Adjustment of the bicycle
Complaints of the neck and shoulders occur when the distance from the saddle to
the handlebars is too short and/or the difference in height between these two
is too large. In either situation, the cyclist rides with a very curved spine
which requires an extra effort to keep his eyes pointed in a horizontal
direction in front of him.
When the distance from the saddle to the handlebars is too long and, as a
consequence, the sitting position is too stretched, it could also lead to
complaints of the neck and shoulders as a result of increased tension on the
muscles in the neck extensors.
Regularly changing the position of the hands on the handlebars can prevent pain
in the neck. This explains that, as a rule, for long distances it is much more
comfortable to use racing handlebars because they offer a wider choice in the
position of the hands.
Handlebars that are too wide could lead to sagging of the shoulder blades. This
can eventually cause an irritating sense of pain. The
handlebar-width should always correspond with the width of the
shoulders.
Physical causes
Physical asymmetry leads to complaints of the neck. At this point it is
important to draw attention to the difference in arm-length.
Research among 100 cyclists illustrates that no less than 81% appears to have
arms of different lengths (Stevens, 1998). Placing the brake
levers at different heights and using extra layers of handlebar ribbon,
can partly compensate for the difference in arm-length.
Cyclists with scoliosis (lateral curving of the spinal column) nearly always
experience complaints of the neck and shoulders when bending the upper part of
their body on a racing bicycle. Medical treatment could possibly offer a
solution for these complaints.