Handbike configurations and the prevalence of experienced sitting and riding-related problems in recreational handcyclists training for the HandbikeBattle

The purpose of this study was to describe handbike configurations and the prevalence of experienced sitting and riding-related problems among recreational handcyclists training for a mountain time trial (HandbikeBattle). In this cross-sectional study, 150 participants of the HandbikeBattle, who used an arm-power (recumbent) handbike, filled out a questionnaire (on comfort, stability and power generation) while handbike characteristics were measured. Crank width was variable among handcyclists and was wider than the shoulder width (median crank/shoulder width ratio: 1.19). About 60% of the participants found sitting in the handbike never fatiguing or painful and 74-76% indicated to sit stable in the handbike when sitting or when generating power. About 80% of the participants thought that their pedal position was optimal. Although the overall scores regarding sitting position and riding settings were high (both questions median: 8.0 on 1.0-10.0 scale), 50% and 31% of the participants, respectively, believed that their sitting position and riding settings could be improved. In addition, 10% of the participants thought that the configuration could lead to an injury and had an injury at the time of filling out the questionnaire. It can be concluded that although the majority of the participants seemed to be satisfied with their handbike configurations a large variety in handbike configurations was seen. There is a need for the development of evidence-based guidelines for handbike fitting in the future.