Re: [ST] Re: Riding Posture

[Matt Knowles <matt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>After two recent riding schools where I was told repeatedly that I was
>too stiff and needed to slouch a little what works for me is to keep
>plenty of weight on the pegs, hold onto the bike with my knees, hunch my
>back over and keep the weight off the bars.

Since most are recommending slouching, I guess I need to clarify my
original answer of not slouching.

To me slouching meant that the back was being pushed out and the shoulders
forward. Since the original question was being asked by someone who suffers
from back pain, something I am intimately familiar with, my answer was to
keep the back in it's natural arch. Chiropractors and back specialists will
recommend keeping good posture what ever you do. So on the bike the
shoulders should still be kept back. That doesn't mean that your arms are
locked stiff. You still want the flex in your arms for maximun control and
to prevent road inputs from being transmitted to the chassis. However, you
maintain that flex by bending at the waist rather than curving your spine
and slouching.

Those of you who have backs in great condition, go ahead and slouch if
that's easiest. But since the last time I hurt my back I was off the bike
for about three months, I tend to pay attention to what my doctors tell me.

Matt Knowles - matt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://home.earthlink.net/~mattknowles
Aesthetic Design & Photography - (707) 786-4643
http://www.aestheticdesign.com



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