Don't Harden The F Up
Asking for advice when it comes to cycling is like opening Pandora’s Box and you’re usually left none-the-wiser as to what to do about your particular problem.
The thing is, when you pick up your first bike and head out on your first few miles, It’s often assumed that aside from keeping the bike working and mechanically sound, all you need to do is get out on the road and enjoy yourself. In time though, as I’m sure you may have found by now, there are plenty of little things and nuances that make this a sport that you can both love and loathe in equal measures! An issue you haven’t had for days, weeks or years can all of a sudden become a problem that keeps you off the bike for weeks!
The Rules…
Saddle sores, pain in the knees, pins and needles, hot feet, blisters, stiffness and back pain to name but a few of the common ailments that have possibly hit us all at some stage. Then, come the array of solutions to these problems; Padded shorts, cycling-specific shoes, different jerseys, electrolyte drinks, bike fits, crank length and gearing, changing a saddle and bars…the list of ways to tackle specific issues are endless. But, despite this, if you take to the internet to seek advice to almost any of these issues, you’ll no doubt be offered the same piece of advice, I’m sure. It may come in the form of one of two phrases;
“Rule 5”.
“Harden the fuck up!”
The first of these two phrases, of course, refer to Rule 5 of the Velominati rules – a silly and sartorial set of rules that do have some grounding in cycling tradition. Rule 5, in truth, is the same as the second phrase and instructs you to Harden the fuck up. The issue, however, with these so-called rules and this specific piece of advice is that far too many cyclists take them seriously and apply them too harshly and too literally. Which, when it comes to an ache, a pain or injury is, absolutely, most definitely not the way to go!
A Bike Fit Is All You Need
Now, if you’re new to cycling, it can, of course, seem hard to decipher which advice is good and which advise is bad. After all, there is an element of truth in Rule 5 when it comes to breaking in your undercarriage. If you’ve never cycled before (or been off the saddle for a prolonged period), then your body simply will not be used to the position and the pressure that is applied. Time in the saddle, therefore, is often a good way to become normalised to this to the point where it isn’t an issue any more. That said, however, if you’re in severe pain or experience anything more than some moderate discomfort, at first, then it’s more likely you’ve got the wrong saddle for your body and/or you need a bike fit.
Whether you’ve been a cyclist for years and have just bought a new bike, or are brand new to cycling, the first thing every cyclist should go for is a proper bike fit. If you’re serious about cycling, the ideal situation is to go for a fit before even purchasing a bike!
A professional fitter will look at and assess your position on the bike and identify areas of pressure, discomfort, overstretch or even under-stretch and will work with you to explain how an incorrect position can both cause and exasperate an existing issue. Some issues you experience on the bike may seem like nothing to worry about and so you ride through them, but trust me, when you start clocking up more miles, those little issues won’t seem so little any more.
Bike Fit = Avoid Injury + More Speed
There are injuries that you simply cannot come back from. Knee issues and back pain can often be life-long issues that you simply cannot ride through by way of hardening the fuck up. Instead, perhaps you need a more relaxed geometry or shims in your shoes or a longer crank. And whilst you could be forgiven for thinking that having certain aids are for old riders or those less fit, you would indeed be mistaken. These changes and adjustments are almost always about getting you into a more comfortable position and lead not only to you being able to stay in the saddle for longer but quite possibly even, as a result, helping you put down more power. After all, if you’re comfortable in the seat and the blood flow is better, your legs are simply going to be able to work harder.
Now, I don’t want to oversimplify anything here and I’m absolutely not a bike fitter, but if you read enough and watch enough videos and simply give it some thought, there is a cause and effect for all changes on the bike. Perhaps with your body type a more upright position will make you less aero, but if you can breath better as a result and your lower back aches less (or, ideally not at all), you’re going to be peddle faster for longer. It’s really quite a science.
Every cyclist will require a position unique and optimised for them, so I can’t, with this post, simply give you a magic bullet and tell you how to adjust your bike to get rid of all your aches and pains or to make you go faster, but if you want my advice, instead of that next upgrade, spend the money on a decent bike fit. That, in turn, will help inform the upgrade that follows and that will translate into – quite possibly – both a more enjoyable ride and a faster one at that.
So, next time some tell you to harden the fuck up, ignore them. Listen to your body. Consider what is causing the pain and go and get a bike fit. Speak to a professional. Then, you can spend more time in the saddle, get faster and ride past your buddy as he or she grimaces through the pain as they harden the fuck up!
Bike Fitters I know about;
