[coling]

Not that knew to biking, and not trying to sound like a wuss, but lately during climbs I've been getting a soreness/tightness through the duration. I like to believe I have pretty good technique, but all the stress of the climb seems to end up in my lower back.

any tips? is it just not enough leg strength so my core is taking the pain?

 

[70sSanO]

Is it a muscle pain?

If not, could it be sciatica?

John

 

[ser jameson]

any tips? is it just not enough leg strength so my core is taking the pain?

More likely, it's lack of core strength, and flexibility. These are by far the most common reason cyclist suffer from back pain.

 

[zebrahum]

It's possible it could be position on the bike but most likely it's just a strength issue.

 

[mimi1885]

Being out of shape sucks, throw in a few sets of sit ups and core exercise and in a few weeks you'd be just tired but not hurt

 

[Triaxtremec]

try adjusting your seatpost up or down just a little. If it is set to short or to long it will cause lower back pains. If that doesn't work you may need to change your stem length.

 

[AndrwSwitch]

My back gets pissed off at me if my fit's off. Try putting your bars higher. Try putting them lower.

Definitely also do core work. No matter how good your fit is, when you challenge yourself, something's going to give.

 

[Max24]

Not that knew to biking, and not trying to sound like a wuss, but lately during climbs I've been getting a soreness/tightness through the duration. I like to believe I have pretty good technique, but all the stress of the climb seems to end up in my lower back.

any tips? is it just not enough leg strength so my core is taking the pain?

You probably need strengthen your lower back and legs. Try doing some kettlebell swing exercises. It really helped me.

 

[coling]

thanks a bunch everyone, all tips have been noted. I've decided to use a Groupon and get cheap hot yoga classes for a month. My gf told me they really improve core strength and flexibility.

We'll see?

 

[AndrwSwitch]

LOL, you're going to have Bad Yoga Posture. But, if you add some core work, it won't hurt.

Good core strength really does only take six minutes a day. It's just that doing crunches for six minutes feels like a lot and you have to actually do them.

My current routine is 30 basic crunches, 30 with my knees flopped over to one side, then the other, 30 double crunches, and 40 back extensions. I've been doing that on and off for ages. Seems to help when I'm being "good."

 

[catsruletn]

Good luck with the hot yoga...I tried it once and will never do it again. ever. I love regular yoga but that hot business just sucks plain and simple.

About your back yes yoga will help I believe if you do it right...do it wrong and it will get worse. Core strength is vital. The stronger the better. Also what helps me is, when I am climbing, alternating sitting and standing up. Just gives my back a break from being stuck in the same position all the time.

 

[Saul Lumikko]

One thing I found to hurt my back was that the saddle was tilted back too much: it caused me to slip back and I compensated by pulling on the bars. It's a significant and unnecessary stress for the lower back and can be eliminated by adjusting the saddle position and yaw.

Excercise is good, but don't use it to hide possible problems with bike fit. To improve maximum strength you'll want to make fewer reps at higher loads, but as with everything: start easy to avoid injury.

 

[dfrink]

This is great advice! I work my core a couple times a week and it helps with the lower back pain a lot. Lots of people don't realize how imporant core strength is.

LOL, you're going to have Bad Yoga Posture. But, if you add some core work, it won't hurt.

Good core strength really does only take six minutes a day. It's just that doing crunches for six minutes feels like a lot and you have to actually do them.

My current routine is 30 basic crunches, 30 with my knees flopped over to one side, then the other, 30 double crunches, and 40 back extensions. I've been doing that on and off for ages. Seems to help when I'm being "good."

 

[Tracer650]

Probably related more to your fit then your core strenght. Try a shorter or higher rise stem and/or pushing the saddle forward on the rails.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[jeffj]

Probably related more to your fit then your core strenght. Try a shorter or higher rise stem and/or pushing the saddle forward on the rails.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

This made a big difference for me. 1/4" was all it took.

I was going to ask that you post a pic of your bike from the side so we could see what your setup looks like. Sometimes that can be very helpful.