Injury prevention and management through bikefit in cyclists
Cycling has undergone a massive increase in participants in the last 10 years, and with it the number of injured cyclists, as well as participants trying to avoid injury and ride efficiently has grown significantly. Physiotherapists are the ideal profession to help these participants with their understanding of both biomechanics and pathomechanics as well as being in an important position as general health and well being advocates. Cycling is a unique sport in that we are attached to the bike via 5 contact points. This “attachment” forces our body to move into positions that the human body is not necessarily optimized for, and some athletes even less so than others. Thankfully there is a range of bikes available as well as significant adjustability on the bike to modify position to unload or protect structures while cycling. To do this however, the physiotherapist must also have the skills of a bike mechanic or risk doing damage to expensive bikes, or render them dangerous to ride after adjustment. Unfortunately, there is a pausity of evidence in this area, as well as some strong historical beliefs/ fallacies related to bike position and cycling technique. We must therefore rely a lot on our skills in bio and pathomechanics to wade through the myths and “wives' tales” which surround the “bikefit”.
Learning outcomes
- At the completion of this course, participants should be able to perform the necessary mechanical skills to adjust a common road bike.
- At the completion of this course, participants should be able to discuss with the cyclist/ patient realistic goals of the intervention/ bikefit depending on the findings of the patient assessment.
- At the completion of this course, participants should be able to perform a subjective assessment of a “cycling patient” with specific reference to cycling specific questions.
- At the completion of this course, participants should be able to perform a cycling specific assessment of the cyclist “off the bike.
- At the completion of this course, participants should be able to perform pre and post fit static measurements of bike size and position.
- At the completion of this course, participants should be able to perform an “on bike” assessment of cycling position, including identifying likely causative factors to pain or injury risk.
- At the completion of this course, participants should be able to make recommendations and adjustments to the cyclist's position with reference to subjective and objective assessment findings for a single common injury/ area of discomfort in cyclists.
- At the completion of this course, participants should be able to describe common assessment findings for common cycling pain/ injuries
- At the completion of this course, participants should be able to provide some additional advice or exercises pertinent to common cycling issues.
- At the completion of this course, partricipants will be aware of the epidemiological data on injuries in recreational and elite cyclists.
Prerequisites
- This course is only available to qualified and AHPRA registered physiotherapists.