General Cycling Discussion - My back hurts :(

The name says it all. My fifth ride since the weather started to get better and my back just can’t stop hurting. That wasn’t an issue last year though. I think that I just have to ride it off, get used to the bike again after the winter. What is your opinion? What are the factors that can contribute to my problem? I have changed my flat bar to raiser 2” and an Eston 50 stem>>100mm 0 degrees.

Lower back that is.

I get that after climbing long hills. Someone told me sit-ups help.

My butt hurts after my first ride this year (only a 9 mile ride) on the Belt Parkway this past weekend.

I think it's a Bklyn thing....

Seriously, I think your body needs to adjust to the bike again. I used to be able to ride 40 - 50 miles without any soreness/pain anywhere.

Just go slower and shorter distances until your body readjusts itself again.

Originally posted by Cadd
My butt hurts after my first ride this year (only a 9 mile ride) on the Belt Parkway this past weekend.

I think it's a Bklyn thing....

Seriously, I think your body needs to adjust to the bike again. I used to be able to ride 40 - 50 miles without any soreness/pain anywhere.

Just go slower and shorter distances until your body readjusts itself again.

Yeah, that was my guess as well. Thanks all.:beer:

If it doesn't get better, buy a recumbent. I'm serious. These problems are easily fixed by buying a bent. I test rode several bents last year and could not believe the distance I could travel painfree. You got to try it. I don't own a bent yet but it's on the agenda for next year.

Try one out... you may never go back.

Why on earth would somebody want to ride on the friggin' Belt Parkway??. Can't you find some less-trafficked place to ride?? Sheesh!!!

Sometimes lower back problems can be solved by doing sit ups- weak abdominals lead to constant overstress of the back to support the upper body. So the idea is to do crunches- not the old school sit ups where you come all the way off the floor to the knees. The old school way put more stress on the back then never doing them at all! New school crunches isolate the abdominals safely, and protect the back, since the lower back stays on the floor at all times.

The other thing you may want to consider is that you have some muscle imbalances in the legs- men (I've observed) often spend lots of time building up the quads, but do very little for the hamstrings. As a result, the hamstrings are weaker, and believe it or not, this imbalance manifests itself with lower back problems. You will want to consider doing hamstring exercises- mainly the leg flexion weight machines to target hamstrings. Also, add in stretching of the hamstrings too, as it could also just be that your hamstrings are tightented, which manifests itself as lower back pain.

Finally, consider elevating your feet at night to keep stress off the lower back- when I have particularly bad lower back pain, I use the cushions from my sofa to elevate my feet at night, and in the morning, my back feels like 200% better!

Take care of that back!

Koffee

jeez, after Koffee's great advice, I feel a little silly offering this up, but still: *during* the ride, I sometimes take the time to stand up on the pedals and work out the kinks in my lower back. I'll twist around and bend over backwards as best as I'm able, that sort of thing. helps me a good deal.

-alex.

I do the same. Sometimes, it's good to give the back a little rest break so it can relax a bit...

Not silly at all, from someone who has constant lower back pain and does the same thing to get through the long rides.

K

Thanks a lot guys. But I still think it's because of the beginning of the season.(for me) The reason is that I'm a weight lifter and I do 350 lb dead lifts, so I'm pretty sure my back is strong. I work on my legs as well so that drops out. I'll probably start doing more sit-ups; see if that helps a bit. Thanks again :beer:

BEEN THERE.

FYI:
http://my.webmd.com/search/search_results?query=back+pain&filter=mywebmd_all_filter

Thanks a lot guys. But I still think it's because of the beginning of the season.(for me) The reason is that I'm a weight lifter and I do 350 lb dead lifts, so I'm pretty sure my back is strong.

Think about it for a minute-

1) Your back hurts
2) You do 350 pound dead lifts
3) Your back hurts

Ok. If you are doing 350 pound dead lifts, and your back hurts, your back is NOT strong- your weights are too heavy. You need to drop back your weights for the dead lifts and work on building leg strength with other methods (lunges, squats, leg flexion, leg extension). Gradually build up your weights with the dead lifts until you are at the point where you can do it without experiencing back pain.

For the record, I do not believe in dead lifts, ESPECIALLY if you have lower back problems- the first thing they teach aerobics instructors-to-be is that unsupported forward flexion leads to stress in the lower back. It is contraindicated and discouraged. If you are going to do those things (good mornings, dead lifts, etc), at least make sure you have a strong lower back AND strong abdominals first. Then make sure you have an acceptable amount of weight you're working with for these exercises that does not put stress on your lower back to the point where you are in constant pain.

If you already knew the answer to your problem, the better question should be is how to fix the problem. It's not a matter of riding it out on your bike- it's a matter of getting those weights down to a point you can take the stress off your back and stop the pain.

Good that you're going to do the abdominals. It's definitely a key to part of the problem. You know what else you need to do. I suggest you hire a personal trainer for a couple of sessions- let them help you determine what weights will work with you. Then wait a month and rehire them for a follow up. You only need one session to check in and make sure you've got it right.

Good luck to you.

Koffee

What Koffee said.

D*Alex, I think Cadd means the bike path along
the Belt Parkway. I can't imagine anyone in their
right mind trying to dodge traffic on the Belt. . .
yo, you ridin the belt? fageddaboudit.

Marty

The more upright position for the riser should relieve the stress on your back not increase it

Originally posted by Koffee Brown
So the idea is to do crunches- not the old school sit ups where you come all the way off the floor to the knees

New school crunches isolate the abdominals safely, and protect the back, since the lower back stays on the floor at all times.


Take care of that back!

Koffee

Great post Koffee, but what the heck is "crunches"?

Can you or someone else explain that to me. Is it to lift the upper body just enough to feel the weight but never so much that the lower back leaves the floor?

Pardon my limited vocabulary.

Anders

Hi Anders-

I'm in a hurry to get to teaching this morning, but let me just send you over some pictures via email when I get back home. I also have at least one that is animated so you can see the movement being done correctly.

Koffee

hi.. check out this site.. maybe you can find something here to strengthen your abs.. he is pretty good.
http://stephenholtfitness.com/abs/abexercises.htm