Cyclingnews Fitness Q&A - July 6, 2011

The breathing exercises are less fun than they look. (Image credit: Rochelle Gilmore)

Topics: Adjustments to setup after changing to a new bike, Breathing exercises, Pudendal Nerve problems, Ankle pain, Returning from extensive shoulder surgery

1) I have found that on the new bike setup, I am unable to ride with right toes as externally rotated and right heel in without brushing the crank with my right shoe (I use Look Keo). Therefore, my toes are slightly less externally rotated than what I was accustomed to on the previous bike. When I attempt to remedy this issue by switching to a pedal with a longer axle (Speedplay), or by moving my cleats medially, my Q-angle changes enough to where I begin to get pain on the *inside* of the right knee, feel as if I'm pedalling bowlegged and my hips feel unnaturally oriented.

2) The top tube of the Gray is nearly twice as thick as the top tube of the Specialized, which means my knees, cannot come in as much at the top of the pedal stroke. This knee pain issue is frustrating and has kept me from enjoying my bike rides. My question is two-fold: 1) are there any pedal/spindle/cleat/crank/seat fore-aft changes that could be made to allow my right foot to be more externally rotated? 2) Would the thickness of the top tube be aggravating this issue?

I ask, because optimising foot plant on the pedal is the likely solution to your problem. I can't guarantee this, but once you sort that matter out, your feet shouldn't need to rotate as far out; i.e., heels in / toes out as they currently do which will allow you to bring your feet closer to the centre line of the bike and also allow you to have your cleats set at an angle so that both feet naturally sit in the middle of the range of rotational movement offered by the cleat.

A couple more things; If as is likely, the result of correcting your feet results in your them pointing closer to straight ahead, you should be able to bring your feet closer to the centre line of the bike and have them more underneath your knees which is good. However Keos have limited ability to laterally adjust the cleats. If you find this isn't enough, switch to Speedplay as they have more. Additionally, Speedplay make a range of axle lengths including one that is 1/8" shorter than standard.

Not necessarily so. You ride heel in / toe out because the combined effects of your hip lower back function and the feet you have necessitate that to keep your knees tracking more or less okay. If you get the wedging right, and gauge it on feel under foot, not visual alignment, there is a substantial chance that you will pedal less heel in / toe out. I can't be certain as a lot depends on how your function.

I and many others appreciate your consistent and detailed log of advice and information. One thing I would like you to touch on is the importance of breathing, particularly during high intensity exercises like racing. I’m not sure if there is much detail on its merits. I've found that I have to consciously will myself to breathe steadily & deep when I'm near the end of a race in order for me to arrive at the finishing sprint as fresh as possible. Primarily my breathing has been subconscious I would only tend to breathe hard when I'm quite tired and starting to get gassed but now I'm starting to actively breathe hard and deep even when I'm not under much pressure. I've only tried it recently and I'm wondering if it’s something that I need to keep in mind every race/high intensity workout.

Most critically though so far this year I've been noticing a trend for most of my road races. I'm decently strong and competitive for most of the race until the last 1-2km and then I get shot out the back in the closing several hundred meters as guys start winding up for the closing (usually uphill) sprint. I'm a small guy (5'4 130lbs) but I tend to struggle on the hills in the closing lap despite being fairly comfortable on the hills for most of the race.

Part of me wonders if it’s an energy thing but I've found that I tend to bloat easily and eating a bit too much before a high intensity workout makes me feel like I can’t breathe efficiently- but then apparently if I don't eat enough then I won’t have the pop to finish off a race strong. Would a dietician provide a worthwhile return on investment? How do I know how much food before and during a race is the ideal amount. Or maybe my issue also has to do with my cadence. I tend to find that I can spin more easily on the flats and downhills but when the road becomes mildly steep I tend to prefer pushing a slower cadence. Would working on keeping my cadence high on uphills help me arrive with more pop for the closing meters of a road race?

Make a habit of spinning up all the hills in your races and saving the high force pedalling for the end. When you drop your cadence on the hills you are engaging the higher-force, fast-twitch fibres. They are great for bursts of speed, but they recover poorly during a race, so if you use them on the hills before the end, they won't be as powerful when you need them in the finale. So, learn to spin on the hills, and take enough gears that you can do so on whatever hills you'll find in your races.

I was a keen road cyclist, who trained about 250 km per week. I was a member of a local club and raced on weekends. For many years I rode injury free and without any nerve irritation. As a result of a radical change to my bike set up recommended by a bike shop (being a major increase in my seat height), I ended up rolling forward on the bike seat to reach the handle bars. This has caused me pudendal nerve irritation and I have been off the bike for 18 months. I have consulted various medical specialists, but none can offer any definite advice on returning to the bike. Can anyone help, as I am really depressed being off the bike.

There should be zero contact pressure on the pudendal nerve with a Lite 209, Dynamic, Glider or Avant as the SMP's have a larger perineal cut-out as standard than any other brand of seats. Which one you should use would depend on your size and weight. See if you can find a shop that will allow you to trial them on an indoor trainer at their premises. I would be surprised if an SMP is not the solution or a major part of the solution to getting you back on your bike.

Thanks Steve for the prompt reply. I did move to a SMP seat shortly after the dramatic increase in my seat height as it was too painful riding so far forward on my pelvic area. Rather than reduce my seat height, the bike shop guy recommended that I move to a cut out style seat. I ordered a composite model, which had no padding, as a way of handling the discomfort of riding with the high seat height. Unfortunately, the positioning on the SMP only served to compound the problem as I was still too far forward on my pelvis, which meant the soft tissue was being forced into the cut-out section of the seat and the edges of the cut out felt like it was digging into me.

If you were sitting way too high, it wouldn't matter what brand of seat you use. Equally, an SMP Composit would not be my first choice from the SMP range for someone with nerve damage. Assuming average build for your height and weight, I would suggest the SMP Lite 209. Moderate width and well padded. Depending on how flexible you are, they are designed to be ridden with the rise towards the nose 2-5 degrees lower than the high point at the rear. More flexibility equals more nose down / less flexibility equals less nose down.

My feet are considerably different in length and I recently dropped the cleat on the right shoe back, which seemed to alleviate the problem. The right cleat was positioned so my toe pointed out slightly to alleviate a knee problem, but I have changed this to a straighter position. Both these seem to have relieved the right ankle pain, though the cleat is now as far back as it will go. I have never had any problems with my left cleat, or knee or ankle pain, though it seems to have come on this week since I sorted the right one.

From what you're saying, I suspect that you don't have the right side "sorted". I know the pain on the right side has disappeared but most riders protect their right sides at some cost to their left side. This happens below conscious thought which is why you are not aware of it (assuming what I'm saying is the case). If you are shifting your pelvis on the seat to ensure that the right leg tracks well, then that can be enough to put pressure on the left ankle. Have a look at this link and scroll down to the italicised text at the bottom and follow that method to ensure that the angle of your cleats is okay for both sides.

On the left I am perfectly comfortable and very slightly toe down, on my right, the short foot, I had to concentrate to prevent the heel dropping: when it did I felt some discomfort - not really pain. It feels like my cleat is too far forward, so I intend to drop it back a little more if I can. Could that mean that I then have to lift the saddle? That would probably over extend the left leg? Is that extension of the ankle causing the problem?

Looking through your notes, I'm calculating that you have been riding about 5-6 hours per week. That's not a crazy amount of time to put in on a trainer, especially for someone who is retired. I'd suggest you aim to keep that up or boost it a bit as follows. Aim for a one hour ride five days per week at first, with the days off separated by at least one work day, increasing the length of one or two of those rides by 30 minutes, or more if you can stand it.

The really important thing is to be on the bike and pedalling. It won't make a big difference if that pedalling is harder or easier so long as you don't go so hard that you use up your energy and motivation so much that you are tempted to skip the next ride. So, the main challenge is to keep the riding entertaining enough that you will keep it up until you are okayed to ride outside again. One easy way to keep the riding entertaining is to set the bike up in front of a TV and watch TV or movies. So long as you keep pedalling at a decent clip, you'll maintain most of your fitness.

Scott Saifer (www.wenzelcoaching.com) is head coach, CEO of Wenzel Coaching.com and has been coaching cyclists professionally for 18 years. He combines a master's degree in Exercise Physiology with experience in 20 years of touring and racing and over 300 road, track and MTB races to deliver training plans and advice that are both rigorously scientific and compatible with the real world of bike racing.

Steve Hogg has owned and operated Pedal Pushers since 1986, a cycle shop specialising in rider positioning and custom bicycles. In that time he has positioned riders from all cycling disciplines and of all levels of ability with every concievable cycling problem. Clients range from recreational riders and riders with disabilities to World and National champions. He can be reached at: www.stevehoggbikefitting.com

James Hibbard progressed from the junior to the professional ranks as a rider and has over 15 years of competitive cycling experience. He is a former Collegiate All-American track cyclist, trained as a resident athlete at the United States Olympic Training Center, earned international medals as part of the U.S. National Team, and was a member of the powerhouse Shaklee and HealthNet Professional road cycling teams.

Carrie Cheadle, MA (www.carriecheadle.com) is a Sports Psychology consultant who has dedicated her career to helping athletes of all ages and abilities perform to their potential. Carrie specialises in working with cyclists, in disciplines ranging from track racing to mountain biking. She holds a bachelors degree in Psychology from Sonoma State University as well as a masters degree in Sport Psychology from John F. Kennedy University.