Home Run Guide

With the dimly lit space, loud music, setting up a bike, and learning how to clip your cycling shoes in and out of the pedals, indoor cycling classes can be a little overwhelming.

It’s never a bad idea to evaluate your bike setup, whether you’re new to indoor cycling or have been doing it for a while.

You can probably still make minor adjustments to help prevent injury and keep up proper form while riding, even if you feel more at ease on your Peloton than you do on your couch.

How To Set Up Spin Bike Properly

Find The Right Seat Height

To begin, position the seat of the bike so that it is level with your hipbone while standing face-forward next to it.

Stop At The Bottom Of The Stroke

To measure from the bottom of the pedal stroke, sit down and rotate your feet until one leg is fully extended, advises Atkins. “Your leg shouldn’t be locked or too bent,” she adds. Lower the seat one notch if it’s nearly completely straight.

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Check Your Knee Bend

Move the seat up a few positions until your knee is only slightly bent if your leg is bending excessively at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

Measure Handlebar Distance

Pro tip: The distance between the handlebars and the beginning of the seat should be about a forearm. “This is a good starting point,” says Atkins. “You usually move within two numbers of either up or down from here, depending on your torso.”

Lean In (just A Little)

“Elbow locking is not desirable. By having a slight bend forward you can engage your core and avoid crunching your lower back,” explains Atkins. “You don’t want to be perched high like on a beach cruiser.”

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Seat Height

Place your feet firmly on the ground, step up next to your bike, and adjust the seat so that it is roughly level with your hipbone. Put your hands where you would normally think your hips are; you will feel a rounded bone that extends from the front to the back. It is the iliac crest. With that, the seat should be roughly level. However, most people still need to make a few more changes after this.

Next, mount the bike, but don’t immediately clip your feet in or secure them in the cages. Push all the way down on one side with your heel at the front of the pedal until your foot is roughly at 6 o’clock. In order to have the proper amount of bend in your knee when you clip into the pedals or slide your feet into the cages, your knee should be perfectly straight.

It should only bend 5 to 10 degrees, which is a very slight bend. It should just be bent noticeably, not locked out.

When you remove your feet from the pedals and your toe touches the floor, you’ve done it correctly. Any further indicates that you are seated too low, and if it doesn’t touch at all, you are seated too high. Knee pain can result from both a seat that is too high or too low.

Seat Distance

The seat can then be shifted forward or backward, toward or away from the handlebars, once you’ve reached a comfortable height. Sitting on the bike, clip in or place your feet in the cages, then position your legs at the nine and three o’clock positions. (Whichever leg is in front doesn’t matter.)

To do this, visualize a straight line running from your front knee to the center of the pedal, which should be parallel to the ball of your foot. If you clip in, you might need to move the clips on your shoes. The bend should be the same on both sides, so don’t worry about the leg in the back unless you want to double-check.

If your seat is too far forward or backward, “you could be putting unnecessary stress on your joints, as well as limiting the use of muscles you should be using, like your glutes, your glutes are important for maintaining alignment of your knee, which reuces risk of injury, while also increasing your performance.

Handlebar Height

Whatever feels comfortable is the straightforward answer when it comes to the handlebars. You don’t want to feel like you’re either reaching too far or being too huddled. With your shoulders as far away from your ears as possible and your elbows slightly bent, posture is ideal.

To determine the proper handlebar height, Karp suggests sitting up straight, extending your arms in front of you so they are parallel to the ground, and then slightly hunching forward while keeping your spine neutral. The height of your handlebars should be such that you can maintain a neutral spine while riding comfortably. You have too low handlebars if your back begins to round.

It works for everyone, which is a really positive aspect of adjusting the handlebars that way. You won’t go as low as someone who has very mobile hamstrings, hips, or a strong core. It teaches you how to keep your core tight while riding and is a very self-regulating technique.

Repeat the exercise if you notice that your shoulders are becoming too heavy or that your back is rounding.

Body Positioning

You’re in a good position if your back is essentially straight, your core muscles are working while you’re riding, and your elbows are slightly bent without putting too much weight on your shoulders. Additionally, you want your knees to be crossing your feet in the middle.

Look at the screen after you have properly fitted the bike to you. If you stare at the screen the entire time while riding a bike with a screen, like a Peloton or SoulCycle, you run the risk of hyperextending your neck. More than looking, try to pay attention to the instructor. That also applies if you’re watching your class on a TV and can’t move around.

Try to put your laptop or other mobile device on a coffee table or something slightly lower than the bike so you can look down while using a bike without a screen for class. This will allow you to see the ground.

Handlebar Reach Adjustment

How To Adjust

The distance between the handlebars and the saddle’s nose is known as the handlebar reach. Standing next to the bike will help you determine the proper saddle height and setback. Between the saddle’s nose and the horizontal handlebar, place your forearm. You should have a full forearm’s length between the elbow and the tip of your longest finger when your fingers are fully extended. A comfortable riding position will be possible thanks to this. However, some riders prefer a more aggressive riding position, so we don’t advise setting the reach any shorter. In this situation, you can extend the handlebars farther from the nose of the saddle to adopt a lower-torso, lower-shoulders riding position that is more aerodynamic.

Why This Matters

Your torso angle depends on the handlebar reach. Your back will round significantly and you’ll feel squeezed if the saddle is too close to the handlebars. It will feel as though you are reaching forward to reach the bars if the saddle is positioned too far back. You can reach the bars comfortably and without putting too much strain on your wrists in the ideal position.

Bikes Without A Reach Adjustment

Many bicycles with touchscreens attached do not permit the handlebars to slide forward or back. This occurs frequently because moving forward or backward is difficult due to the weight of the screen. To allow a forearm’s reach from the bars in this situation, adjust the seat setback distance.

Handlebar Height Adjustment

How To Adjust

The handlebars should be higher than the saddle, but typically not lower than the saddle. They should also be at least level with the saddle. Release the handlebar adjustment lever, then raise or lower the handlebars to align them with the saddle. Consider your position while sitting on the bike. This is a good place to start, but for the majority of riders it will be too low. Raising the handlebars from a level position will allow you to stand up straighter and breathe more easily. Adjustment lever should be fully tightened.

Why This Matters

There are a few things to be aware of, but handlebar height is primarily a matter of personal preference. Better lung airflow is made possible by riding upright. Your torso is upright, so you can see and breathe without difficulty. By doing so, riders are able to unwind their wrists and the trapezius muscle in their neck and back. The handlebars should be positioned at least an inch or so above the seat. For a more aggressive stance, more seasoned riders can lower the handlebars.

If Your Bike Has A Screen

As is the case with most exercise bikes today, if your bike has a screen, make sure that the handlebars and seat position allow you to ride while looking straight ahead. You don’t want to look “up” as this will hurt your neck over time. Ask a friend to take a profile photo of you riding the bike so you can see how your spine is aligned. You want a comfortable forward gaze, a neutral spine, and untense traps.