Knee functional disorders are one of the most common lower extremity non-traumatic injuries reported by cyclists. Incorrect bicycle configuration may predispose cyclist to injury but the evidence of an effect of saddle setback on knee pain remains inconclusive. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of saddle setback on knee joint forces during pedalling using a musculoskeletal modelling approach. Ten cyclists were assessed under three saddle setback conditions (range of changes in saddle position ~6 cm) while pedalling at a steady power output of 200 W and cadence of 90 rpm. A cycling musculoskeletal model was developed and knee joint forces were estimated using an inverse dynamics method associated with a static optimisation procedure. Our results indicate that moving the saddle forwards was not associated with an increase of patellofemoral joint forces. On the contrary, the tibiofemoral mean and peak compression force were 14 and 15% higher in the Backward than in the Forward condition, respectively. The peak compression force was related to neither pedal force nor quadriceps muscle force but coincided with the eccentric contraction of knee flexor muscles. These findings should benefit bike fitting practitioners and coaches in the design of specific training/rehabilitation protocols.

No abstract

Besides its regulation by Union Cycliste Internationale, the evidence relating saddle setback to pedalling performance remains inconclusive. This study investigates the influence of saddle setback on pedalling effectiveness through two indexes: an index of pedalling force effectiveness and an index of pedalling work effectiveness. Eleven cyclists were assessed six saddle setback conditions while pedalling at a steady power output of 200 W and cadence of 90 rpm. A force sensor was integrated within the seat post to compute the centre of pressure on the saddle. From instrumented pedals, an index of force effectiveness (ratio between the force directed perpendicular to the crank arm and the total force applied to the pedal) and an index of work effectiveness (based on the minimisation of negative crank work) were calculated. In comparison with a forward position, sitting backward significantly decreased 5% cumulative total work, increased index of work effectiveness (84.2 ± 3.7 vs. 82.0 ± 4.7%), and increased index of force effectiveness (41.7 ± 2.9 vs. 39.9 ± 3.7 and 36.9 ± 0.7%). Thus, while it was previously reported that sitting more forward favours maximal power, this study demonstrates that it also leads to a decreased effectiveness in steady-state pedalling.