How to Set Up and Adjust Your Spin Bike Correctly
Nothing can be more disastrous during a spin bike workout than having your bike wrongly set up. Straps and clicks? Well, they all have to be in the right shape and fix for you to hit that bike. Keep reading to learn how not to waste your time during your next cycling workout.
Why it is Important to Set up Your Bike Correctly
If you’ve ever tried cycling a bike that was wrongly set up, then you probably already know the risks that could result. You could sustain an injury from that, and also, you could get saddle soreness. But some people just don’t know how to correctly set up their bikes, and that’s understandable.
So, the first question to ask would be, what does it mean for a bike to be rightly set up? There are three basic things to look out for.
The seat has to be set at a particular height, depending on your personal requirement
Between the handlebars and the saddle, the distance has to be accurate, and again, according to your need. Lastly, the handlebar needs to be adjusted to the perfect height.
Now the questions is, how can you adjust your exercise bike to suit your personal need? Here is the answer explained step by step to make it easier for you.
Setting up the Saddle
First things first, make sure you stand beside your bike. Place your hand just above the upper part of your hip bone. Adjust your bike saddle and make sure it aligns with the position of your hand immediately above your hips. And that’s how to get a personalized saddle height placement.
At this point, you will have to climb onto the bike and step on the toe cages or the clips. Both are for placing the feet, and where you actually place your feet depends on the kind of shoe you have on.
Simply turn the pedals to get a foot positioned at the base of the rotation. Your knee on the leg at the pedal below should slightly angle at 22.5-27 degrees. This angle will allow you to seamlessly pedal via the ball of the foot without having to worry about any pointing at the base of your pedal strokes.
Measure the distance between your handlebars and the saddle, and make sure they are okay for you. Again, you determine the accuracy of your seat height by checking to see if your knee and your ankle are correctly aligned when the pedals are placed in a parallel position to the floor. The knee has to be in the middle of the ball of your foot and your ankle. If that isn’t the case, then you need to readjust it until it aligns. Check out this guide for spin bike setup.
Fixing the Handlebar Height
This is based on the experience of the rider. An experienced rider can set their handlebar height so that its height and the height of the saddle are exactly the same. However, an inexperienced rider, a person who suffers from back pain, a pregnant woman, or a newbie should definitely have their handlebar adjusted to easy mode. That is, it has to be raised so they don’t have to bend over.
Some handlebars have to be adjusted in four ways; in this case, shorter cyclists have to make sure that their saddle is close to their handlebars. It should be adjusted in a way that the cyclist doesn’t have to try and reach for it; if not, then the adjustment is wrong. A proper adjustment will help the cyclist prevent getting sore from the saddle.
Correct Hand Placements
There are different types of handlebars and different styles of placing the hand while cycling, and it depends on the kind of cycling you do, and it affects the riding position you take. Let’s take a look at some hand placements below.
- Overhand Grip
This placement is considered the most common and easiest hand position. In this position, you sit straight up, with your hands placed comfortably on the handle.
- Extended Grip
Different kinds of riding call for different hand placements, and just as the overhand grip allows for general and common workouts, the extended grip is conducive for climbing and racing. These are activities that demand strength and stamina, and in order to achieve your cycling aim, you can’t do these kinds of cycling in an overhand grip position. You can incur soreness and back pain. The extended grip position helps stir up your energy and stamina.
- Hook Grip
This type has some resemblance to the overhand grip, but it is more adjustable around the wrist, and helps reduce pain.
- Aero Grip
This is very suitable for outdoor cyclists, more than it is for indoor cyclists. This placement demands a high level of elasticity from the rider, which is why it is more suitable for outdoor cyclists because it provides room for a lot of flexibility. But you can also adjust it to suit you when you notice that it is getting too flexible.
Benefiting from indoor cycling workout
Burn lots of calories
You can burn from 400 to 600 calories by cycling for at least an hour. But it depends on how intensive your workout is. Bike riding workout is good for cardio and building strength. How do you achieve this?
Maximize cadence
Cadence refers to the number of times and speed at which your pedals rotate in 60 seconds otherwise known as RPM (Revolution Per minute). Depending on where you are and what kind of workout you’re performing, your cadence should definitely differ.
Some indoor cycling bikes have cadence detectors, so you can calculate. But if yours doesn’t, simply do this: count how many times one knee goes up within 6 seconds, attach a zero to the number of times, and whatever the result is your cadence (10 RPM per 6 seconds = 60 RPMs per minute).
If you don’t want to do manual reading of your RPM, you can buy spin bike cadence and speed sensors and attache them to your pedals and flywheel to track everything digitally.
Add Resistance
Many people may ignore this, especially newbies, but you shouldn’t. The right resistance level increases workout efficiency and minimizes the possibility of injury.
A cycler requires sufficient resistance to support their body; this prevents them from bouncing on the saddle during a workout session. And this, in turn, prevents or at least reduces spin bike saddle soreness and minimizes pressure on a rider’s knees.
Understand How Your Body Works
It’s important for every rider to know their exertion level and how their body works during workout sessions on a spin bike. Knowing your limits will enable you to go harder and get more desired results from your commitment. Motivation is key. So, if you ever lack motivation, one surefire way to get a boost on that is to play some of your favorite songs while cycling.
Conclusion
Properly setting up your spin bike is key to getting the most out of your workout. We’ve outlined the steps you need to take to ensure a safe, comfortable, and effective ride. If you have any questions about how to adjust your spin bike or experience pain or discomfort during your workouts, be sure to consult with a bike fitter or health professional. Now that you know how to set up and adjust your spin bike correctly, get ready to sweat!
