Mountain Biking Injuries - How To Steer Clear of Them
Mountain Biking and indeed cycling in general is one of the most popular sports in the world. Part of its appeal comes from the fact that cycling can be done for fun, exercise, sport, or in a functional capacity such as commuting to work. However, anyone who has ridden their bike for any great length of time or at high intensity will be only too aware that pains and strains can creep in if you are not careful. Below are details of three very common cycling complaints and advice on how to avoid suffering them yourself.
Wrist Problems. A great deal of the force that is transmitted to the bike when you go over bumps travels up through 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 Specialized 2D.
Pain In The Backside. This is one of the most common complaints and is basically a result of repetitive pressure on the gluteus maximus (backside) muscle and surrounding sensitive areas. It can actually become quite serious if left untreated and if you want ensure that you can still have children, it’s worth taking precautions. If you are going to buy a new saddle it is well worth testing it out extensively and giving it a few miles worth of use, as sometimes saddles can start off comfortable, but cause problems after a while. You can also purchase specialised cycle clothing such as padded shorts which act to dampen the effect of harmful pressure.
Knee Problems. A large number of cyclists report suffering from inflamed knee joints or damage to the cartilage in the knee. If you lock out your knees when you are cycling this can cause problems, but most often knee problems are a result of the bike. Try making sure all your bike components have shock-absorbing qualities, such as specialized road shoes which reduce the amount of force transferred through the knee joint.
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