Seat & posture while spinning/biking?

[BikeSwimLaugh]

During my 2nd spin-class today the instructor from my first class rode next to me. She moves her seat way back and lowers the post....so she's pretty bent-over during her ride. I prefer a seat position that is more like when I ride an actual bike (a position I feel & find is best for overall performance, comfort, etc).

When we were out of the saddle, she kept telling me to move my hips back and get lower....but after some many minutes my arms got tired from supporting my chest-weight over the handlebars. Most people are leaning forward as they ride, but she is prompting me to really get down/low so my body is more flat. Ya know, "hips back, shoulders flat". It seems harder to breath, less comfortable and you can't quite drive your legs down into the pedals as well. Sometimes I like to peddle out of the saddle with my body more upright (almost like a stair-master), but normally I'm bent-over a bit....but she's pushing for some serious horizonatal torso.

She's a nice spunky gal, but she's just a cardio-bunny left over from the 80's....I don't really think she knows what she's talking about. In other words, I can't and won't automatically credit her with knowing her stuff just because she's a certified trainer.

Without actually seeing me ride, it's hard to say.....but are there any thoughts on this issue???

 

[BasketLady]

When riding out of the seat you should have your hips way back - so you can feel the saddle on your inner thighs with each pedal. Depending on your hand position will depend on how "bent over" you will be. You want to hinge at the hips instead of round the shoulders (this could be why you have trouble breathing).

When you are out of the seat, you do not want to ride completely upright (like the stairmaster), as it puts undo pressure on your knees, and there is a higher risk of injury. If your are more upright, and in front of the seat, it puts your pelvis and lower spine out of alignment as well. While in the seat, only to recover should you ride upright - never in the midst of a drill.

Also, while pedaling on the bikes, you should ride with a flat foot (push through the heel do NOT point your toes) you should have more of a "push down, wipe back, and pull up and over" motion instead of a piston (up down up down).

Did someone set you properly on the bike? You do not want to push your seat way back, unless you are really tall. When you push one foot towards the floor, you should have approximately a 5-15% bend in the knee (you do not want to lock out, but you want a slight bend). When both pedals are even with each other, the leg more to the front should have the knee over the ball of the foot (this is the adjustment you would move the seat forward or back for). Again, if your alignment is off, you may feel pain either in the front or back of the knee (depending on how the alignment is off).

Lastly, if you keep your core tight, you should not have to support your whole body weight on the bike -- never a death-grip -- just a gentle hold. You will find as you get stronger on the bike you will not use your arms as much, and you will get a better leg workout.

HTH

 

[BikeSwimLaugh]

Thanks for the detailed response.

A friend suggested I go to a local bike store and get a "Fit-Kit"....which is where I bring-in my bike, they dismount the front tire and hook it up to some fixture. They then have me sit on the bike and they dial-in all the adjustments to optimize my whole seating position. My hunch is that I should mimic that seating position while in spin-class.

My instructor/friend tends to move her seat WAY back and then compensate for the further distance from the pedals by dropping the seat-post way down. Honestly, it's not like anyone else I've ever seen ride. This same instructor; she doesn't ride on a bike outside the gym (afraid of getting hurt!).

I ride a mountain bike and grind some serious hills...I know what position tends to generate the most energy and/or be most comfortable. While I readily agree that an upright position is just something to do for quick-comfort and then resume a slight bend (like a stretch)...I don't agree with her bent-down position. Nobody else in the class is doing that and some of the guys in there ride almost competitively. Anytime you pull your hips way back and drop your body low....your folding-over and compromising your ability to breath (if you go low enough).

I Also know another instructor who used to ride in Europe competitively, he won a lot of races and really knows his stuff: I'll consult with him on it! That and get my bike dialed-in at the shop.

Thanks for the tips & thoughts!

 

[g8r80]

BSL, I don't think you need to drop $100 on a bike fitting. Start with these adjustments:

1. Saddle height: sit on the bike without shoes. The bottom of your heel should just reach the top of the pedal in the farthest position.

2. Saddle fore/aft: Sit on the bike and with a pedal in the 9:00 position, your knee should be directly over the pedal.

3. Handlebar position. Put the back of your elbow at the front of the saddle. Your fingers should be at the back of the handlebars.

When you climb you will be leaning forward somewhat, not vertical.

 

[BikeSwimLaugh]

Thanks G8, I figured this thread might pull you out of the wood-work

BSL, I don't think you need to drop $100 on a bike fitting.

I heard it was as little as $15 and the local shop might do it for free since I've bought plenty of stuff from them....

1. Saddle height: sit on the bike without shoes. The bottom of your heel should just reach the top of the pedal in the farthest position..

DONE, that's easy to adjust. If you go too far you feel yourself rocking back & forth on the seat as you peddle, and if you go too shallow you feel like your taking "baby-stabs" instead of full strokes. Saddle height is not a problem.

2. Saddle fore/aft: Sit on the bike and with a pedal in the 9:00 position, your knee should be directly over the pedal..

Interesting....I'll have to try that. So if my knee is ahead of the pedal, then bring the seat back...and if my knee is in front of the pedal, bring it forward, right?????

3. Handlebar position. Put the back of your elbow at the front of the saddle. Your fingers should be at the back of the handlebars..

Huh???? I think I understand, but let me see if I got it right: When I put my fingers on the back of my bars (fingers extended, reaching forward to just touch the backside of the handlebars)....my elbows should be about at the front point of the saddle???? This would be the critical info I'm looking for. So from the front point of the saddle, you'd want to add the length of my elbow to my fingers extended to the back of the handlebars?

When you climb you will be leaning forward somewhat, not vertical.

Exactly, leaning forward somewhat but not vertical. That's how it is.

Again, I think my instructor has it wrong: her seat post is like 2 notches up, it looks like a midget might have been spinning on her bike when she gets off it. To compensate, she moves the seat WAY back...the result is that she's leaned-over, folded-over as she spins, quite a bit more then others.

I'd imagine I should emulate the same seating position from my mountain bike onto the spinning bike. What's most efficient in the real world should be the same for the stationary bike, no?

 

[SpinFanatic]

Again, I think my instructor has it wrong: her seat post is like 2 notches up, it looks like a midget might have been spinning on her bike when she gets off it. To compensate, she moves the seat WAY back...the result is that she's leaned-over, folded-over as she spins, quite a bit more then others.

I'd imagine I should emulate the same seating position from my mountain bike onto the spinning bike. What's most efficient in the real world should be the same for the stationary bike, no?[/QUOTE]


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Not necessarily BSL ...

Your instructor has likely developed enough core tone (abs and lower back) that she is able to hinge at the hips without tiring throughout the class. Moving her bike seat backward allows her to use her core muscles in that way ... otherwise, she might plateau in her training if she continually spins upright.

Also, mountain biking is different from spinning. Spinning classes are meant to target cardiovascular training, whereas when mountain biking there are often hills and rocks/tree roots which slow you down, therefore interval training is not the focus. In spinning, endurance and interval training are the focus ... therefore your posture would be different.

Hope you got it all sorted out!