The Primary Causes of Indoor Cycling Injuries
With normal precautions, indoor cycling is very safe. Injury is really only a concern when the bikes aren’t used properly. Remember that an indoor stationary bicycle is a solid piece of metal with a fixed-gear drive train. This fixed-gear system and weighted flywheel creates a lot of momentum in the crank arms and pedals. The flywheel transfers inertia to the knee joint, which could cause damage to that joint when the rider does not use proper technique. As such, a rider with little or no skill in his or her pedal stroke may actually get “ridden” by the bike. These mechanics greatly affect which kinds of movements are considered unsafe.
Injury to any part of the body is most likely to occur as a result of one or more of the following factors:
1. Poor technique
2. Improper bike fit
3. Cadence too high (resistance too low)
4. Cadence too low (resistance too high)
This is why it is so important for instructors to spend an appropriate amount of time addressing bike setup and riding technique with each student.