Painful Spin Bike? Can't even hop on the thing!

mareeya88

I bought the Pro-Form Studio Bike Pro 22 but every time I try to hop in I can't even get my feet in the pedals and it's painful to even stand up. My butt doesn't seem to reach the seat very easily either.

Is this normal? Is there something I can be doing better, posture wise or something? I'll try to pow through the pain to get my body adjusted, but I hope I don't break my back or something!

yirara

You tested this in a shop, right? Did they offer any help in adjusting it to your arm, leg and torso length? I guess the problem might be somewhere here but you don't really say what you mean with what causes pain where thus it's difficult to give any more precise advice. Another though: Are your muscles very tight and the whole position is not possible for you?

cmriverside

Yeah, I'd find someone to help you adjust it so it fits you.

A spin instructor? Bike shop guy? Physical therapist? Call around.

Like yirara said though, you're not giving us much info here.

ninerbuff

Watch YOUTUBE to make sure you have the right adjustment for your body.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csNeUKYBW0E

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

cwolfman13

You need to adjust the bike to fit you

loulee997

Start with adjusting the bike.
Honestly, check out the seat. If the seat presses on your tail bone nerves, it can aggravate everything. Sometimes you can switch out the seat.

If nothing works, exchange it for something else--you still be under waranty.

mareeya88

I will try adjusting the bike! Thank you for the video, it was very informative. I bought the bike online and had it assembled by Proform so I didn't think about changing anything, or even looked at the manual. The bike feels like it's too tall.

The seat is really painful and gives me pain in my behind and lower back if I stay in the same position for long. Since my running shoes don't fit in the pedal, I'm using a thin sneaker but it's too thin and causes my leg to cramp. I'm hoping the leg problem gets fixed when I buy new shoes.

Hopefully with the adjustment I can struggle a bit less! I'm hoping I can get conditioned to the bike in the future. Thank you for your replies!

AnnPT77

mareeya88 wrote: »

I will try adjusting the bike! Thank you for the video, it was very informative. I bought the bike online and had it assembled by Proform so I didn't think about changing anything, or even looked at the manual. The bike feels like it's too tall.

The seat is really painful and gives me pain in my behind and lower back if I stay in the same position for long. Since my running shoes don't fit in the pedal, I'm using a thin sneaker but it's too thin and causes my leg to cramp. I'm hoping the leg problem gets fixed when I buy new shoes.

Hopefully with the adjustment I can struggle a bit less! I'm hoping I can get conditioned to the bike in the future. Thank you for your replies!

If the seat remains a problem, one option to consider - short of changing out the seat for something different if that's even possible: You can buy gel seat pads for bikes. Measure carefully, because some exercise bikes have unusual seat shapes, but you should be able to find one that works. Some people like these, some don't. They're not massively expensive, maybe $15-20 USD (about the prices of a large specialty pizza, as a comparison that might be more graphic internationally, maybe). I'd avoid the cheapest of the cheap, may not be well made.

Also, many serious cyclists wear shorts/tights or a liner that has a padded area in the crotch, and doesn't have seams that intersect with the bike seat in bad ways.

I use a gel pad on both my stationary bike and outdoor bike (2 pads so I don't have to switch), and used to carry one with me when I went to spin classes. I do use padded shorts/tights/liner on longer outdoor rides, too. They feel weird at first, but you get used to them. Can be found online or at a local bike shop. If you don't have experience with it, note that IME most bike wear runs very small.

Final thought: If part of the problem is chafing, look at products like Body Glide (there are others, just mentioning that one because it's pretty widely available). The generic name would probably be something like anti-chafing cream, stick, etc. You shouldn't use products like that in . . . intimate areas . . . but you can use a suitable comfort lubricant in that area (there are some for external use, it's not just stuff for sexual activities). In those areas, it's also OK to use something lubricating that would usually be used on babies, like A+D ointment.

One does get conditioned to the seat, to some extent. That conditioning doesn't seem to have negative (unpleasurable) consequences for . . . other activities, if you get my drift. I'm trying to be clear and frank throughout here, without being offensive or salacious.

cwolfman13

mareeya88 wrote: »

I will try adjusting the bike! Thank you for the video, it was very informative. I bought the bike online and had it assembled by Proform so I didn't think about changing anything, or even looked at the manual. The bike feels like it's too tall.

The seat is really painful and gives me pain in my behind and lower back if I stay in the same position for long. Since my running shoes don't fit in the pedal, I'm using a thin sneaker but it's too thin and causes my leg to cramp. I'm hoping the leg problem gets fixed when I buy new shoes.

Hopefully with the adjustment I can struggle a bit less! I'm hoping I can get conditioned to the bike in the future. Thank you for your replies!

The seat as well as the handle bars can be adjusted. You don't want either to be too low or too high. For the seat, stand next to the bike with your feet flat on the floor...the seat should be adjusted so that it's about even with your hip bone. The handle bars should be about even with the seat. When you ride and your stroke is at the bottom of the spin, your leg should only have a slight bend at the knee. Proper adjustment will likely take care of most of your issues...I don't think the leg cramping is your shoes, it's that the bike isn't properly fitted to you. That said, you're also going to need to get conditioned to riding.

Most spin bikes have a seat that is very similar to a road cycling seat...I wear cycling shorts on my road and mountain bikes as well as spin class and that's what I'd recommend. That said, you're still going to have to condition yourself to the ride...and also learn to use your "sit bone"...a lot of people actually don't sit on their bikes properly when they ride.