| Bicycles are commonly used by people seeking to | | | | Injuries can be divided into two types: |
| improve their fitness and cardiovascular health. In this | | | | Physical trauma (extrinsic) |
| regard, bicycling is especially helpful for those with | | | | Overuse (intrinsic). |
| arthritis of the lower limbs and who are unable to | | | | Acute physical trauma includes injuries to the head and |
| pursue sports such as running that involve more | | | | extremities resulting from falls and collisions. Since a |
| impact to joints such as the knees. Furthermore, since | | | | large percentage of the collisions between motor and |
| cycling can be used as a form of transportation, there | | | | pedal vehicles occur at night, bicycle lighting is required |
| can be less demand for self-discipline to maintain the | | | | for safety when bicycling at night. |
| exercise because of the practical purpose of the | | | | The most common cycling overuse injury occurs in the |
| activity. | | | | knees, affecting cyclists at all levels. These are caused |
| Cycling while seated is a relatively non-weight bearing | | | | by many factors:[5] |
| exercise that, like swimming, does little to promote | | | | Incorrect bicyle fit or adjustment, particularly the saddle. |
| bone density[2]. Cycling up and out of the saddle, on | | | | |
| the other hand, does a better job by transferring more | | | | Too many hills, or too many miles, too early in the |
| of the rider's body weight to the legs. However, | | | | training season. |
| excessive cycling while standing can cause knee | | | | Poor training preparation for long touring rides. |
| damage. It used to be thought that cycling while | | | | Selecting too high a gear. A lower gear for uphill climb |
| standing was less energy efficient, but recent research | | | | protects the knees, even though your muscles are well |
| has proven this not to be true. There is no wasted | | | | able to handle a higher gear. |
| energy from cycling while standing.[3] | | | | Overuse injuries, including chronic nerve damage at |
| Endurance cycling is an aerobic exercise, Sprint Cycling | | | | weight bearing locations, can occur as a result of |
| is an anaerobic exercise, however both types involve | | | | repeatedly riding a bicycle for extended periods of |
| both forms of exercise to some degree and can | | | | time. Damage to the ulnar nerve in the palm, carpal |
| improve cardiovascular health. One measure of | | | | tunnel in the wrist, the genitourinary tract [6] or bicycle |
| cardiovascular health is Vo2 max. | | | | seat neuropathy may result from overuse. |
| Cycling makes use of the largest muscles in the body | | | | In extreme cases, Pudendal Nerve Entrapment can be |
| (the Gluteus Maximus and Quadriceps) so it is good | | | | a source of intractable perineal pain [8]. Some bicyclists |
| for people who are trying to lose body fat. Exercising | | | | with induced pudendal nerve pressure neuropathy |
| at low intensity is better for people who want to lose | | | | gained relief from improvements in saddle position and |
| weight as the body doesn't have the chance to burn | | | | riding techniques [9]. |
| fat at high work rates and will burn glycogen instead | | | | Note that overuse is a relative term, and capacity |
| (although the body will replace the burnt glycogen by | | | | varies greatly between individuals. Someone starting |
| metabolising body fat as soon as it can - see Krebs | | | | out in cycling must be careful to increase length and |
| cycle). | | | | frequency of cycling sessions slowly. Muscular pain is |
| It has been estimated that, on average, approximately | | | | a normal byproduct of the training process, but joint |
| 20 life-years are gained from the health benefits of | | | | pain and numbness are early signs of overuse injury. |
| road bicycling for every life-year lost through injury . | | | | |