Hi There, New to the forums. I wanted to seek advice/recommendations about lower back pain. When cycling (especially on hills) I get a dull lower back pain. Did a 70 mile ride last week and my legs and body were fine, however the entire time my lower back was in pain. Any advice on where to start, in order to make a fix? I'm assuming it's probably something with the stem but I don't know where to start.
Lower Back Pain when Riding
- Thread starter maizemeanscorn
- Start date
Well I'm no pro, but I couldn't help but chime in. I've actually only been riding for 4 or 5 months. I experienced the exact same thing recently. With the addition of some shoulder blade discomfort. After my 70 mile ride my legs and lungs wanted to keep going! but those two areas shut me down.
I changed out my stem for a longer 110 mm which helped some, but very little. I had my bike professionally fit which was great for other areas, but still the same two pains. I watched some youtube videos on bike fitting and came to my own conclusion. All in the posture......... Apparently I had a few bad habits in which I would hunch my back too much. Which in turn (I am assuming) was putting more pressure on my hands and bars than I needed= shoulder pain. The only way I was able to totally determine this was looking at myself while riding. I set up my bike on a cycle ops (that I never use) and positioned myself in front of a big mirror. It was pretty clear what I was doing wrong immediately. For some reason I didn't totally grasp the posture thing until I actually watched myself.
Anyway, I have done several rides (only 30 miles so far) and I do not have an ounce of pain like I used to. But I have to consciously keep correcting my bad habits while riding, until it becomes normal to me. But I feel amazing. And stronger believe it or not. With the corrected posture I can tell that I am using my glutes alot more. Which are the strongest muscles for riding. I can't believe the difference.
Anyway this may not be the same for you but it's worth a shot. Check out this youtube link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_1M4HUKc6Q
I changed out my stem for a longer 110 mm which helped some, but very little. I had my bike professionally fit which was great for other areas, but still the same two pains. I watched some youtube videos on bike fitting and came to my own conclusion. All in the posture......... Apparently I had a few bad habits in which I would hunch my back too much. Which in turn (I am assuming) was putting more pressure on my hands and bars than I needed= shoulder pain. The only way I was able to totally determine this was looking at myself while riding. I set up my bike on a cycle ops (that I never use) and positioned myself in front of a big mirror. It was pretty clear what I was doing wrong immediately. For some reason I didn't totally grasp the posture thing until I actually watched myself.
Anyway, I have done several rides (only 30 miles so far) and I do not have an ounce of pain like I used to. But I have to consciously keep correcting my bad habits while riding, until it becomes normal to me. But I feel amazing. And stronger believe it or not. With the corrected posture I can tell that I am using my glutes alot more. Which are the strongest muscles for riding. I can't believe the difference.
Anyway this may not be the same for you but it's worth a shot. Check out this youtube link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_1M4HUKc6Q
Try sliding your saddle back a centimeter or so, and lowering it about half of that. A saddle that doesn't have enough setback induces you to hunch your back and carry too much weight on your hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders. Most riders sit too far forward, and when they can't reduce the upper-body stress they start purchasing short riser stems and gel-padded gloves and handlebar tape, which nevertheless fail to address the problem. Learning to sit on the bike with a straight back, shoulders high, chest expanded, head looking straight up the road, and torso bent forward from the hips, will help. So will massage and chiropractic therapy.
Saddle setback is a controversial area among fitters. Some cling to the old KOPS (knee over pedal spindle) rule, which is debunked by the example of countless professional cyclists. Steve Hogg, a premier fitter in Australia, moves you back until you can support your neutral hands-over-the-hoods position with no support from your hands. Peter White, a US custom framebuilder, and I arrive at generally the same territory by saying set the saddle so your center of gravity is over your feet, or the bottom bracket.
Once you get the saddle positioned, look for a stem and handlebar combination that give you enough extension without creating the sensation of crawling out of the back seat of a small car when you stand up to sprint or climb.
Saddle setback is a controversial area among fitters. Some cling to the old KOPS (knee over pedal spindle) rule, which is debunked by the example of countless professional cyclists. Steve Hogg, a premier fitter in Australia, moves you back until you can support your neutral hands-over-the-hoods position with no support from your hands. Peter White, a US custom framebuilder, and I arrive at generally the same territory by saying set the saddle so your center of gravity is over your feet, or the bottom bracket.
Once you get the saddle positioned, look for a stem and handlebar combination that give you enough extension without creating the sensation of crawling out of the back seat of a small car when you stand up to sprint or climb.
Using a gear that is too heavy can cause lower back pain also.
When resume training I sometimes experience lower back pain during a ride because I make the mistake of using a heavier gear than I should for my level of fitness at that point.
It seldom happens but when it does it's invariably because I'm using a heavier gear than should!
When resume training I sometimes experience lower back pain during a ride because I make the mistake of using a heavier gear than I should for my level of fitness at that point.
It seldom happens but when it does it's invariably because I'm using a heavier gear than should!
