Mountain Biking - Lower back pains

when i have been riding offroad for more than 1 hr i have been getting a very sore lower back does anyone else get this? Is there anyway to stop it?

I have been getting this lately. And find I get it most when I sit more thn I should. Depending on the fire trail you should slide your ass back and peddle while standing slightly. This removes pressure from your back. Try to alternate often between standing, crouching and sitting and that should protect you back well.

the lower back hurts because you are constantly leaning forward in an aggressive stance because seatpost is high and stem is not riser and handlebar is not riser. basically this happens if the handlebar is relatively low compared to the seat. even if they are same height it will still cause lower back pain. imagine kneeling, then leaning forward and extending your arms with your hands touching the ground. and at the same time your head is upward facing the front. this is the source of the pain

I think it should be quite common.

The muscles on your lower back is constantly being stretched. You can relax them, but not compress them so quickly.

I suggest that when you go home, lay on the bed on your back with legs folded, then after some time straighten them bit by bit till when you are fully flat on your back, it won't hurt.

I have also seen books that present "kitty" posture, that is kneel on the floor with hands and forearms on the floor. Then raise your head and curve your back downwards while trying to raise yout butt as a form of stretching.

However I do not know if any of this is absolutely safe, so do them at your own risk.

I haven't gotten such problem recently when I got this new bike. I don't know why and it adds to my stamina.

I would think it could be an improper bike fit. Or...you are doing a lot of climbing. I rarely get back pain even when I sit most of the time... I just get some @ss bone pain eventually. The only time I did get back pain was when I went to some trails that required a lot more uphill climbing than I was used to...that seemed to be straining my back more. I have heard people getting back pain that ride bikes that don't really fit them as well as they should. Have you tried any other bike styles or adjusted your bike so see if helps?

-xta

More sit-ups!

That'll strengthen your abdominals an help stabilize you lumbars!

I tend to get back pain from riding when I haven't been diligent about doing my ab excercises. When I get back into my ab workout routine, the low back pain from bike riding doesn't occur!

L8R

Yeah back pains really are annoying sometimes but it dosen't happen all the time. With me I tend to stand up and stretch my back and that always helps.

Try looking at how high your seat is. If your seat is too high, it could be causing you to lean forward in a cramped postion for too long. Try lowering it a little bit. This will give you a more upright postion and should help with the back pain. I have also found that what a2psyklnut is very helfpul. I know many people who stopped backaches and other mucular aches by simple stretching and doing excercises that target those muscle groups on a regular basis. If all else fails and you have a hardtail, try a suspension seatpost, or stand up more over the real rough stuff. It could just be that your giving your back more of a pounding than you should be. Good luck!

I have the same problem on a 2003 FSR Comp. I got the straight block seatpost, to tighten up the cockpit. Back still hurts, now because of a lucky golf shot I got 100 more to spend. I was thinking a shorter stem, but should I get a raiser bar?

Or a stem with a greater rise? I am clueless, but anything to relieve the pain.

Originally posted by Cdude
I have the same problem on a 2003 FSR Comp. I got the straight block seatpost, to tighten up the cockpit. Back still hurts, now because of a lucky golf shot I got 100 more to spend. I was thinking a shorter stem, but should I get a raiser bar?

Or a stem with a greater rise? I am clueless, but anything to relieve the pain.

Getting your stem/bar position right can take trial & error so see if your lbs has any stems they'd be happy to let you test, or whether a friend will loan you theirs. I ended up with risers and a short steep rising stem, but you might be different.