlebar:
There are a lot of different variations of handlebars out there – before you change material or width, make sure you have them set up correctly. Different handlebars have varying degrees of sweeps and rise – however the common denominator is your wrist positioning. The strongest long term position for your wrist is a straight (or neutral) position. This gives your arm the best mechanical advantage without relying completely on the musculature of your forearm to hold you in a flexed or extended position. The rule of thumb to make sure your wrist is in a neutral and strong position is you should be able to draw a straight line from your shoulder to your index finger on your brake lever.
Reach:
This measurement is based on the relative distance between your bottom bracket and your stem. On modern mountain bikes, reach is an incredibly important measurement for bike fit, mechanics, and your most common type of riding. However, after you buy your frame there is only one way to manipulate this variable – adjusting your stem length. Be cautious with making too drastic of a change because this can affect the handling of your bike dramatically at times. This positioning setup is not as straightforward compared to the two previous adjustments. If your reach is too long on your bike you are more likely to have lower and mid back issues arise. If the stem is too short, you are at risk for having your wrists extended too much and not in the optimal straight line position as mentioned above. So if you start having back issues or feel too stretched out on your rides, shorten the stem, and if your wrists are hurting and feel the handlebars are too close to your knees – lengthen the stem. Additionally: Increments of 10mm at a time are a good guiding range when making changes.
