40 miles... low back pain.

[mr handy]

OK I'm just settling into my new felt f80 an i love the bike... (first road bike)

anyway i got to go for my first long ride yesterday and it was great, i really got to see what i was capable of. i have been riding a 15 mile loop around my house for the last few weeks ( 3-4 days a week) so 40 miles was quite a bit longer.
the lower back pain really started to set in about 30 miles into the ride my legs felt good but my back was not happy. i think it is just that i haven't been riding very long and my back hasn't built up the proper strength yet. also my hands started to go numb around the 25 30 mile mark though i think this is for the same reason as my back being sore.

if anyone has any suggestions on exercises, stretches, or any little tweaks i can make to the bike that would be great.

i will be going in for my 1 month tune up in a week or 2 and i will talk to my mechanic and fitter about it and see what he says. i also plan on getting a new saddle, as i think that having a not to comfortable seat may have added some extra tension to my position on the bike, though there was know constant pain i had to stand and shake out the old position and find a new one every so often.

today all my muscles felt good so i know i didn't do anything to far out of my comfort zone. but i would not have been able to keep going for much more than another 5-10 miles... at least without taking a break for a wile and getting some more to drink.

P.S. trail is quite flat with nothing i would consider a hill and i averaged 17 mph for the ride .... which i felt was respectable at this point, for about 2 weeks into riding. any other tips would be greatly appreciated for this new guy... thanks

 

[otb4evr]

the lower back pain really started to set in about 30 miles into the ride my legs felt good but my back was not happy. i think it is just that i haven't been riding very long and my back hasn't built up the proper strength yet. also my hands started to go numb around the 25 30 mile mark though i think this is for the same reason as my back being sore.

if anyone has any suggestions on exercises, stretches, or any little tweaks i can make to the bike that would be great.

Typically, when someone complains about their lower back being sore during a ride, it is (usually) because their seat setback is too much or their saddle is set too high. When someone complains about their hands going numb, it is usually because the saddle is set too high.

When someone has a complaint about both of these things, I would suggest the saddle is set too high.

I say *usually* because there could be a myriad of reasons for aches and pains...

Try lowering the saddle a bit at a time until your hips do not rock during your ride and your hand numbness goes away.

Bicycle fit is very individual. I ride a saddle height that is about 1 1/2 cm less than a team mate that has the exact same inseam. This is because I have back issues, among other reasons...

Don't be afraid to experiment to find the fit that is right for you.

Jim

 

[wiredued]

If you are a newbie then you might have just over reached if you are in good condition and you don't want to give up the bike a stem riser might make it fit better but it looks a little hokey. Hold off on the new saddle if you aren't doing enough riding any saddle will be uncomfortable and don't forget to go commando on rides of more than 15 miles.

OK I'm just settling into my new felt f80 an i love the bike... (first road bike)

anyway i got to go for my first long ride yesterday and it was great, i really got to see what i was capable of. i have been riding a 15 mile loop around my house for the last few weeks ( 3-4 days a week) so 40 miles was quite a bit longer.
the lower back pain really started to set in about 30 miles into the ride my legs felt good but my back was not happy. i think it is just that i haven't been riding very long and my back hasn't built up the proper strength yet. also my hands started to go numb around the 25 30 mile mark though i think this is for the same reason as my back being sore.

if anyone has any suggestions on exercises, stretches, or any little tweaks i can make to the bike that would be great.

i will be going in for my 1 month tune up in a week or 2 and i will talk to my mechanic and fitter about it and see what he says. i also plan on getting a new saddle, as i think that having a not to comfortable seat may have added some extra tension to my position on the bike, though there was know constant pain i had to stand and shake out the old position and find a new one every so often.

today all my muscles felt good so i know i didn't do anything to far out of my comfort zone. but i would not have been able to keep going for much more than another 5-10 miles... at least without taking a break for a wile and getting some more to drink.

P.S. trail is quite flat with nothing i would consider a hill and i averaged 17 mph for the ride .... which i felt was respectable at this point, for about 2 weeks into riding. any other tips would be greatly appreciated for this new guy... thanks

 

[gclark8]

My 2c worth:

Bring the seat forward a little,
Flip the stem over, to bring the flat section of the bars level with the seat,
Rotate the bars up a little to reduce wrist deflection, try to keep the wrist straight and not pinching the median nerve.

Learn to do stretching exercises just before and after riding.
Stop and stretch the lower back, arms, legs, etc at regular intervals (after each 15 miles) during training.

 

[Doctor Morbius]

OK I'm just settling into my new felt f80 an i love the bike... (first road bike)

anyway i got to go for my first long ride yesterday and it was great, i really got to see what i was capable of. i have been riding a 15 mile loop around my house for the last few weeks ( 3-4 days a week) so 40 miles was quite a bit longer.

the lower back pain really started to set in about 30 miles into the ride

There's the red flag! Work up to that distance gradually and I bet you won't have any problems. You basically tripled your mileage overnight. Not too good of an idea, especially on a new bike that you're not accustomed to.

 

[mr handy]

thanks guys. i think that i was just in the saddle for a little longer than my body is used to. like i said though i felt very good the next day and had no pain.

my bike feels very good under me, however i decided to drop the saddle a few mm and i could feel a big difference (even though i felt very steady on the long ride on sat.... no rocking) i think the small drop in saddle height will make a big difference in comfort.

I'm going to slowly increase my distance during my rides during the week... the reason i have been riding a closed loop is i live off of a very busy road, and I'm surrounded by a lake, and i am not comfortable riding it during rush hour when i get home from work... however there is a good road that i can ride without getting onto the main road, and a bike trail of about 6-7 miles. my goal is to get into good biking form for when i get back to collage, because there is an endless amount of road with very little traffic for me to ride and more hills for me to climb. i have about a month before i go back and i feel confident that i will be ready.

i am in relatively good shape. i am very active, i run play golf, tennis, baseball, paintball, fence, swim, ext. theres not much i don't do, just not at a truly competitive level at the moment.

thanks for all the advise, i sometimes try to push myself a little to hard but i am not one to quit... and i love every Minuit i spend on my bike and i always have. thanks again
Andy

 

[CAMPYBOB]

learn to change positions on the bike and stretch the back as you ride. climb out of the saddle and also do some out-of-the-saddle stretches on the flats. sit up and ride with no hands for a short distance (given safe road conditions).

do ab excercises. a strong gut takes strain and stress off the lower back.

for numb hands, try a good cork or padded polymer bar tape and decent gloves. assuming you've got those, again vary your hand position on the bars and stay relaxed as you ride...no 'death grip' on the bars if the road is fairly smooth.