I did my first sportive today and, while it went pretty well for the most part, no crashes/mechanicals/heart attacks etc, and a time within the bracket I was expecting, I was plagued from about two hours in by a band of pain right across my lower back just above the waist. I also had a really stiff and sore neck.

Whilst getting a bit of relief from these was a simple matter of getting off the bike, trying to straighten myself out and walking around for a bit, this obviously affects your times.

I was wondering which particular part of my bike set up I should be paying particular attention to, to avoid it in future. Or should I just have a healthy portion of MTFU and accept that aches and pains are just part of the roadie experience? I don’t get it on the short 1-2 hour road rides I usually do, nor on either of my mountain bikes.

Doing anything for longer than you are used to will cause you pain or discomfort. Ride longer, get used to the position rather than looking to change things straight away.

you need to ride for longer more often, to adapt, or raise your bars to take the strain off your back.

The neck pain is basically your muscles getting tired from holding your head back.

If you’re new to long road rides then your body and certain muscle groups are going to need to develop a bit.
I would recommend:
1. Core and flexibility work – yoga or get a personal trainer or physio to give you a routine. Core will support your upper body and also help your power
2. Get a bike fit session – make sure it’s all set up ok

I too suffered pain on the road bike but it kicked in after 50 mins.
Fixes for me have been riding position (proper fitting), chiropractor, stretches & back strengthening exercises.
The bike fitting directed me to shorter cranks, avoid layback seatposts and raise the bars.

I had this. My back *seems* to be adapting now – I did the Fred Whitton last weekend (my first sportive, too), and my back was fine. I did suffer with a stiff neck for about 6 hours, though. Try some occasional sports massage.

Get a roadie helmet or at least take the peak off your existing one.

Get a bike fit done.

Get a sport massage or two.

I occasionally get this. I take Ibruprofen to nullify the pains but developing your core strength is the long term solution as well as fine tuning your seating position

as with previous posts

lower back pain=saddle too high. easy to fix.

stiff neck=handlebars too low/ too far away. couple of suggestions…an angle adjustable stem and/ or ‘delta’ handlebar raising, er gizmo.

best left to lbs to do this work as they will determine if the two items above are ok to use with (i guess?) carbon fibre forks.

best of luck.

coughrecumbentcough 🙂

lower back pain=saddle too high. easy to fix.
stiff neck=handlebars too low/ too far away.
couple of suggestions…an angle adjustable stem
and/ or ‘delta’ handlebar raising, er gizmo.

sorry but those are both possible explanations but far from definitive.

lower back pain can be from not being used to the distance, inadequate core stability, pushing too big gears or countless other things

sore neck can be simply not being used to the time spent in that position rather than the position being fundamentally wrong. When I cycled lots I never got neck pain. now that I ride less, I really notice my neck getting sore after a couple of hours on my road bike.

shortcut – Member

Get a roadie helmet or at least take the peak off your existing one.

Get a bike fit done.

Get a sport massage or two.

I was wondering about roadie helmets, whether they’re angled differently at the front. I use a Giro E2, always with the peak off.

The other possible source of neck stiffness I was wondering about was my shades sliding down the sweat on my nose, forcing me into a Victor Meldrew style squinting-over-the-tops-of-the-glasses posture, which couldn’t have helped. Might try and get some specs with no frames at all.

I refer you to rule 5

😀

lower back pain=saddle too high. easy to fix.

go and see a professional bikefitter/physio who knows what they are doing and not arbitrary anecdotal theorising over the internet.

if you are london/se based i recommend crystal palace sports clinic. (both physio and bikefitters)

Cyclefit

I recently went to a retul bike fit. Any lower back pain is caused by tight muscles.

Stretch your quads, hamstrings and glutes – And do core exercises.
Oh and look at your pelvis positioning. Does you’re back have a curve? As in when your riding do you slump? Straighten it by rolling your pelvis forward. Plus you’ll be able to activate your gluteals which will give you more power.

Id recommended a proper bike bit.

I remember watching a TV programme about a bloke who cycled across America and his support crew had to zip tie a plank to his helmet and shoulders to hold his head up.

Janesy – Member
I recently went to a retul bike fit. Any lower back pain is caused by tight muscles

Sorry but that’s just not true. It can be caused by that but it can be caused by other things (as I mentioned above). Bike fit is important but is only part of the solution. You can be as flexible as you like but certain things can still cause lower back pain.

Riding style can have a huge effect. Looking at many fairly new to cycling roadies, it’s clear that they haven’t yet learnt to spin. Some push horribly big gears. Some twist their bodies all over the bike with every pedal stroke. Some sit at an angle to the bike. All of these things and many others can lead to lower back pain even if the fit is theoretically perfect.

Bike fit and comfort problems on bikes are far more complex than the many of the simplistic solutions being mentioned. You can very rarely state that problem X is always caused by Y.

as i stated on another thread, there is no such thing as “correct” bike fit, there is only a fit you find comfortable for the purpose you intend to use the bike.

The position most could adopt for a 10mile tt is far more extreme than that most could put up with for RAAM or Jogle. Does this mean that either position is right for all cases of course not.

There are few shortcuts in cycling, you want to get fit ride a bike, you want to get more skillful ride a bike, you want to get more comfortable on a bike, then ride it. Adjust it a little at a time, understand what aches and what does not, work with the bike and your body to find what works for what you are trying to do.

I used to suffer with this a lot. Never bothered me on the mountain bike but couldnt do more than two hours on the road. Two small changes made a huge difference. Took the peak off my helmet and fitted a shorter stem with a higher rise (17 degree) Worked for me and cost very little.

Do you death grip the bars?
If so that’ll contribute to quite a lot of aches and pains, learn to be relaxed.

Lower Back Pain:
– Check bike fit, saddle height, bar height etc.
– Stretch regularly, particularly hamstrings: tight hamstrings will pull your pelvis back, making you curve your back further.
– Pedal easier gears: When pushing hard gears your back is the resistance so will get very tired after a while.
– Stretch whilst on the bike so you don’t sit in one position for hours on end: stand up and forward regularly whilst coasting.
– Build up your core strength (planks etc.)
– Reduce weight of any backpack.
– Try to keep a straight back, tilt your pelvis forward for this.
– Ibuprofen is an effective treatment but it’s not really a solution and not good for your kidneys if taken whilst dehydrated.

Neck Pain:
– Don’t tilt your head up! Keep your head / neck in line with your body, not bent up. Look forward / up with your eyes, not your head.
– If you can’t see up the road without lifting your head, tilt your lid back or remove the peak.
– Stretch your neck regularly and shrug your shoulders around whilst riding.
– A lighter helmet might help too.

clubber knows what he’s talking about

as does brooess 😉

Jimification +1