How do I fix lower back discomfort at the end of my rides?



IndyRider

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Aug 13, 2005
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I consider myself to be relatively new to cycling. I have been riding consistently during the warm months of my Indiana climate for two years. I have noticed that even now during my training rides I will experience lower back discomfort(not pain, just discomfort) at the end. Does anyone have any experience with this, or any advice to add? Thanks.

Nick from Indy
 
Nick I suffered pretty badly from back pains after a 140 km ride (actual pain set in after half distance). I have since being doing Pilates and concentraed on my core muscles. I do not suffer now and posture on the bike has improved a lot. I sit in an office all day and my upper body strength was near non existant.


..Ian
 
You said you're relatively new to cycling...I wonder if you have a proper fit on your bike. After the initial fitting ... you may want to continue to experiment/monitor your position as you become more fit and flexible. Under more hard riding/fast pace I like to stretch out on my bike a bit more. try to keep a flat posture on your lower back.

Also, stretching exercise will do wonder for your lower back. Go to a massage therapist or a chiropractor and they can show you some exercise to do on a regular basis as well as after a ride/exercise.
 
I just completed my best tour yet - 600 km towing a Bob trailer on an older 16 spd through the kootenays (lots of elevation). The saving grace was having been fitted to my bike by an expert bike fitter (Barry Lycett - Victoria, BC, Canada). My knees and shoulders thank him profusely. Melissa also was fitted and has seen a great improvement in her back discomfort.
 
IndyRider said:
I consider myself to be relatively new to cycling. I have been riding consistently during the warm months of my Indiana climate for two years. I have noticed that even now during my training rides I will experience lower back discomfort(not pain, just discomfort) at the end. Does anyone have any experience with this, or any advice to add? Thanks.

Nick from Indy
Back in the 90's I used to get lower back pain after about 30 - 45 minutes of riding. When I started cycling in Spring '03 after a long layoff I bought a new bike with a more comfortable upright riding position. Problem solved. Haven't had any back problems related to cycling since.

I still have lower back problems but not from the bike. I do semi-regular 3 hour rides and have nothing more than muscular fatigue in the lumbar region. Of course, I'll have muscular fatigue in the quads, hams, calves and abs too! I've even done a 5 hour and 6.25 hour ride with no lower back problems.

Needless to say I think the aero racing position of most road bikes is not for everyone. It may look cool but if a person is riding for recreation and fitness it is just not necessary.

By the way, I live in Indianapolis too. Kind of crappy weather we've been having. Fortunately, it's finally cooled off a bit. This summer has to be the longest heat wave in Indiana's history. The bad thing about Indy is we have no real Spring or Fall weather. We get about 2 - 3 weeks of nice Spring weather then it gets hot. Same is true in the Fall. A couple of weeks of nice weather and then it's Winter. No middle ground.

Something you may want to consider because of our State's wonderful weather is an indoor trainer. It's a snap to insert and remove a bike for when you want to ride outside and you can still get in a decent workout on those extremely hot days with the air conditioning and a large fan blowing accross you.
 
I noticed this, might help. I found the more my lower back hurt, the more upright I tried to sit, and the pain never really went away. LATELY, when the lower back hurts I try to get my torso low, and get in the drops. Seems to kind of stretch out the back. Dunno, been a helper for me. Kind of try and vary my riding position. Some standing, some high, some low, but try not to hold the same position to long. I thought I read somewhere that you should stand and pedal about 10 minutes out of an hour. Not sure on that. But it's a thought.
 
I had mild lower back pain, and started a rigorous core strengthning progam by doing abdominal crunches (straight and diagonal) together with back and side extensions at least twice a week. I also follow the same program after each ride (three times a week). After this a didn't have anymore lower back annoyances. This, of course, presupposes that the bike is well fitted. On longer rides (above 300K) I ride more upright by using a bike with a higher handlebar height.
YannisG
 
YannisG said:
I had mild lower back pain, and started a rigorous core strengthning progam by doing abdominal crunches (straight and diagonal) together with back and side extensions at least twice a week. I also follow the same program after each ride (three times a week). After this a didn't have anymore lower back annoyances. This, of course, presupposes that the bike is well fitted. On longer rides (above 300K) I ride more upright by using a bike with a higher handlebar height.
YannisG
Yes, core strength work and daily stretching has done the trick for me too. It's great to ride without the back pain.
 
This might sound odd, but I rowed crew in college, and it positively cured all back pain I had up until then. When I stopped rowing, the back pain came back.

If your gym has an ergometer, I would suggest getting someone to show you a proper stroke, and then working a few minutes of rowing into your workout. The fact that rowing stretches your hamstrings while strengthening your lower back and abs makes for quite a combination. I noticed that my posture was great when I rowed.

One caveat: If you overdo it you can totally whack your back out, so start with something like 50 strokes and build up slowly, putting an emphasis on proper form.
 

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