The Great Chris Boardman
Should people ride in an aero position during indoor cycling classes? I”™ve been asked this numerous times by instructors and have battled with more than a few riders over the years on this very subject. My answer, NO. Here”™s my take on it:
(1) Safely / Biomechanics
This may be the most convincing reason aero positions are not recommended for indoor cycling classes, and the most difficult to articulate. First, aggressive aero positions require much more specific fitting and postural alignment due to the angles, flexion and forces being applied (pelvis / spine). Most indoor bikes barely have enough adjustment to get into a proper riding position, so a rider would be hard pressed (or extremely lucky) to find a aero position that was appropriate. I can find myself spending 2-3 hours performing a bike fitting for an athlete on a actual Triathlon or Time Trial bike to obtain proper posture and alignment. Many indoor riders don”™t realize that their back (spine) is not in proper alignment when they ride in an indoor class. The back should be relaxed and relatively flat from the pelvis to the shoulders. Unfortunately, it is common for riders to try and ride in an aero position in class and either (1) collapse their shoulders and sink down, (2) improperly flex at the thoracic (upper) spine and (3) improperly flex at the lumbar (lower) spine. To add insult to injury, some riders also attempt to look UP at the instructor while in this aero position causing the cervical spine to over-extend. Although some indoor bikes provide this pseudo-aero handlebar position, to date, I”™ve not seen an indoor bike equipped with proper support for the fore-arms in order to use the position. This introduces more alignment and stability issues. Before your riders get the smart ideal to bring in support for their forearms, read on.
The second consideration is the fact that most indoor bikes do not move “side-to-side”. The risk of riding in an aero position (on any bike) is that you are creating another contact point with the bike (elbows/forearm). With the forearms resting on the handlebars (no elbow joint movement), the shoulder complex is isolated. This is not as detrimental on the shoulders as it is on the spine. With the shoulders isolated, the spine is now forced to absorb a greater amount stress due to pedal forces, as well as torsion and flexion caused by the movement of the hips. Since real bikes move under the rider (side-to-side), these forces on the shoulders, spine and pelvis are greatly reduced. Consequently, indoor bikes don”™t have lateral movement which places the shoulders, spine and pelvis at risk, particularly under heavier resistance.
(2) Is He/She a Triathlete?
This is a “no-win” argument for the rider. If they are not a triathlete, there is no reason for them to attempt to develop the functional movement of a triathlete. Plus, they would not generally have the acquired muscular conditioning and postural alignment (that triathletes do) to ride safely in that position on an indoor bike. AND, if they were a triathlete, they would know how specific their aero position is and would never attempt to replicate it on an indoor bike.
If you can”™t convince them with the above, try this...
I shame them into getting off their forearms. I”™ve used a similar tactic to deal with cadence issues in class. I let everyone know (but intended mostly for the rider RESTING ON THEIR FOREARMS!), that riding with their forearms rested on the handlebars in not safe on indoor bikes. Triathletes know this which is why they don”™t do it indoors. AND it is often a sign that a rider is tired and not able to hold their “proper” riding form. This way EVERYONE in the class knows that a person riding on their forearms, must be feeling weak and tired. No one wants EVERYONE “thinking” you may be weak, tired or have bad form.
I really appreciate the instructors who are constantly pursuing deeper knowledge into topics like this (besides the fact that it is one of my favorites). As instructors, we should be required to know best practices and safety issues of the disciplines we teach. It is great to see the quality of our industry improving and the integrity of instructors increasing.
Originally posted 2011-03-07 16:07:42.
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I harp on this in almost every class. I had one “triathlete” insist that he was going to ride on the bars to simulate the outdoor ride. I have to give him credit though…. he stopped doing it after he noticed that others around him would copy him! Kudos to him for at least being conscious that he was negatively influencing others. I took a class from another instructor and it was painful to watch her lounge on the bars and have her class imitate her. Their form was horrific and you could just see how they were tired and leveraging the bars for support. I am bringing this article to my next class for those who are interested in being intelligent, safe riders. THX!
I’ve not been plagued too much by the Hunter Kemper wannabees. For most of the past 6 years or so I’ve taught at gyms that had NXTs with the water bottle holders in front and more recently Keisers with built in aero bars (or Poseur Barsâ„¢ as I like to call them) so a description of what they’re used for….or more specifically NOT used for……has become part of my newbie set-up speech over the years.
I usually set new members up using the microphone so everyone else can do a self check and see if their confidence in their own bike set-up is justified. Rather than emphasize the “danger”…..because I don’t think folk see too much danger in what you do on a stationary for 45 minutes or so not matter how pertinant…..I go for the high GFâ„¢ (Giggle Factor) associated with doing this, or any of the other bat-$hit crazy moves out there.
I tend to teach the way I’d like to be taught myself. That is….tell me from the get-go the right way to do something (with an example of the wrong way, if poss.)….correct me once or twice if I don’t seem to get it…..and then STFU because I’m choosing to DO IT RONG!!1!
At my old gym I had one member who was so on the same page that I could rely on him to demo and emphasize the foolish, cumbersome appearance of trying the “tri” thing etc. on cue, that no-one in their right minds would embarrass themselves by copying the occasional Libertarian in class. (Tom…..I’m talking about Peter M. who you met about a year ago for his VO2Max test. I’m pretty sure you can imagine what an asset he was in class!)
If I’ve ever come across any real intransigence to my explanations it’s almost invariably come from folk who don’t have much of a clue. I’m thinking specifically about a couple of newbies to my class back on LI. Women in (I guess) their mid-thirties and “training” for some Big Event or other with Team-in Training……no disrespect to what T-i-T does but they do seem to produce these “athletes” who are anything but. They insisted that their *trainer* told them to do the aero thing in Spin class because it somehow trained their muscles…..
“What bike do you have. Who did your set-up?” were my questions (I should let you know I’m absotootly no bike racing maven but as a small business owner down on LI, I made sure I knew most of the other small business owners around as a form of my own marketing)
“Oh…..we don’t have our bikes yet” was the reply.
OK.
My daughter (also an IDC instructor but also a gen-U-ine triathlete of the IronMan type) cuts to the chance a bit more quickly than I…..her take is why bother fretting if they’re still wearing sneakers (yep….they were)
I’d also like to print this article out…..is there a way to just print the article. Some web-sites have that facility. I have no problem with the advertising….etc. but I’d like to condense the info down to one page of print instead of six pages of a lot of white space.
Vivienne
Great overview Tom and very helpful…..I have in fact asked people to try the aero position for a few seconds and then note how difficult and uncomfortable it is on back, spine, breathing….with the implicit message that this is NOT a position you want to use in one of these classes. Once we do that, they will never try it on their own again.
Thanks Tom! I seriously feel like a broken record sometimes with telling people to get off their forearms! I hope this can maybe put some more detail to my explanation for my class tomorrow. Your first reason is what I explain in my class, their alignment is just all off especially on the low back and some of them continue to do it. Drives me crazy. Hopefully with your tips I can get those people up off the handlebars!
Great article and I will try and print it too. My group is pretty good although they like to sit right back and round their spines a lot. As a pilates instructor I play that card a lot to get them to comply and use a questions approach to get them to assess themselves..” hows your position? Are you starting to drop the chest and rest your forearms..if yes, back off the pace a bit, remember these bikes aren’t set for aero position so think about chest up and shoulders down” . It works sometimes.
I take Bill Pryor’s approach to the problem and find it to be just as effective as he described. Nice article.
First of all, “Poseur Barsâ„¢”. Funny. Stealing it. â„¢and all.
Like many of the fights we pick in classes with our riders, I find a combination of humor, information and some ego stroking seem to go a long way.
Let’s think like engineers and ask what benefit does an aerodymically efficient posture likely have on a stationary bike? None. Clearly. And for triathletes, who are the “hall monitors” of the cycling world, I tell them, “hi tri-boy. you sure look pretty nifty all laid out on the handle bars like that in your pretty kit, but you do create a little problem for me. the guys behind you don’t know whether to copy you or do what I tell them. For them aero is pretty much negative expected value: They don’t go faster, they can’t work harder and they *can* niggle their backs more easily. So would you mind, if you feel you have to aero in class, doing it in the back corner only in future. I.e. sit at the back where no one can see you. You can use less sarcasm if you like, but triathletes can’t tell anyway.
For the rest of them a reminder of E. Burke’s ‘power vs posture’ studies should just about be enough to help them understand; riders on the aero bars burn fewer chocolate cookies per hour than those maintaining an effective posture.
Riders on the aero bars burn fewer chocolate chip cookies per hour than those maintaining an effective posture.
I can’t believe I didn’t think of this one.
Vivienne
That makes total sense….have you ever tried to eat a chocolate chip cookie while in an aero position? Tough to do. At least the crumbs fall on the floor and not your lap.
We can assume joint ownership of the IP on that one. Actually, I Americanized it for this audience. It’s ‘Tim Tams’ here…
Shayne, are you in Australia? If so, let me know. We (Cycling Fusion/Global Ride) are planning to film next year’s virtual ride DVD in Australia and are always looking for good contacts and assistance from knowledgeable cyclists and coaches.
What about comfort? I’m a triathlete and feel more comfortable in this position indoors. I obviously lift elbows when I stand for a climb etc…. and I understand it does not benefit one to be aerodynamic inside… But i want to be in a comfortable position that feels more similar to my outdoor bike fit. I still maintain good posture and technique. And if I have a long race I want to train in a position similar to what I’ll have to be used to outside.
Rachel, I give my input in 2 parts:
(1) as an instructor, due to the information I provided in the article, it would be highly negligent to model or advice riders to use an aero/tri position on an indoor cycling bike in class.
(2) As a rider, it your prerogative to ride in an aero position and place yourself at potential risk.
However, keep this in mind: I currently coach 2 triathletes and have performed bike fits and biomechanic sessions for over 40. Triathletes are one of the most detailed and picky athlete when it comes to their position on the bike. They spend years honing in on the proper postural alignment. They pay big money on equipment and bike fitting, measuring every joint angle using lasers and complex computer software. None of them would compromise this level perfection by placing themselves in an aero position on a bike that would not replicate the functional movement and joint articulation their body has adapted to. All of the triathletes I’ve known have road bikes that they use to train on when their tri bikes are not appropriate. For example, they often want to take advantage of the high-level of fitness that can only be obtained from group rides. It is majorly frowned upon for someone to show up on a group ride on a tri bike. They are not recommended for pack riding, particularly when ridden on the aero bars in a group (I hate when riders do that). So, since they are also well-versed on a road bike, they have no problem remaining in a road position during an indoor cycling class.
Lastly, I may have misunderstood what you meant, so if I did, please ignore this paragraph. You wrote “I obviously lift my elbows when I stand for a climb etc..” I certainly hope you are not trying to come out of the saddle in an aero position. Please…Please…Please don’t do this! This can place your spine and surrounding muscles at great risk, not to mention, a tri bike would never be ridden that way. Triathletes will place their hands on the pace bars (bull horns) when coming out of the saddle.
Until our indoor bikes are designed/updated to address a number of the issues with riding in an aero position, I recommend you use indoor classes to improve your general cycling fitness and resort to more specific functional training to translate that fitness and power to your tri bike/position.
Cheers, Tom.
Just a side note on this topic and ones like it, we should never be dictators in anyway. Our role is to teach and coach. What riders decide to do is up to them. We should bring any concerns to their attention, but in the end, the rider has the last call. That is unfortunately the nature of group fitness. To date, I’ve “fired” 3 personal coaching clients over the last 4 years because they were not following direction and/or potentially placing themselves at risk. However, when “coaching” an indoor cycling class, we need to dial back the individual focus and approach the class as a whole without taking things too personally.