Differences in cycling biomechanics among the best cyclists.

Armstrong in yellow jersey during
Tour de France and Basso (CSC)

            There are many types of cycling techniques among the best riders. When it comes to bike riding technique on one shoulder is Ivan Basso, Lance Armstrong on the second. The first prefers riding in the saddle, and rarely gets up. He cannot accelerate aggressively, prefers a constant uphill and torments his opponents using tremendous, but nearly constant, speed. Second, in its glory years, getting up from the saddle and ride away in the blink of an eye, even on the steepest parts of the stages. So where comes difference? It seems to me that in the way of training. Lance was a great runner, practicing triathlon. Basso has always just rode a bike. 

            Running has a completely different biomechanics. Greater role played by the thigh back muscle group, due to the vertical position. Another important element is the way of breathing. In cycling, diaphragmatic breathing is the most important, but not in the running. In this case it is somewhat limited by abdominal and lumbar muscle tension, while raising your legs. It is also one of the direct causes of not converting a bicycle and running endurance, one to one. Runners tend to breath more using their chest, intercostal muscles, rhythmically as they jump and fall, with shoulder work. 

            Although both types of exercise induce the improvement of blood parameters, hypoxia, strengthen the heart muscle and respiratory function, discontinuation for the long time bike riding and only go on running will not improve our results on the bike! Or vice versa. However it is effective to alternate between one and the other. 

            Road cycling, as opposed to running, reduces mechanical stress and acceleration/deceleration acting on the bone and skeletal system. During the run, each breakout and landing, is associated with bone, muscles and ligaments damage. If the frequency of jogging is right, it leads to bone remodeling and increase bone mass, and strength of ligaments. Delays osteoporosis, which can quickly hunt down a road cyclist. Immunizes the injuries. 

            Excessive jogging may, on the contrary, increase damage, leading to fractures, even called marching (without injury), contusions and tears of tendons, ligaments and attachments. Each tissue, damaged, must have the time and conditions for regeneration. These conditions is rest, cycling, with proper nutrition. For this reason, both the sport should be grown together. 

            It is said that swimming may be substituted for cycling. Under certain conditions, yes. Certainly possible to keep the oxygen capacity, resulting in improved blood parameters. Biomechanics of work is largely  similar to a bicycle due to the lack of huge accelerations/decelerations, but a completely different position and the involved muscle groups. Swimming is an exercise of general development, but favors the development of the shoulder girdle muscles in most styles. Unfortunately, kind of exercise can cause modification of the muscle quality, inducing the transition of muscle fibers from type I to type II, reducing the long-term cycling generated power. 

Swimming, however, is a good opportunity to relax after a workout, relieving neck, lumbar spine and stretched rear thigh muscle group. It also suggests the interweaving of the pool, bike and running in preparation preseason and swimming and biking in the most intensive stage of the season.