Road bike - why does it hurt so much?

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Road bike - why does it hurt so much?

50 posts & 30 voices | Started 1 year ago by ChrisS | Latest reply from tonyg2003

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ChrisS - Member

I bought a Planet-X road bike about six months ago and hardly ride it at all, for some reason it seems to be the most uncomfortable bike I've ever owned

After about 45 mins my hands go numb, then my neck starts aching and finally my back starts aching. I can't manage more than about 90 mins before I have to take a break. It must be something about the riding position but I can't work out what.

The frame is the correct size for my height (6ft1, large frame, 100mm stem) and I've played around raising the bars, moving the saddle forward and fitting a different set of bars but to no avail.

Anyone got any suggestions for things to try? I don't seem to have this problem with mtbs but then I guess I move around a lot more on them, I keep reading accounts of people enjoying long road rides and I'm getting jealous!

Posted 1 year ago #
grumm - Member

Roadies enjoy the pain. It's their culture.

Posted 1 year ago #
hels - Member

Get a proper bike fitting done. Cost £30 when I had it done a few years ago, but thats way cheaper than physio.

Posted 1 year ago #
qcamel - Member

I have just cycled 310 miles along the French Riviera in 3 and a half days on a road bike and confirm they are the plaything of the devil himself. Numb hands, numb finger and a bit of Achilles pain for my trouble....Fast they may be but god are they dull.....

Posted 1 year ago #
ChrisS - Member

Hmmmm, bike fittings, always seems like a bit of a contentious subject; different methodologies, lots of folklore etc..

Posted 1 year ago #
shortcut - Member

As you say you move more on a mountain bike.

Take the peak off your helmet - holding your head up at that angle is hard so look up more rather than holding your head up.

On a mountain bike you will find most people who ride in groups take a small break at the top of each climb / singletrack etc. this is much more than you would do on a road bike.

Just take some time to get used to riding it and let yourself have those breaks initially.

Move your hands around on the bars and change position lots.

HTH

Posted 1 year ago #
scaredypants - Member

have you ever been comfy on a road bike ? - is this specific to that bike, or just new to roadie posture

I don't ride my road bike for more than about 90m-2hr at a stretch. Reckon I'd get sore if I did. On the drops, in particular, is quite a stretch for me

Posted 1 year ago #
iamsporticus - Member

Ive been a roadie for 3y after many more on MTBs

My experience is just like yours

It was hell and I wondered how anyone could enjoy it

My prob was I had biased the riding position to be "MTB like" if you know what I mean
Arse and weight as far back as poss

Muchos tinkering and a 120mm stem has cured it

3y ago - max ride 30 mins
Yesterday 110km with no bad back

Keep at it
Fit is everything

Posted 1 year ago #
drofluf - Member

Numb hands suggests that you're putting too much weight on your hands, try to support your weight more with your back if that makes sense?

Posted 1 year ago #
thomthumb - Member

Hmmmm, bike fittings, always seems like a bit of a contentious subject; different methodologies, lots of folklore etc.

whilst i agree they know better than you.

best £60 i spent.

where are you based? i know a very good bike fit in southampton.

as for hands try some better bar tape; a lot of bikes ship with cheap stuff.

also could be core strength.

Posted 1 year ago #
crazy-legs - Member

Get a proper fitting from a good roadie shop.
Or failing that at least seek some advice from someone who knows about such things (LBS, cycle club etc). There's loads of good articles online as well although about a million different methods and measurements that various people swear by.

On a MTB it doesn't really matter hence why people raise and lower their saddle, adjust forks etc. On a road bike position is vital since you're pretty much stuck with it.

From the sound of it you've got too much weight on your hands if they're the first things to go numb. Use the advice as a guideline, don't go trying to replicate the position that the pros use, you're not a pro! Also, do some stretching, I'll bet that part of it is simply that you're not used to being in such a position for extended periods of time. MTBers are renowned for stopping at every gate and the top and bottom of every hill so you never get used to being in one position and just riding.

Posted 1 year ago #
ChrisS - Member

Never had a "proper" road bike before so nothing to compare with. I wondered whether the numb hands was due to too much weight on my hands which was why I raised the bars as much as I could and moved the saddle forwards. Mind you iamsporticus seems to be suggesting the reverse?

Posted 1 year ago #
davidtaylforth - Member

I find im comfier on the road bike than the mtb.

A technique I read was put your hands where you would normally on the bars and sit on the saddle in your regular position. Look down on the front wheel.

If the front hub appears below the bars then your bike is too long.

If it appears above trhe bars then its too short.

If its obscured by the bars then its the right length.

Posted 1 year ago #
ChrisS - Member

Or failing that at least seek some advice from someone who knows about such things (LBS, cycle club etc). There's loads of good articles online as well although about a million different methods and measurements that various people swear by.

Not to keen on taking my cheap mail order road bike into the local roadie shop for advice, feels a bit too cheeky really. I thought I'd start by asking on here in case there were people who knew about such things. The lack of consensus over methods and measurements seems a bit odd.

Posted 1 year ago #
molgrips - Member

Took me about 2 years to get my road bike sorted. Including several stems, different shaped bars, loads of different saddle angles and STI lever positions. I'm a dab hand with grip tape now, let me tell you.

Posted 1 year ago #
john_l - Member

100mm stem on a large frame like that sounds way too short, maybe you actually need to get a bit longer & lower to stretch out a bit more.

But yeah, well worth getting fitted as at the moment it's clearly not right.

Posted 1 year ago #
bazzer - Member

Hmm I am 5'11 and have a large Planet X SL. Once I dumped the rucksack I have found it surprisinly comfortable. My backside aches after a while but thats about it.

I did a 70mile ride last Saturday and I am doing the Wiggle New Forest 100 this Sunday. I expect it will be a little uncomfortable after that

thomthumb, who do you recomend for bike fitting in Southampton ?

Bazzer

Posted 1 year ago #
ChrisHeath - Member

Ditto for the bike fit.

Failing that, a large dose of Toughen The **** Up should sort you out.

Posted 1 year ago #
_tom_ - Member

I still get numb/achey palms after a few weeks of riding a road bike every day. Think it's just one of those things!

Posted 1 year ago #
thomthumb - Member

The lack of consensus over methods and measurements seems a bit odd.

flexibility has a lot to do with it.

imagine you have you bike fitted today and it fits perfectly.

now imagine that everything stays the same but you get tight hamstrings now it doesn't fit.

EDIT; carlton road clinic

Posted 1 year ago #
I_did_dab - Member

It could be hurting because you are weak. Or more politely, the core muscles that support your head, shoulders and back are under developed for the position you are in on the road bike.
Pilates/core exercises plus a few 100 miles in the saddle should sort you out...

Posted 1 year ago #
molgrips - Member

I've found lowering the saddle a bit great for lower back aches. I have it somewhat lower than I'd ever consider it a few years ago, and it's working wonders.

Numb hands = too much weight on them = bars too low...?

Posted 1 year ago #
hels - Member

OK continue to suffer if you want.

I had a bike fitting when I got a new bike to train for endurance road races. 8-10 hour type things. Never had any problems on that bike. It is a Principia and used their patented system, you get measured and they send it all in to the computer boffins who come back with all the right saddle angles etc.

But maybe I was just lucky.

Posted 1 year ago #
ChrisS - Member

Failing that, a large dose of Toughen The **** Up should sort you out.

Not much use when I can't use my hands to change gear, unwrap food or grip the bars.

Don't live anywhere near Southampton.

Posted 1 year ago #
tonyd - Member

+1 for a fitting.

Sounds to me like you're too stretched out. As already mentioned numb hands suggests too much weight on the front, I'd try a shorter stem or saddle forwards (but watch you don't affect your pedal stroke) and/or raise the bars (sounds like you tried that).

Stiff neck is because you're lifting your head too much, again remove the peak from your helmet if you didn't already. Raising the bars should help with this. Are you riding on the drops all the time or hoods?

Aching back is possibly saddle position (tilt) but could be down to a bad riding position trying to take the pain away from other areas!

Of course if you're new to road riding then it could just be that your body needs to get used to the new riding position. If you're new to it then I'd go for a few 20ish mile rides and take tools with you. Take plenty of breaks and adjust your position until it feels more comfortable, try to change just one thing at a time.

If you still can't get comfy then think about a fitting, new stem etc.

Alternatively MTFU and get used to it

Posted 1 year ago #
ahwiles - Member

had a road bike 'fitting' - which suggested i ride a 58cm frame, with a 120mm stem.

The thing was an absolute gate, truly massive. i'm 185cm / 6'2". i could barely reach the handlebars. twas horrible. ended up with a 54cm frame and nice 90mm stem, it's very comfy.

anyway, there about 3 different places to put your hands on roadie bike handlebars, you're not trying to spend all day in the 'drops' are you?

edit: bugger, tony's faster than me.

Posted 1 year ago #
ChrisS - Member

Hadn't thought of removing my helmet peak - good idea.

Riding on the hoods most of the time. Stem is as high as it will go and flipped up so 6 deg positive rise, saddle is nearly as far forward as it will go.

Sounds like I need to try a fitting. Not sure I'll ever ride road often enough to just adapt naturally.

Posted 1 year ago #
thomthumb - Member

Don't live anywhere near Southampton.

scunthorpe?

Posted 1 year ago #
hels - Member

You ride on the road with a peak on your helmet ?? The horror !! Do the other roadies throw stuff at you ??

Posted 1 year ago #
crazy-legs - Member

Numb hands is a strange one. The instinctive reaction is to raise the bars but actually what you need to do is train the lower back to support the weight.

Set the bike up on a turbo trainer so it's level and sit there in normal riding clothing and your usual position. Now take your hands off the bars but keep your upper body in the same position using your lower back and core muscles to hold it. Bizarrely it's often easier to do this with a longer and/or lower position...

By the way this assumes that the saddle is already in the correct position...
Something like this:

Posted 1 year ago #
uplink - Member

had a road bike 'fitting' - which suggested i ride a 58cm frame, with a 120mm stem.

The thing was an absolute gate, truly massive. i'm 185cm / 6'2". i could barely reach the handlebars. twas horrible. ended up with a 54cm frame and nice 90mm stem, it's very comfy.

are you not mixing up compact & standard frames there?

Posted 1 year ago #
ChrisS - Member

You ride on the road with a peak on your helmet ?? The horror !! Do the other roadies throw stuff at you ??

Posted 1 year ago #
ahwiles - Member

uplink - Member
are you not mixing up compact & standard frames there?

i haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, i suggest you ask the shop where i had the fitting.

they wanted me on the 58cm frame - it was the biggest bike i've ever seen. they told me it was perfect. i told them i didn't care, and asked to try one substantially smaller.

Posted 1 year ago #
Gee-Jay - Member

Roll your shoulders & move your head/neck around at regular intervals.

Above it is said that on MTB rides people move around more & stop briefly at intervals. On a road bike you can tend to lock into one position and remembering to move your upper body around a bit every so often makes a huge difference

Posted 1 year ago #
uplink - Member

You ride on the road with a peak on your helmet ?? The horror !! Do the other roadies throw stuff at you ??

Posted 1 year ago #

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