Hello,

I’ve had quite bad upper back pain for around 2-3 months now that has included one serious spasm when I went for a run. Aside from medical advice, I have been wondering if it is because the size of my bike is wrong. I visited one bike shop who suggested to me that the distance between my saddle and handlebars was too short, and gave me a longer stem. However, the difference was slight and it didn’t feel right. In fact, it felt like I was more crouched than before. So I went back, and now I have an adjustable stem to raise the handlebars a little bit, and if it doesn’t work, bring it back down.

Please could someone have a look at the picture of me below on my bike and let me know what they think. This is with the adjustable stem on so the handlebars are marginally higher than normal. The bike is 19″ frame and I am 5ft11-6ft.

Any advice would be really appreciated as I’m struggling and due to depart on a 700km tour in just over a week.

Thanks!

Photo on bike

Anyone?

I would think your position is a typical utility leisure position in that it’s upright for steady pootling. If your 700 km journey will be at that steady pace it should be fine. However if you have been riding faster or with more aggression it may have caused some tension in your upper back, the reason why bikes for faster riding are longer to give a stretched position. Maybe see a physiotherapist to get the muscles calmed down.

Exactly where is the upper back pain ?

Thanks Soulwood for the advice. That’s interesting… so perhaps the longer stem that at least forces me to be less upright might have actually been a good idea! I actually felt as though I should have been more upright rather than less.

The pain is predominantly on my right side beneath my shoulder blade, though often stretches up into my beck and sometimes down my side a little.

That sounds as though it might not be cycle related as it is not symetric – some other sort of misalignment maybe.

Shame that you haven’t got clips on – I was going to suggest that you unclip one foot and try to cycle with one leg only, one each side so that you can compare sides.

If you have alignment issues then one side might be more powerful than the other. Or other differences.

I would suggest going to see a good osteopath for a check, one that does a good massage before any manipulation. Not a chiropractor though…

Cheers for the advice. Yeah, it may come in part from sitting at a bloody desk 9 hours a day. Absolute killer on the neck. I do have clips so I’ll try that.

I made the mistake of visiting a chriropractor and won’t repeat that – that “crack” of the back makes you believe something magical has happened, until the pain returns 2 days later. I’ve got a couple of appointments with a physio next week before I ride 700km Geneva to Montpellier (my first ever tour, hence the massive panic about the back). Hopefully they’ll help me out and find ways just to reduce the pain and manage to do the ride until I can get an MRI scan.

Osteopath is a good shout as you most likely have something going on with your body rather than bike. IANAD but you have a large muscle in the area you describe which may be over worked due to hip/ pelvis imbalances on the other side. Runners generally aren’t very good at looking after themselves so a bit of a body MOT should do the trick. I don’t like to put a downer on things but I doubt much will change in a week and it isn’t the time to be changing bike stuff either.

The other day, the photo link gave me some strange malware type windows.

But back to the photo, your arms seem quite straight and locked out. What happens if you bend you arms a little and be d from your lower back?

But back to the photo, your arms seem quite straight and locked out. What happens if you bend you arms a little and be d from your lower back?

I’d imagine the current saddle position and tilt wouldn’t help. I would agree though that being less upright should ironically be more comfortable for most people who aren’t just popping to the shops.

I like the straightness of the back myself, I think a bending over of the back make it tougher on the neck as you have to peer up more, leading to the possibility of over-extended neck.

I think it also encourages a better action, more spinny and less mashing.

that “crack” of the back makes you believe something magical has happened, until the pain returns 2 days later.

my regular osteopath gives a real good deep tissue massage first and then any adjustment at the end is a formality. Without the massage I think those stiff muscles just pull you back into the bad position you had got into, and most problems and pain seem to be caused by muscles getting out of balance/stiff.