I’m new to road cycling. I went to three different bike shops and after I told them what I wanted (a comfortable road bike) they all suggested a Cannondale Synapse 54cm frame (alloy). I borrowed one from LBS and rode it for an hour, with no problems. I’m 5’10 with 32-inch legs.

However I’ve been out on it twice, once for 30 miles, and once for 60 miles. My legs are great, but my neck and shoulders are extremely sore. Is it that I’m just not used to the position? Does it take a while to overcome this? Or is the bike set up wrong? The LBS, which sells Cevelo and other high-end stuff, seemed to know what they were doing when they fitted it to me. I didn’t have a pro-fit 3D job (which this LBS doesn’t offer), just basic advice and a 30-minute set up from the roadie in the place.

Have I wasted my cash? I enjoyed being out but neck and shoulder pain became too much. I’m not that old either!!

Help !!!

Thanks

MM

Wrong forum to ask such a question.

No one on here owns a road bike, or will admit to it 😉

Don’t grip the bars so hard. Typical MTBer problem, Trying to wrestle the bars of a roadbike.
Try sitting upright a bit more, and rest your hands on the bars.

yes it does take a while to adapt to the position, but tweaking the position may help, raise your bars a bit.

Fit is not rocket science, unlike what some will say, if your new to road bikes it will take time to find what works for you.

Give it a few more rides before you start changing things. It takes time to get used to it.

Relax, allow your shoulders to drop a bit. Don’t hog the drops. You will get used to it.

It will take a little while to get used to the position. Bar/hood angle can be tweaked, stems shortened etc but give it a few more rides first. I used to get a sore neck to but it went away after a while as I rode more, relaxed more and the muscles got used to it.

Are you riding on the drops, the hoods or the tops mainly? Try switching it up during the ride to keep your shoulders and neck from staying in the same position too long as well.

Just a thought – you’re not wearing ‘MTB’ or ‘normal’ glasses are you? I find the frames on my MTB glasses sit too low on my face for the road bike, so I have to lift my head higher up to be able to see the road under the top of the frame. Switching to a closer fitting pair where the frame doesn’t obstruct my view helped my neck.

I only have a flat-barred road bike so may not be much help, but…

I find MTB’ers tend to use their more upright position as an aid and use their bars as a support as much as a steering aid. Use your stomach muscles more, sit more upright and don’t rest all your upper body weight on your hands/bars.

Just an idea like.

When I started road riding my wrists ached like mad. At one point I couldn’t keep the same grip for more than five minutes without moving to the drops, hoods or tops. I wondered if the bike was too low at the front and ass up but it just went away after a few weeks. This may not be the case with you but I thought I’d add my two peneth worth.

You could be holding your head up too much, or hunching your shoulders. Relax your neck by looking down every now and again, and try and drop your shoulders.

I was going to ask the same question as militant, try without if you are.
Very deep drops?
Hoods too low?

I had a similar problem… a shorter stem solved the problem…

your body is just not used to it, but it will adapt as your flexibility improves. It took me nearly a year to get comfortable in the drops so let it take its time.

Also when your riding, try doing some stretches from time to time, stretch your neck and your back and when your on your bars try just placing the hands on the top with our gripping using the heel of your hand.

It will become easier

You aren’t wearing a peaked helmet are you? That will mean you have to raise your head slightly further.

It will get easier, but do try to remember that road bikes are not about an armchair comfortable ride, they are about going as quick as you can.

Another common one for MTBer’s new to the darkside is wearing your peaked MTB helmet and having to lift your head too far back to see without obstruction from the peak.

Don’t be afraid the waggle your head, neck and shoulders every now and again to keep things loose.

“You aren’t wearing a peaked helmet are you? That will mean you have to raise your head slightly further”
+1
if so, take the peak off

shorter higher stem! simples 😉

Firstly, make sure the fit is OK. There are plenty of Youtube videos about how to get road bike fit, you certainly don’t need the full on £££ pro roadie geometry checkover.

Change things gradually, small increments and try to only change one thing at a time so you know the effect it has.

Imperfections in fit show up far more on road bikes cos you’re in the same position for long periods of time unlike on MTBs where you change position much more and generally stop more, faff around, ride a bit, drop saddle etc. As mentioned abovce, most MTBers start off by being way too rigid on the bike. Try to relax, drop your shoulders, change from hoods to drops regularly and keep smooth on the bike.

Thanks for all the information. Most of the riding I think was on the hoods, a did try to vary the position a it but probaly 80% on the hoods.

Yes I wear a peaked MTB helmet and normal wrap around sun specs (not cycling specific) I think the hoods have damaged my shoulder and the drops my neck!!

Cheers

the outer tops of the bars will give you the same feel of stability but slightly less shoulder pressure – riding on the drops gives you the best leverage if you need it but quite a stretch

I spend most of the time on the tops – they should ideally be flat but you can play with the angle to get a position that is comfortable

if you are still struggling after perseverence, flipping the stem gives you some height that you can put back if needed

Yes I wear a peaked MTB helmet

burn him i say, burn him

aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Next, you’ll be telling me you dont shave your legs 👿

In the first instance, it will have been the peak on the helmet. Remove it immediately. If you get the same pain next time, flip the stem and ride on the hoods more and the drops less. Then increase on the drops and flip the stem back.

If you are young flexible and don’t have a whiplash injury then it was the peak forcing you to tilt your head even further back.