[Drez]

Hey guys, I notice that after some riding my back is almost always sore. Not like beginning of the season soreness where your just not used to using those muscles either. I just find when I get to clearing or straight stretches I need to flex back and sit right up and after longer rides it can be pretty uncomfortable the next day.

Is my set up maybe not right for me? Would putting seat up or down help? I have the seat so that my leg is just about fully extended w/ the petal down so max my down stroke which is thought was correct.
Would spacers on the handle bars help or ditching the riser bar help? Is it the frame maybe? I'm kinda boarderline for my frame, 21" and I'm 6' even. Any help would...well be a great help. I just can't imagine whatever it is should be happening nor that its good for my back

Thanks!

 

[rlouder]

You can try a couple different things. A shorter stem might help shorten the cockpit if you think it may be too long. A more upright riding position might help. Saddle position fore/aft, up/down, nose up/down.

I used to get a stiff back with my stock saddle. Changing the saddle to one with more padding helped me.

 

[bsieb]

Hey guys, I notice that after some riding my back is almost always sore. Not like beginning of the season soreness where your just not used to using those muscles either. I just find when I get to clearing or straight stretches I need to flex back and sit right up and after longer rides it can be pretty uncomfortable the next day.

Is my set up maybe not right for me? Would putting seat up or down help? I have the seat so that my leg is just about fully extended w/ the petal down so max my down stroke which is thought was correct.
Would spacers on the handle bars help or ditching the riser bar help? Is it the frame maybe? I'm kinda boarderline for my frame, 21" and I'm 6' even. Any help would...well be a great help. I just can't imagine whatever it is should be happening nor that its good for my back

Thanks!

Sometimes it's best to go to massage therapist and get your body symmetrical, I did that this year after noticing a little loss of range of motion in my neck and upper back. It prolly was a ski strain/injury from last winter. I plan to do this at the beginning of the biking season every spring, I'm really riding comfortable and strong this year.

Tip your seat back a little would be my other stab at it.

 

[Jeff in Bend]

I would look into mobility at the hips and core strength. You need to be able to bend at the hips and hold yourself up with your core while keeping your back flat and shoulders down and back. If your bent at the waist with a rounded back and your shoulders up by your ear this puts a lot of strain on your back.
Good Luck

 

[Bilirubin]

I would look into mobility at the hips and core strength. You need to be able to bend at the hips and hold yourself up with your core while keeping your back flat and shoulders down and back. If your bent at the waist with a rounded back and your shoulders up by your ear this puts a lot of strain on your back.
Good Luck

This. I had horrible lower back problems until the physio put me onto core exercises and hip stretches. Now, no issues *knocks wood*

 

[AndrwSwitch]

I think the two biggest things are core strength and having the right reach/drop to the handlebars. Normally I don't believe in messing with the saddle to do anything but get the right range of motion for the leg, but it sounds like yours might be a bit high. Your downstroke isn't the only part of pedaling - you also need to bring your leg back up, and those muscles work a little better if they start flexed.

If you have an experienced riding buddy, you should have him check out your form on the way to the trailhead. There are a lot of odd physical habits people have that are caused by bad bike fit, among other things, and can be glaringly obvious in person, or at least pretty apparent to someone paying attention. Things like having to point your feet or dip your hips to get to the bottom of your downstroke are common examples.

 

[wormvine]

Can poor a*s*s circulation cause your back to hurt on a ride?
My back kills sometimes on hard sustained climbs and my seat sucks. My body position seems to me to be pretty good. No extreme movements or awkward pedaling. Upper body is slightly angled to the bars. Arms are slightly bent when holding the bars.
I sometimes hop off my bike and walk at a fast pace to change the muscles used and it helps. Sometimes the pain will not come back after the walk or be a lot less of an issue.
I tried some core training and it didn't seem to help but I might not have done it aggressively enough. Might try some pilates exercises for a couple months next season.

 

[Blurr]

probably not drinking enough water.

 

[theMeat]

Another vote for core exercise. It worked for me

 

[Drez]

Thanks everyone.

I do some core exercises already but this does make some sense, I bet posture has a lot to do with it, this makes good sense to me:

If your bent at the waist with a rounded back and your shoulders up by your ear this puts a lot of strain on your back.

Probably need to be more aware of my posture riding and add some additional core exercises to that. I think I'll tweek saddle height and angle as well and see how it works

Thanks, will report back!

 

[Drez]

Update

UPDATE

So being more aware of my posture while riding over the last little while has really helped me figure out the problems and where to apply everyone's advice.

Simply being aware of my posture helped in it self as it allowed me to know when my back was rounded and straighten the back some but it didn't actually solve the root problems.

Adjusting the seat down a little helped some as well but also didn't solve the problem fully. The biggest difference I credit to sliding the seat back some and tilting it forward. Sliding it back allowed me to have the length I needed to have my back straight while still being relaxed. Tilting the seat forward allowed me to better transfer my weight and energy from the ride to my butt and seat rather than more forward in the horn area.

Hope that helps! Certainly has made for a much for comfortable and nature ride in my place.

 

[AndrwSwitch]

If it comes back, here's a good article about cycling posture.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/pain.html#posture