Posture is a big problem for cyclists. Most
bicycles are designed to hunch over and lean on the handle bars.
When I was young I could not understand
that there would be problems form bad posture by the time I got to 65 years.
In the mid nineties I started having problems with
carpel tunnel syndrome, and had to find a bike that was not aggravating my
wrist pain. I discovered recumbent bicycles and spent a lot of money on them.
I learned about the ergonomic power angle when I
was designing a batter recumbent bicycle. Recumbent seats are set at about 35
degrees off a line from the cranks through the back of the seat, with 5 degrees
of adjustability each way.
Old cruise bicycle seat posts were set
at 60 degrees off the ground. This angle lets you sit up straight and take the
pressure off your wrists. This puts you at 30 degrees from the crank spindle
when sitting up straight, and leaning forward, at about 40 degrees.
Racers decided that it is easier to go
fast if they are hunched over. So now most bicycles seat tubes are set at about
70 degrees, which gives you a 20 degree ergonomic angle when sitting up at
about 90 degrees from the ground on mountain bikes, road bikes are even worse.
Then close to ten years later my back started
giving me pain. I reinvented the 'sit-up straight' bicycle, and discovered that
other people had done this also. See the Trek Pure Sport and Townie bicycles.
It wasn't until I had to go to a physical
therapist that I discovered that I was still hunching over causing back pain.
Now I am learning to roll my hips, pushing my navel forward so that my back is
as straight as I can get it.
I still have to
work at making my posture less likely to create pain, ie: holding my head and
neck straight also.
It took special handle bars to be able
to grip at two different places.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-an-ergonomic-Cycle-Truck/
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| Jones Loop H-Bars similar to mine |
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| note how it is impossible to make your back perfectly straight |
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