Most Common Bikepacking Injuries
How to avoid and treat them.
Even the most cautious, fit, and well prepared riders can fall victim to injuries from time to time. It’s not a matter of if but when. Knowing what the most common bikepacking injuries are, and how they occur, is an important step in one’s attempt at trying to preventing them from happening in the first place. With the right preparation and solid planning one can help eliminate most of the items from the list below.
Of course there are other possible injuries that can occur to one while bikepacking, but these are the most common bikepacking injuries one might sustain. Take a page from the Boyscouts and be prepared. You’ll be better off for it and you’re ride will be safer.
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Saddle sores are definitely in the top three of the most common bikepacking injuries, if not in cycling. Almost everyone has had them at one time or another and knows just how uncomfortable and painful they can be. Many a rider have quit due to these little but painful sores. Luckily, there are many ways one can help eliminate saddle sores.
Like most injuries what you do before your ride plays a big part in whether you’ll get saddle sores or not.
SADDLES:
CHAMOIS:
TOUGHEN UP:
CLEANLINESS:
OTHER:
The first thing any doctor will tell you, is to take a few days off the bike giving the affected area time to heal without further friction. Another option is to ride a different bike with a different saddle.
A few days off is usually enough but one can also take a cool bath with Epsom Salts. Airing out the affected area by wearing loose clothing will also aid in the healing process. Lastly, if the saddle sore is bad enough that the skin is broken, apply a topical ointment or warm compress to the affect area.
If you’re in a race, your options are limited, as you don’t have the luxury of taking time off the bike. This is where avoiding saddle sores is key. If you did your best to avoid them and still get one, you can limit the amount of friction with ointments, chamois cream, keep the area clean of sweat and salt, and air it out as much as possible. Lastly, grit those teeth and keep turning those pedals.
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Numbness of the hands and feet are very common condition cyclists experience and one of the most common bikepacking injuries on long tours or races. The day after day on the bike with little to no time off doesn’t give the body a chance to rest and recover, and the results can be severe.
Most numbness injuries are caused by improper fit on one’s bicycle. But even with a good fit, numbness can still be an issue if you push yourself far enough. Keep reading to see how to avoid and treat numbness on the bike.
FIT:
BODY:
OTHER:
Treatment of numbness is like chafing and saddle sores, in that you want to treat the causes before you even get on the bike. If you do experience numbness while on the bike there are a few things you can do to help alleviate it.
The first thing you can do is change your position on the bike. Make a habit of not staying in one position for too long. Switch things up throughout the day. Moving your hands around your handle bars, or stand out of the saddle.
One can also relieve pressure by stopping once in a while. Remove your shoes to give your feet a chance to relax and dry out. Massage them or hands during breaks to stimulate blood flow. If you can’t stop, simply loosen your shoes while on the bike.
Massage hands with the end of a bar end or handlebar. Stretch your arms, shoulders, legs or other areas that maybe be showing signs of numbness.
Joint pain, like numbness, ranks up high as one of the most common bikepacking injuries. Luckily, it can be mostly eliminated by getting a bike fit and having a proper position on your bike. Over use can make even a great bike fit, a non factor. Like with numbness, joint pain can also be a result of spinal issues, unbalanced muscle groups, and or poor skeletal alignment.
PAIN AT FRONT OF KNEE:
PAIN AT BACK OF KNEE:
PAIN INSIDE THE KNEE:
PAIN ON OUTSIDE OF KNEE:
Most of all the above types of knee pain can be remedied by a proper fitting bicycle and not over doing it. Knee pain isn’t the only joint pain one might be affected by on the bike but it’s the most common. Other joint pain, like numbness could be a result of other body issues and less to do with the bike or riding it.
Some other ways one can avoid and treat joint pain is to make sure to warm up before going hard on the bike. Try your best to spin, verses mashing big gears. Build your mileage up gradually to give your body a chance to adjust and get stronger. Keep your joints warm! Most pro cyclists cover their knees under 60 degrees. Warm knees are happy knees.
Lastly, be sure to monitor how you feel on the bike and how your body reacts to any changes in equipment or riding style. Noticing any discomfort before it becomes a problem will help you in the short and long run.
Achilles pain is a very common aliment on long tours or bikepacking routes. Just like racer cough, achilles pain is prevalent on the Tour Divide. You’ll hear chatter about it in the forums, at the start, and during the race itself. Achilles pain can be serve and possibly lead to even worse things, like achilles rupture.
USAGE:
FIT:
One can take Ibuprofen, which has anti-inflammatory properties but don’t just take it when you have pain. Ibuprofen must be in your system for consecutive days for it to work properly. Icing can help, but might prove tough in certain situations.
One can use ice or take time off the bike. Lowering your seat and adjusting your cleat position as described in the section above can help as well.
Not everyone lives at elevation or deals with increased elevation the same. Some only feel mild effects, while others experience extreme ones. Altitude Sickness can be serious and can stop you in your tracks or lead to death. Knowing how your body reactions to it is the first key, next is knowing how to identify altitude sickness and its effects, and lastly, knowing what to do when you do when you notice those effects.
There are different kinds, each has it own symptoms, treatments and medications. One can find tons of information on the web about the subject so I won’t go that deep. Below we’ll cover the basics symptoms and treatments. The bottomline is, do your homework and be prepared.
Mild symptoms:
Severe symptoms:
BEFORE YOU GO:
DURING ACTIVITY:
Like with most injuries, prevention is the best course of action. Unfortunately, showing up early and acclimatize at a slower pace, and giving your body a chance to adjust to higher elevation, is not possible for everyone. With this in mind, have a plan, know where you might run into issues, try to sleep at lower altitude so your body can heal properly.
Treatments include:
Hopefully this article will help you prevent and avoid some of the most common bikepacking injuries and make your next adventure safer. While some injuries are wholly unavoidable, most as we’ve seen can be avoided.
Do your homework before you leave for your adventure. Know yourself (mind and body), determine possible issues with yourself and gear that might cause injuries, know what to expect, have a plan and know how to deal with what you might or might not encounter. Knowing what the most common bikepacking injuries are, how to avoid them, and their treatment is key. If you do, your trip will be safer and more enjoyable.
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