Is cyling a good sport for shorter people?

Question

I'm not too tall 5' 6" and I'm getting reconstructive knee surgery for an old torn cruciate ligament injury,

and so I'm looking for a new sport that will be easy on my knee (no impact, no twisting) and I like the idea of cycling, I bought a decent bike cause I cycle to work every day (4 miles total).

I just think that because your on wheels and pedal, long legs aren't an advantage, there's less bodily wind resistance and the lower centre of gravity is probably better.

Am I right or can anyone inform me otherwise?

P.s All this aside i really enjoy it so this is really out of curiosity.

Thanks!

Hmm interesting Jay P but is cycling not more about the exertion of force on a pedal as opposed to leverage on it, the only real fulcrum being the knee which is a flexible joint???

Maybe I'm wrong

You sound like you know what you're talking about though!

Answer 1

Cycling is all about power to weight ratio and mechanical efficiency. Longer legs and greater leverage may help you, but they will do you no good if you cannot maintain a high wattage aerobically. Longer legs may give you an edge on short, steep climbs because you can use longer cranks, but probably will not help you much on longer rides (after all, you are lifting more leg weight with each pedal stroke if your legs are longer). For example, Ryan Trebon (about 6 foot 5) has become a force to be reckoned with in short track MTB events, but has yet to establish himself as a top contender in longer races. One big problem smaller cyclists run into is bike weight. The bike to body weight ratio is greater for a smaller person. If you weigh, say 120 pounds and ride a 25 pound bike, someone who weighs 160 would have to ride a 33 pound monster to duplicate the same kind of effort! Smaller riders can combat this by going with a smaller wheel size, or even just lighter wheels and tires. One good thing about being smaller is that smaller riders can typically stay in really good shape for more time each season than bigger riders, thus enabling them to ride more races at a higher level. Wind resistance would be better for a smaller rider if the rider rode in the same position as a larger rider and both were moving really fast. As a general rule, if you average well below 20mph, bike and body weight are probably more important than aerodynamics. Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Cycling is an excellent sport for smaller people. Just watch the pros! Lance Armstrong was only 5'11", and many of the best are 5'7", 5'6". It's not really about height, it's about weight. It takes way less effort to push 150 lbs up a mountain than it does to push 200 lbs up the same hill.

Also, cycling is excellent for repaired knees. Recent studies have shown that cycling actually promotes bone and cartilege growth.

Most important, however, is that you have your bike properly fitted to your body. You really cannot do this by yourself. You need a reliable professional to help you get the right size frame, the correct saddle height and pitch, and the right stem tube length for your body. Go to your nearest high-end bicycle shop and ask around.

That's it. Cycle on!

Answer 3

I think cycling is a fairly good equalizer. I used to run with a friend and because of my build I could always beat him. Now he can leave me behind on the bike.
Other sports like basketball or football put an emphasis on height or weight but with cycling you can get out what you put in for the most part. Height matters little.
In some ways height could be an advantage. A shorter person has the potential to be lighter and could climb hills better. A smaller bike is lighter than a bigger one. In a racing situation it could be harder to draft a smaller person.
Good luck with the knee.

Answer 4

The great part about cycling is that people of all sizes can be successful. You don't see many short basketball players, but in the Tour de France there are cyclists from 5'3 to 6'4. It's actually tougher if you're too big since power/weight ratio typically declines. Long legs don't help because you're still trying to trun the same gear in a circle.

Answer 5

99% of professional cyclists are between 5'6" and 5'10". You rarely see professionals over 6'. A smaller build is generally more efficient on a bike. Many of the worlds best climbers are under 5'6".

So yes, cycling is a perfect sport for those of us less vertically endowed. It's only a problem when you get to be as wide as you are tall, but then a regular cycling program will help you fix that too.

Answer 6

Ya know, Cycling is a great sport for everyone! Short, Tall, Skinny, Big etc. Especially if you are looking for a new sport that would be easy on your knees after the surgery. I would also look into swimming after a few months of recovery after the surgery, but cycling would be the best low impact sport to try. Good luck on your recovery after the surgery.

Answer 7

You're doing it for the right reasons, so its the perfect sport for you.

The ultimate cyclist is a little taller, but I didn't see anywhere in your post a desire to win the TDF or become national champion.

Satisfying your curiosity, there are a lot of things that go into aerodynamics. Frontal area is probably the most important, so narrow shoulders and the flexibility to ride (and generate horsepower!) with your elbows well below your hips while on aerobars is more important than height or lack thereof.

Answer 8

Riding a bike isn't going to be easy on your knees. And make 100% sure the seat is at the correct height. Too low and you can hurt your knees. Too high can damage your hip joints. How tall you are isn't an issue.

Answer 9

Check the size of current World Champion Paolo Bettini - 5'-6"

Answer 10

Actually long legs are generally considered apositive for most ypes of riding. A long leg is a long lever. And we all remember from high school physics that long levers require less effort to produce the same work.