How to Properly Set Up Your Bike for Indoor Cycling
Two young women taking part in a spin class. Photo designed by Freepik
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Whether you’re thinking of buying a Peloton or other indoor bike to help you stay fit at home, contemplating joining a local cycling studio, or wanting to take some spin classes at your nearby gym, proper bike set up is important to make sure you get a great workout and have the best experience on the bike.
The rise of Peloton and the popularity of various indoor cycling formats like rhythm cycling in recent years has taken the fitness world by storm. Whereas indoor cycling used to be a way for endurance cyclists to maintain their fitness during colder months when they couldn’t ride outside, now everyone and their mom has at least thought about getting a Peloton or Peloton alternative.
The great thing about indoor cycling is that bike riding is familiar to most people. There’s no fear of not knowing how to work a complicated machine like there can be at the gym or feeling like you have to master a totally new skill as with certain sports. Most of us remember summers riding bikes through the neighborhood. There’s a reason that they say restarting activities where your muscle memory takes over and makes it easy is like “riding a bike.” Also, because cycling is low impact, even those with joint pains and injuries who might not be able to run or do higher impact activities can enjoy it.
After getting my group fitness instructor certification, one of the first class types I dived into mastering was indoor cycling. I’ve always enjoyed a challenging cycling workout, and wanted to bring this offering to my local rec center. After taking many a class on all different types and brands of bikes, I realized that a few key tips helped me and those in my class quickly get situated on the bike, no matter the brand. I personally ride an Echelon bike at home (if you're thinking of getting one, use this link to get $150 off), but teach my classes on a Schwinn bike and often ride Stages and other brand bikes at some of the studios I visit; so trust me when I say, I’ve got you covered with these bike fit tips.
Even though indoor cycling is low impact and accessible to most skill levels, having the proper bike fit is important to prevent injury and help you get the most out of your workout.
Indoor Cycling Bike Set Up Basics
Indoor cycling bikes have adjustable seats and handlebars to account for the various sizes of riders that may be using them. Most bikes you’ll see on the market are either 3-way adjustable or 4-way adjustable.
Bikes that are 3-way adjustable have a seat that you can adjust up and down as well as forwards (fore) and backwards (aft) as well as handlebars that you can adjust up and down. On 4-way adjustable bikes the handlebars can be adjusted forwards and backwards in addition to up and down.
Stationary spin bike from behind. Photo design by Freepik.
Adjusting Your Seat aka the Saddle
First you are going to want to adjust your seat height. An easy way to estimate the height that the seat should be is to stand next to the bike, and place your hand at the level of your hip bone. This should be roughly the height of your seat. Another method is to stand next to the bike and flex the hip closest to the bike 90 degrees; line up the seat with the top of your thigh.
Next you’ll want to sit on the bike and pedal a few times to see how this feels. You should have a slight bend in your knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke. If the seat is too high you might find that your knee locks out at the bottom or your hips are shifting side to side too much with each pedal stroke. This can make for an uncomfortable and inefficient ride. If the seat is too low you might find that you feel like your knees are almost in your chest as you hyperflex with each pedal stroke and place undue stress on your knees that could lead to injury.
To get the right adjustment for the frontwards (fore) and backwards (aft) position of the seat you want to sit on the bike with the balls of your feet placed over the center of the pedals and the pedals lined up parallel with the floor at the 9 and 3 o’clock position. A line drawn from your front knee straight down should be in front of the ankle and line up with the balls of your feet over the center of the pedal.
Room of indoor cycling bikes. Photo design by Freepik.
Adjusting Your Handlebars
Getting the right position for your handle bars is just as important as getting the right seat position, since handle bars placed at the wrong height can cause extra strain on your back.
A general rule of thumb is that the handle bars should be level with your seat or a little bit higher. When sitting on the bike and hinging forward from the hips, your shoulders should be relaxed down away from your ears, and you should have a slight relaxed bend in your elbows.You shouldn’t feel like you're reaching. Handlebar positioning is generally based on your comfort, but other factors can also be considered like the purpose or goal of your ride or type of ride you are doing. Those who ride indoors primarily to support or simulate outdoor riding or train for endurance events tend to prefer lower positioning of their handlebars. In rhythm based classes which can involve a lot of choreography or changing hand positions, you’ll want your handlebars a little bit higher than your seat. A rule of thumb to try is to to place the handle bars about a fist’s width (or 4 fingers width) above a line drawn parallel with the floor from seat to handlebar. Adjust the fore and aft of the handlebars for your comfort.
Ride Your Bike!
Know that every body is different, and the instructions above are a general guide. To really know if you’ve got the right fit, ride your bike. You can generally figure out within a couple minutes if you need to fine tune any adjustments.
Also, if you eventually catch the indoor cycling bug and decide to invest in a bike for your home, you can score $150 off an Echelon connected bike here.
Enjoy the ride, and stay sporting!
