This spring, we want you to enjoy great weather and the great outdoors by exploring the best bike trails in Georgia. But whether you're new to cycling or you're a veteran of this two-wheeled venture, you can't hit the trails if you're dealing with sports injuries. Want to enjoy bike rides in Georgia without the pain? Keep reading for the top cycling safety tips from Dr. Alvin Cowans, your sports podiatrist in Powder Springs!
Safety Tips for Cycling in Georgia ![an adult and child riding bikes together]()
To avoid injury, you have to select the right gear and properly adjust your ride before hitting the bike trails in Georgia. In terms of shoes, you should look for a snug fit. That will keep your feet from sliding around while you're pedaling. In turn, you can protect your toenail from hitting the hard edge of that shoe, also reducing your risk for trauma that could cause an ingrown toenail.
Next, it's time to adjust the seat height on your bike. Try to set it as low as comfortably possible to reduce pressure on the calf muscles during pedaling. This will reduce your risk of developing injuries such as plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinitis.
For the last pre-ride safety step, we want you to select gear that will help prevent cycling hot foot (a mid-ride problem that feels like burning pain in the ball of your foot.) If this is a regular problem during your rides, we may need to help optimize your foot function by fitting you for custom orthotics. And, if we know that you plan to wear these customized insoles, we can craft them to fit in your cycling shoes, helping protect you from pain as well as from other athletic injuries. As an added bonus, they can help improve your athletic performance, meaning you could spend more time enjoying bike trails in Georgia, without any pain!
Stretching, Warm Ups, and Cool Downs
To give yourself an extra dose of injury prevention, try incorporating some of these moves from Cyclist into your pre-and-post bike riding routine.
Warm-ups before a ride should focus on stretching out your calf muscles. To get started, put your hands flat against the wall, at the height of your shoulders, moving your right leg behind you. Place the right foot flat on the ground, bending your left leg and slowly leaning forward. Keep your right leg straight with the heel of its foot flat on the ground, and hold the position for 30 seconds, once you feel a nice stretch in your right calf. Now switch legs and repeat on the other side, doing any other stretches that you feel your body needs.
After your ride, cool-down stretches should focus on your quads and hamstrings. Work through each muscle group, holding your stretches for at least 30 seconds before switching sides. But make sure to stop stretching right away if you feel a sharp pain rather than mild discomfort, as that could be a sign that you've sustained an injury.
Not feeling any pain? That's great news. Because now, you're ready to explore our five favorite bike trails in Georgia, some right here in our own backyard!
The 3 Best Bike Trails in Georgia to Explore This Spring
Whether you're looking for a fun weekend activity, a new form of exercise, or want to explore farther afoot, we think you'll love cycling in Georgia on these trails.
- The Silver Comet Trail
This is a 59-mile path that runs from Smyrna all the way to Georgia border with Alabama. Lucky for us, the path runs right through Powder Springs, so you can enjoy riding a small portion of this bike trail in Georgia or set yourself up for a bigger challenge by completing the entire route! - Lost Mountain Park
Getting even close to our office, there are three separate trails in this park: the Backwoods and Hawthorn loop and the Bigfoot trail. Clearly marked to clarify difficulty levels and distance, there's something for everyone in this park that's just down the road, less than a mile away, on Dallas Highway! - Mountain to River Trail
Heading over to Marietta, you can ride this bike trail in Georgia that takes you from Tower Road to Brown Park. It's an easy path that makes it an ideal ride for beginner cyclists, or for those who are just in the mood for a ride with minimal exertion.
Healing Sports Injuries After Bike Rides in Georgia
If you've enjoyed our suggestions for bike trails in Georgia, or you've discovered your own favorites, we hope your rides went smoothly. But, after your rides, if you experience more than the normal discomfort that comes from a good workout, we want you to stop cyling (and other workouts) and make an appointment to come into the office. You see, pain that lasts for more than two or three days is often a sign of a brewing sports injury. So, if you keep pushing through the pain, you could worsen that injury, complicating your treatment plan and extending your recovery period.
Want to get back out on your bike before the season of cycling is over? See us in the office. We'll set you up for success on your bike, helping you prevent and treat any cycling injuries that try to ruin your fun this spring.
