Road Cycling - Sore Neck -- :(

I'm a fairly new cyclist (about 3 months) and am loving it lots and learning as I go along.

I took my bike in a couple of weeks ago to get Speedplay clipless pedals put on & I told the LBS guy that my arms and elbows were getting stiff when I ride, so he raised my seat a little and put a new stem on my bike (I'm assuming that's what the bar is called that supports the handlebars?). Anyway, no more numb arms and elbows -- that worked! :)

I rode my bike for 46 miles (longest distance so far!) on this past Sunday. The last 10 miles, my neck -- mostly at the base of my neck -- became really stiff and sore. It's still kind of stiff today (Tuesday) and I've been putting Icy Hot on it to calm it down.

Do you guys think I need another adjustment to the bike or is this just something that can happen when first starting to ride longer distances?

Thanks!!

My guess is that you just need to get used to the bike on longer rides. Your body will adjust to the new position on the bike, and the neck pain should go away. If it does not go away, you may want to consider making some changes, but give it a chance.

Good luck!!

What is your riding position?

If you are in the "drops" a lot, your neck will be worse. Are you varying your riding position - bars, hoods, and drops just a bit for most of us? I ride mostly on the bars and then on the hoods, and very rarely use the drops.

Probably just need to get used to the bike and position.

I ride on the hoods and the bars and sometimes kind of halfway in between the two. I have never ridden in the drops. I don't like that position. Maybe later -- LOL.

if you're wearing glasses, try one of those strings that holds the glasses on your face... it helps a lot with neck soreness...

I do wear sunglasses. I'll give that a try. They do slide down nose some as I sweat.

also could be the stem is too long making your stretch your arms out to far. Not far enough to make your arms hurt but stillto far so that your neck is affected.

What length stem is on the bike?
Whats size frame and make frame is it.
whats you height and inseam measurement?

Hi Tim. I have a Bianchi Eros -- stats are below. Mine is a 51cm and I am 5'3.5" with a 29 inch inseam. If the stem is what supports the handlebars, the LBS guy changed that out when I was in there last & I have no idea what size it is. He just said to see how that worked & let him know. He also said he'd switch it out if it didn't work for me. I went out & looked at it and it is almost completely down & just says G-Force, HP250, there's also H20 Profile Design written on it, whatever that means. I placed a yardstick from my seat to handlebars & the handlebars appear to be about 3 inches lower than the seat.

Would moving the seat forward help if I'm stretched out too far?



Type 27-speed road
Sizes 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63 cm
Colors New Red/Silver Celeste
Frame Bianchi RC SL Chromo Lite heat-treated double-butted CrMo steel, sloping top tube, MegaPro design, dual bottle mounts, rack eyelets
Fork Bianchi carbon, 1" steel threadless steerer
Headset VP AheadSet, 1" threadless
Bottom Bracket Campagnolo Veloce cartridge, 111 mm
Handlebars ITM Bianchi Anatomica
Stem ITM Forged, 90-¼ rise
Crankset Campagnolo Veloce, 30/42/52
Chain KMC
Wheels Campagnolo Mirage hubs; Mavic CXP-22N 32h rims
Tires Vittoria Zaffiro, 700x25C
Front Derailleur Campagnolo Mirage 28.6 mm
Rear Derailleur Campagnolo Mirage, 9-spd
Shift Levers Campagnolo Mirage ErgoPower
Casssette Campagnolo Veloce, 13-26, 9-spd
Brakes/Levers Campagnolo Veloce / Mirage ErgoPower
Pedals VP 109, clipless, 2-sided
Saddle Selle San Marco Azoto Racing gell
Seatpost Bianchi alloy, 27.2 mm
Grips/Other Cork-type; CPSC reflectors

Hi Hibiscus! I just got a shorter stem and it's helped a lot with shoulder tension and overall comfort and control of the bike. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that moving your seat forward would do more to you actual pedaling position that might be damaging than it would to the stretch you're feeing on the bike.

When you ride do you imagine yourself doing a weightlifting squat? Chest out and butt out and all? :) That has helped me a lot! And it made very obvious any variances in the fit.

Good luck and I hope your neck feels better soon!

LOL -- I've done lots of weightlifting squats in my life -- I'll give that a try. :D I guess I haven't been thinking about it & just get in a comfy position on the bike. This last long ride was the first time I've had this pain. :(

Hi Hibicus,

from your inseam measurement and height I'd say the 51cm seems to be about right, perhaps on the large side but fine.
the frame you have has a 52.6cm top tube length. now from your height i'd say that you'd need a 100mm stem on your bike.
you can measure the stem (the thingy that hangs the bars) by measuring the distance from the centre of the fork steerer tube to the centre of the bars along the top of the stem.
if this is too long ( i reckon about 120mm will be too long for you) then replace it with a shorter stem.#
If your LBS guy has suggested you take it back to get your positin sorted then I would take up the offere nad use as much time as posssible in selecting the correct length stem.

Thanks Tim!! I'm thinking I may call them tomorrow to see about getting professionally fitted -- I sure don't want to keep guessing & trading off all these aches & pains. :) I'll ask him what size stem I have. I suppose when they fit you, they give you all the measurements & numbers so you'll have a record?

also, before spending any money, try working on your form. your back should be straight-very little curve, and rotate your elbows inward so that your forarms are parallel to each other. this rotates your hips forward and forces your head up, relieving tension in both your back and neck.

Thanks, Phatman. I'll work on that tomorrow. I also need to relax. I'll give it a while before calling the LBS. :)

I went to get fitted today & the guy said I needed narrower handlebars. He checked out everything else & said I looked fine on the bike other than that. He had to order the handlebars & in the meantime has tilted the handlebars more toward me so I don't feel so stretched out. He really nice -- no charge -- and hopefully, this will make my neck not hurt so much. :)

Ya know, as I think about it, of he tilted the handlebars back towards you, this would imply that the stem was too long. Did he tilt them past "level"?

I was showing them to my husband when I got home -- the handlebars that is -- and I didn't really notice that they looked unlevel. Funny, when he did it in the shop it looked like he moved them a good bit. Anyway, once he moved them I was able to have a bend in my elbow -- before, my arms were pretty stretched out unless I leaned really low over the bike.

Hibiscus, that's what they did to my bike, before I had the fitting...they kept turning my bars upwards (past level) - but after the fitting he gave me a stem that was about 1/2 the length and 1/2 the incline and I'm fine now. I couldn't bend my elbows before either.

Did they change your stem at all?

No, but that's what everyone keeps asking me! :eek: He did change the stem last time I went in when I was complaining about my arms being numb. They stopped being numb after he did that. I'll ask them about it when I go back to get my handlebars. I'm not sure what length my stem is -- or if it can be any shorter.

Carl, I take back what I said above. :) I just did my morning ride and the handlebars do seem tilted beyond level a bit toward me. I noticed it a lot more once I was sitting on the bike. It was fine to ride with them that way & I do think I need narrower handlebars because my arms do kind of splay (is that a word? -- LOL -- okay, I looked it up -- it is a word. :D) out to the sides a bit from my shoulders when I have them extended and on hoods. Anyway, now I'm wondering if I need an even shorter stem. I'm not sure how short they can be or what length mine is. LOL

You're having quite the adventure!! :) Good luck and keep at it - it'll be worth it and we've got a lot of miles ahead of us!! Might as well be as comfortable as possible - right :) :)

Short reach handlebars might help too. They bring the hoods closer to you. Salsa and Deda make them. Mine are the Deda 4 girls. The Terry handlebars are not short reach, btw.

Kathi

sounds to me like you mess around with your bike setup more than you ride it? things take getting used to. your neck/back/leg/arm muscles are not adjusted for long rides if you don't do long rides. it's natural to have muscle aches and pains the first time you try something, just like sore butt and arms during the first weeks of riding...

i'd recommend giving your body a chance before you spend more $$$ on adjustments.

Thanks love -- hopefully when these narrower handlebars come in it will do the trick. I felt better yesterday riding with the bar tilted somewhat toward me. I may see about getting a shorter stem when the bars come in.

shrimp, I haven't been spending money -- the guy at the LBS is not charging me since I just bought the bike. I also am riding my bike between 80 and 100 miles a week & I think that's just fine for a beginner. :)

I was also told that a sore neck might be expected after riding 46 miles for the first time, but that it being so sore I needed to be on a heating pad for 2 days was not okay. I have a pretty high pain tolerance so I know it was pretty sore.

Luckily, my butt hasn't been sore from day 1 -- :)!

Thanks!

H09,

have a look at <http://www.wrenchscience.com>
they have a bike fitting tool their which is free for allto use. with the help of your hubby, complete the required infomation (some measurements will hve to be taken).
thay also show you how to measure reach and frame size. Then compare the measurements given to you by the fitment tool against your bike and seee how they differ.
Then post back here for further suggestions.
Hope to hear from you soon.