How to Choose a Bicycle When You Have Ankylosing Spondylitis

购买自行车可能是任何人的艰巨过程，特别是对于没有经验丰富的车手或良好的人versedin the variety of options available.

If you have强直性脊柱炎(AS),你的身体状况可以另一层uncertainty in this task. You may wonder whether pain, stiffness, or other AS symptoms will allow you to use a particular bike as much as you’d like, or you may even worry that using a bike the wrong way could make your symptoms worse.

It’s valid to have concerns about bicycling with AS, and normal to be baffled about how to choose a bike and get started. But simply knowing what basic options exist, and how they relate to your needs and preferences, can make this process much easier.

Here’s an overview of the options and personal factors you may want to consider when selecting a bicycle if you have强直性脊柱炎。

What Kind of Cyclist Are You?

选择自行车时最重要的因素 - 无论您的诊断或能力水平 - 您是否打算使用它，根据kimberly perring lenenchton, a doctor of occupational therapy and an assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

For people who want a bike for occasional excursions or leisurely errands, “it’s really just got to be comfortable to sit on for long periods of time and not exacerbate your symptoms,” Lenington says.

但是，如果您是一名熟练的骑手，并且想要有一辆公路自行车或山地自行车，Lenington建议仔细注意不同的选择如何影响您的姿势，并且压力骑行的数量会放在您的关节上。

For example, if you’re a mountain or trail bike rider, you may want a bicycle with a full suspension to absorb the shock from riding on rough terrain.

But a mountain bike — with or without suspension — is unlikely to be the best fit for casual city riding because they tend to be slow on pavement. Similarly, a road bike with thin tires won’t be an ideal fit if you need to cover a variety of surfaces, such as both city streets and crushed-rock bike trails.

AS Factors to Consider

不管你要找什么类型的自行车,它’s important to consider the specifics of your ankylosing spondylitis when deciding if it’s a good fit.

The longer you’ve had AS, the greater the chance that your joint mobility is significantly limited, Lenington notes. This can lead to poor posture while riding your bike, which can put extra pressure on your joints and contribute to worsening symptoms.

Especially if your AS is more advanced, Lenington advises using any bicycle for short periods at first to make sure your symptoms don’t get worse.

For anyone considering biking, it’s important to do stretches that improve your ability to ride your bike properly, according to Lenington. These may include stretches for your neck and shoulders, upper back, lower back, and hips, she says.

Someone with significant作为髋关节参与, says Lenington, should look for a bike that doesn’t require overextending the hip joint. “You want to maintain a neutral pelvis when riding, which depends on your hip flexibility and the distance between the pedals and the seat,” she says.

“肩部参与是另一个可能影响自行车骑行的问题，”莱宁顿说。如果这适用于您，“选择带有车把的自行车，不会在肩膀上放入压力。不太高或低是重要的。“

Reduced joint mobility may also make it wise to consider less-conventional bicycle options, such as a recumbent bike, which supports your back and reduces strain on your upper body.

您可能还想考虑您的移动性如何影响您从自行车上安装和卸下的能力。自行车可以具有高步或低步框架，这是指抬起一条腿需要的高位才能进入坐姿。

自行车类型和选择

There are a few basic types of bicycles, with seemingly infinite variation inside (and blurring the lines between) these groups. Beyond deciding which type is right for you, there are a few options to consider within each category.

公路自行车这一广泛的类别包括倾向于具有更轻的框架和更薄的轮子的自行车，以实现光滑表面上的最大速度。它们通常有“掉落”把手，这是低的，并将骑手保持在胸部下降位置。

The exact angle at which you bend forward on a road bike will depend on the construction of the frame and the height of the handlebars, so it’s important to find a bike that puts you in a comfortable riding position.

This type of bicycle can be challenging for people with AS and should probably be reserved for serious cyclists, Lenington says. If you use one, it’s important to have a stretching program and exercise good posture, “not hunching over too much, but maintaining your shoulder blades in a neutral, retracted position.”

Mountain bikes这些坚固的自行车设计用于越野使用，框架较重，宽，严重踩踏轮胎。像公路自行车一样，他们可能是一个很好的选择，仅适用于为他们的预期目的使用它们的人。

使用前部或双悬架的山地自行车可以显着降低骑行对关节的影响，从而显着提高自行车的成本。

Hybrid bikes道路自行车和山地自行车之间的这一交叉往往是差事的最佳选择，较短的通勤，以及riding around for fun or exercise。These bikes tend to have larger padded seats and higher straight handlebars, which keep the rider in a more upright position.

Depending on the terrain you cover, you may opt for a wider or narrower tire size with less or more of a tread, as well as more or fewer gears for speed or hill-climbing.

Cruiser bikes这些自行车是为休闲骑行而建造的，带有非常宽的衬垫座椅，宽轮胎和高轮子，弯曲在每侧的骑手，允许非常舒适的直立坐姿。

Cruisers often have low-step frames that make it easy to get on and off, and some have an elongated frame in which the pedals are far forward of the seat. This lets you put your feet flat on the ground while stopped, without compromising full extension of your legs while pedaling.

Recumbent bikesYou sit in a reclined position near the ground with your legs in front of you on this type of bike, which supports your back and upper body.

齿轮，刹车和电动辅助

Having more gears on your bike lets you shift down to make pedaling easier when going up a hill, or shift up to achieve better speed on flat or downhill surfaces. This can be useful for anyone, but particularly people with AS.

“If someone has thoracic involvement — if they have issues breathing — I would want to make sure they don’t overexert themselves going up hills, that they have the option of pedaling with less resistance if they need to,” says Lenington.

一些自行车在车把夹具上有齿轮控制，这可能比车把夹具旁边的单独杠杆更容易。还有自动转换器根据踩踏性调整，虽然这些成本越来越多，仍然有些不常见。

Most bikes have traditional brake controls, which are levers under the handlebars (or, on road bikes, in front of them). But some bikes, especially cruisers, let you brake by back-pedaling, which may be easier for some people.

如果您需要比自己的踩踏板更多的功率可以提供 - 例如与他人通勤或骑自行车 - 您可能希望考虑带有电动辅助模式的自行车，它使用电池和电机来补充您的踩踏板。当然，电动骑自行车比不掌握的同行更昂贵。

The Right Fit Is a Must

All the considerations listed above are important for people with AS when selecting a bike — but they’re just a starting point. You need to try out a bike to make sure it feels right.

A bike has to be the right size for you, which may not be obvious if you’re not sure what to look for. Someone at a bicycle shop can help you pick a bike that fits your body.

最终，一辆感觉伟大的自行车很重要，以便你很高兴使用它并随时使用它。“我们希望你在那里搭车，”Lenington说。“这是运动的好方法，在外面，保持整体健康。”