Back Pain

kennyb3

First ever week cycling, have done 1 x 20k, 1x 30k and 1x35k spins. each time particularly on the longest one i had a pretty sore back, uncomfortable without being painful. felt like i needed to stretch it out. get off the bike after, stretch and im grand

is this just a case of getting use to my first road bike or should i have my position looked at?

also any tips on how to position myself without spebding the 70 or euro it might cost. would like to try get it right myself first like.

thanks

Acoustic

brian its just a matter of getting used to it , like ur arse is sore on the saddle after a few spins it doesnt hurt , i did a 33k spin thursday and was like an old man getting off the bike

its all good

kennyb3

thanks, really hoped it was just a case of getting use to it. after getting running injuries (esp my achilles problem) im super cautious and careful to sort things out asap rather than let them go. thats some bike you have now!!!

Acoustic

yeah its around €2000 mark

just finished it today

biggish spin in the evening

im in the shop all day tommorow

kennyb3

think im going to try get 50 to 60km tomorrow but at a slower pace and just try enjoy the weather. you better put that bike to serious use now!!

Acoustic

well thats the plan

feels great

nice and light

Lumen

The biggest mistake when starting out is pushing too hard. Take it easy and let your body adapt, rest lots and stretch lots.

However, a few basic things to check with bike fit: saddle position, seat height, handlebar orientation, reach, torso angle, wrist angles, ranges of motion.

First, saddle. Check that your saddle is level (easiest using a spirit level) and in a neutral position (i.e. middle of the rails). If your saddle rises up at the back, just worry about the front and middle section being horizontal.

Next, seat height. Arrange it so that you can pedal in your shoes with your heels, just about locking out the knees, without rocking your hips. When you position your feet properly (balls of feet over pedals spindle, approximately) the extra knee bend should keep you comfortable. If you have accurately measured your inseam height, use this table as a guide.

For handlebar orientation, check that your brake levers/shifters are vertical, and that the bottom part of your drops are on a line which bisects your seat stays. This should give you comfortable wrist angles in the drops.

Then get a mirror, positioned so you can see yourself sideways on the bike. Wear tight fitting clothes or just shorts.

Put your hands in the furthest parts of the drops (e.g. using the brake levers) and bend at the hips to make your forearms horizontal. Your elbow should be at 90 degrees if you have the reach (distance to bars) set up correctly. If the reach is wrong you can fix it temporarily by shifting the saddle back or forwards, but this will alter other things (hip angles, balance etc). It's better to start with the saddle position (further back is better for most people when starting out) and change the stem length, but that involves buying stuff so don't rush in just yet.

Then put your hands on the hoods and check that your back has a natural curve all the way up. It shouldn't be arched like a cat, but with just enough bend to absorb bumps. Look at your torso angle (the angle of your torso to the horizontal). 45 degrees is good for comfort, 25 degrees or less for racing. To increase your torso angle, raise the bars by flipping the stem or using headset spacers. If you have back pain, don't go the other way!

Then, check your wrist angles on the hoods. This isn't relevant to back pain, but you may as well think about it now. Your wrist angles should be natural as your bend at the hip. If you feel stress in your wrists, attempt to get the top part of the bars (before the hoods) more flat and horizontal. I used some spare bar tape to add padding under the existing tape just before the hoods.

Next, check range of motion of your head, arms, and back. None of your body parts should be at the ends of their respective ranges of motion. E.g. you should be able to look up from the horizontal, arch your back more or less, bend at the hips more or less, move your shoulders back and forwards etc.

Hope that helps.

edit: and whilst riding, get out of the saddle to stretch from time to time and keep your cadence up. High cadence = less torque that gets transmitted through your back.

kennyb3

thanks a million for putting the effort into that reply will check all them things out! think the last point could be quite important, riding most of the time on the big front and second or third hardest gear (lower ones on the back) so maybe thats alot of it. trying to push big gears too early, i just find it alot easier to go faster getting those around altho its tough

davgtrek

back pain is not normal and i would not think its something that u need to wear into. google bike fit and the previous post will help. don't underestimate the scientific/geometry side to cycling. get a fairly decent body position. also google or search forums for "cadence" ( the speed your feet go round ) read up on that. I found the saddle height rule to have a bend of almost 30 degrees in your leg when the pedal is at its lowest.
too straight in the leg will be harder on your muscles. too much harder on knees.

also other poster is right. you cant go fromzero to hero on the bike. take handy spins but concentrate on a nice cadence.
also pro cyclists for years have based a lot of their training on physical science such as heart rates, whilst other sports thought that puking your guts up in a heavy training session was good for you.

google heart rate zones and cardio vasculor exercise. even buy a cheap heart rate monitor for your first year of cycling.

with all that going on you'll progress your fitness miles faster and more comfortably that many other born again bikers.

littleknown

Lumen wrote: »

The biggest mistake when starting out is pushing too hard. Take it easy and let your body adapt, rest lots and stretch lots.

However, a few basic things to check with bike fit: saddle position, seat height, handlebar orientation, reach, torso angle, wrist angles, ranges of motion.

First, saddle. Check that your saddle is level (easiest using a spirit level) and in a neutral position (i.e. middle of the rails). If your saddle rises up at the back, just worry about the front and middle section being horizontal.

Next, seat height. Arrange it so that you can pedal in your shoes with your heels, just about locking out the knees, without rocking your hips. When you position your feet properly (balls of feet over pedals spindle, approximately) the extra knee bend should keep you comfortable. If you have accurately measured your inseam height, use this table as a guide.

For handlebar orientation, check that your brake levers/shifters are vertical, and that the bottom part of your drops are on a line which bisects your seat stays. This should give you comfortable wrist angles in the drops.

Then get a mirror, positioned so you can see yourself sideways on the bike. Wear tight fitting clothes or just shorts.

Put your hands in the furthest parts of the drops (e.g. using the brake levers) and bend at the hips to make your forearms horizontal. Your elbow should be at 90 degrees if you have the reach (distance to bars) set up correctly. If the reach is wrong you can fix it temporarily by shifting the saddle back or forwards, but this will alter other things (hip angles, balance etc). It's better to start with the saddle position (further back is better for most people when starting out) and change the stem length, but that involves buying stuff so don't rush in just yet.

Then put your hands on the hoods and check that your back has a natural curve all the way up. It shouldn't be arched like a cat, but with just enough bend to absorb bumps. Look at your torso angle (the angle of your torso to the horizontal). 45 degrees is good for comfort, 25 degrees or less for racing. To increase your torso angle, raise the bars by flipping the stem or using headset spacers. If you have back pain, don't go the other way!

Then, check your wrist angles on the hoods. This isn't relevant to back pain, but you may as well think about it now. Your wrist angles should be natural as your bend at the hip. If you feel stress in your wrists, attempt to get the top part of the bars (before the hoods) more flat and horizontal. I used some spare bar tape to add padding under the existing tape just before the hoods.

Next, check range of motion of your head, arms, and back. None of your body parts should be at the ends of their respective ranges of motion. E.g. you should be able to look up from the horizontal, arch your back more or less, bend at the hips more or less, move your shoulders back and forwards etc.

Hope that helps.

edit: and whilst riding, get out of the saddle to stretch from time to time and keep your cadence up. High cadence = less torque that gets transmitted through your back.

Lumen, this is very useful. any chance you could back it up with a photo of a correctly setup bike?
thanks

Lumen

littleknown wrote: »

Lumen, this is very useful. any chance you could back it up with a photo of a correctly setup bike?
thanks

Junior

Lumen wrote: »

He said a correctly setup bike, I can't see any bike there !