Just starting to ride properly after a few months off after a ruptured Achilles.

Fitness is getting there in my legs but getting a fair bit of back pain.

Is this a setup thing, fitness thing or just need to ride more?

Could be lots of things including riding position but I believe it could also be a symptom of tight hamstrings. Fairly common in cyclists. A bit of stretching should help.

Are your bars too low? Although if you’re happy with where your controls are then you’ll probably have to work on core strength.

Don’t think it’s a setup thing. Happens on hardtail which is much more upright.

Tight hip flexors and weak glutes. Get yourself a kettle bell and start swinging.

I used to have lower back pain. Now I can ride for hours and never get any pain.

You might also want to work on your core too.

get yourself on a foam roller !

This guy for me, 18 years of back pain and his stuff was a revelation

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4BOTvaRaDjI

Are you moving properly after your injury? When you ruptured your achilles you probably took to doing some “interesting” movement patterns to allow you to get around. It may well be that which is causing your issues. You may benefit from a visit to a physio. Your local NHS clinic may well do an ankle class. Your GP or physio if you’ve been seeing one will be able to refer you to it.

I’d be ruling out wonky walking before ruling anything else in.

I have had this often over the years. This year I’ve had a sustained summer of riding the same trails (Swinley) on a fully rigid bike, which involves a lot of standing up. As I got fitter and stronger, the back pain went away.

For me, it’s definitely a fitness thing.

Did you have surgery on the Achilles?
I tore mine and had surgery and was in plaster for 7 weeks. After that the arch had collapsed in my foot and my hips were all crooked f rom walking on crutches with leg in plaster. I was suffering a lot of lower back aches and pains
After the cast was off I went to see an osteopath and he gave me some manipulation.
I had some pretty basic phsyio. Started cycling VERY gently. The risk of re-rupture is high after surgery.
As time went on things improved.
But I always woke up with a “tight” feeling in my leg most likely due to the overlap procure of surgery. This is 5 or 6 years latter!
After a few more injuries broken collar bone, a few cracked ribs etc I needed to try something to ease the aches and pains.

So…., I started doing yoga, and one day realised that the tight feeling iny leg had gone. Things feel generally better with posture and awareness of poor posture.
Take it gently don’t push too hard. Get some proper phsyio and start some gentle stretching of the back.

This was made with you in mind.

http://www.yoga15a-short-yoga-routine-to-fix-lower-back-pain-in-bikers

I get dull ache in the lower back. It is especially worse on singletrack such as Cragg Quarry.

I found the solution is to do group rides with frequent stops. If I go on a ride that has lots of stops, I don’t get back ache. It is only riding continuous that does it.

I even managed to get round the Mary Townley Loop by stopping a lot, and the back pain was not there for the majority of the ride.

My back pain is worse if I try and ride as fast as I can. If I just tried to do a lap of Cragg Quarry in 20-25 minutes my lower back would be killing.

I don’t know what it is, it’s really frustrating but it doesn’t stop me from riding altogether provided I take breaks. It just prevents me from doing a certain type of riding. i.e. fast pace.

Hi Bushy i cant open that link

The video ..works very well.

I find static exercises very boring which is why I ride in the first place… If it takes these to get rid of my back ache it looks like I’ll never get rid of it completely… I’ll just have to continue to ride slower or take frequent breaks to prevent the onset of it… Until electric mountain bikes come down in price.

Already under the physio at hospital, might tap him up for some advice, he is a cyclist himself. I did have surgery but don’t have too many issues with walking although don’t have the dorsiflexion to run yet.

I think the general consensus seems to be get out and ride more and exercise more.

Was afraid that would be the answer. Most frustrating part is that my legs could keep going for much longer than my back can.

+1 on the video joelowden links too . I was suffering badly with lower back pain after 30-40 mins of cycling. I know do that routine once or twice and week and it’s gone. It feels really good afterwards!

grannyjone – Member
I find static exercises very boring which is why I ride in the first place… If it takes these to get rid of my back ache it looks like I’ll never get rid of it completely… I’ll just have to continue to ride slower or take frequent breaks to prevent the onset of it… Until electric mountain bikes come down in price.

Get a grip man. 15minutes a day while the kettle is boiling and you can ride your bike pain free ish.

I suffered with lower back pain on and off for about 20 years which I now understand was combination of a relatively weak core and tight hamstrings
I took up yoga last year and within a few weeks the back pain had gone and hasn’t been back since. My bike riding has seen a massive improvement too.
I’m lucky to have a yoga studio 5 minutes walk away and there’s the added bonus of usually being the only man in a room full of lovely women…..

I despair when I hear people suffering from back pain when I know a tiny bit of effort can make it go away.

Core work sunshine!

Start doing regular core exercises. Any you mentioned that your hardtail cockpit was upright. Believe it or not this can cause more lower back pain than a stretched out position.

My bike used to give me unbelievable lower back grief when I used to have a stretched out position *and* carried everything on my back in a large camelbak. I bought a new stem which was shorter and raised. It has allowed me to ride upright and a lot more before the back ache kicks in.

To do mountain biking back pain free I have to:
1) Use the raised / shorter stem
2) Take frequent stops/breaks. On group rides these are inevitable so the back pain only ever comes on when I ride alone. One of the reasons I don’t ride solo as much any more.
3) Don’t ride at full effort too often.
4) Don’t carry a camelbak on short rides, instead I use bottles & under-saddle bag. On longer rides the camelbak has to be used but I keep it as light as possible and everything that is in it is consumable so it weighs hardly anything by mid-late ride.

My job forces me to sit down a lot sometimes for more than a total of 7 hours in a day so lower back grief is inevitable.

Someone told me that doing more ‘standing pedalling’ will improve core strength which helps with back ache so I’ve started incorporating more standing pedalling into my rides.

Get a grip man. 15minutes a day while the kettle is boiling and you can ride your bike pain free ish.

Crikey! I think you need a new kettle!

My lower back has been tight for years. Tried all sorts … Stretches don’t touch it. Just can’t make it relax so reading this thread with interest.

And being a bit controversial I’ve not had much success with core exercises either.

I’ll go with the hamstring related job due to your achilles injury. I broke my ankle a few years ago and as a result the hamstring in the same leg is immensely tight. It’d be worth stretching your hamstrings religously a few times a day or do as numbnut suggests, it’s the same scenario with me and kettlecise!

Core exercises; what a load of bollox. Did you read about it in Mens Health magazine????

If you need a strong core to sit on your bike, it suggests to me you aren’t sitting on it properly to start with!