TY - JOUR
T1 - Cycling position optimisation–a systematic review of the impact of positional changes on biomechanical and physiological factors in cycling
AU - Husband, Sean Philip
AU - Wainwright, Barney
AU - Wilson, Fiona
AU - Crump, Danielle
AU - Mockler, David
AU - Carragher, Paul
AU - Nugent, Frank
AU - Simms, Ciaran Knut
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Bike positional configuration changes strongly affect cycling performance. While consensus has emerged on saddle height optimisation, there is none for the relationship between other bike positional variables and cycling performance. Accordingly, this systematic review examines the effect of all major positional variables on performance in cycling, assessing differences between cycling disciplines and sex where possible. The systematic review, conducted per PRISMA guidelines, searched databases including Embase, Web of Science, Medline, and CINAHL, screening 16,578 studies. Of these, 47 were fully analysed. Study quality assessment using the NIH tool revealed none rated “good”, 5 “fair” and 33 “poor”. The analysis involved 724 participants (90 female, 454 male, 180 sex unstated). Studies focused on trunk angle/upper body position, handlebar height, Q factor, foot position, saddle fore-aft/height, seat tube angle and crank length. Participant cycling disciplines were often unspecified and few papers address women cyclists specifically. Key findings were associated with changing saddle height, trunk angle and saddle fore-aft. For trunk angle, accounting for the biomechanical and physiological effects as well as aerodynamic changes is important. Saddle fore-aft affects the hip angle and trunk angle. There are no clear recommendations for crank length, handlebar height, Q factor or cleat position.
AB - Bike positional configuration changes strongly affect cycling performance. While consensus has emerged on saddle height optimisation, there is none for the relationship between other bike positional variables and cycling performance. Accordingly, this systematic review examines the effect of all major positional variables on performance in cycling, assessing differences between cycling disciplines and sex where possible. The systematic review, conducted per PRISMA guidelines, searched databases including Embase, Web of Science, Medline, and CINAHL, screening 16,578 studies. Of these, 47 were fully analysed. Study quality assessment using the NIH tool revealed none rated “good”, 5 “fair” and 33 “poor”. The analysis involved 724 participants (90 female, 454 male, 180 sex unstated). Studies focused on trunk angle/upper body position, handlebar height, Q factor, foot position, saddle fore-aft/height, seat tube angle and crank length. Participant cycling disciplines were often unspecified and few papers address women cyclists specifically. Key findings were associated with changing saddle height, trunk angle and saddle fore-aft. For trunk angle, accounting for the biomechanical and physiological effects as well as aerodynamic changes is important. Saddle fore-aft affects the hip angle and trunk angle. There are no clear recommendations for crank length, handlebar height, Q factor or cleat position.
KW - Bike fitting
KW - handlebar height
KW - position optimisation
KW - saddle height
KW - trunk angle
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85204066257&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/02640414.2024.2394752
DO - 10.1080/02640414.2024.2394752
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85204066257
SN - 0264-0414
VL - 42
SP - 1477
EP - 1490
JO - Journal of Sports Sciences
JF - Journal of Sports Sciences
IS - 15
ER -