Road Cycling - my neck is killing me

got a new lemond tourmalet a few weeks ago , rode a 75 miler last sunday , and my neck still hurts.

seems like it should feel better by now.

4 .5 inch stem by my ruler i guess i could try a shorter one.

If you are under 40 then you will need to condition
your neck muscles just as you need to condition
your legs. If over 40-50 then degenerative processes
begin to be a problem and you will probably not be
able to completely get rid of this but it should improve
with more riding. A more erect posture would of course
help, but your bike is designed to be ridden bent over.
Bike set up can take awhile, in addition to a shorter stem
you can also add more spacers and raise the bar, move
the seat forward, or use a seat post that can be reversed
to move the seat forward even more. Best bet is to raise
the bar. The brake levers can be moved to the top of the curve
and give you a more upright position also. LBS should be
happy to work with you on this since it is a new bike. Steve

Are you riding in the drops all the time? If so, DON'T.

Do you have a sun visor on your helmet. If so, TAKE IT OFF.

Tell us just a bit more about your riding style.

I have a Lemond BA, and last year I rode with a visor (until I figured it out) and it killed my neck because of the extra inch you have to raise your head to see.

Otherwise, at age 64, I do just fine, so age is not always the factor others may think it is.

Every so often you should sit up and move your head around to stretch out your neck muscles and prevent fatigue and shuch strain as you are experencing.

well I HAD a visor on that ride, but thanks to this forum it's been gone since the day after...i'm 43 , and am riding a 55cm lemond, top bar is about 22.25 inches from the center of the seat tube to the center of the head.
i'm 5'11' with 32 inch inseam.

i used to ride a an 88 bianchi strada - about a half inch shorter top tube, but much shorter stem and smaller handle bars.



i think raising the bar might be a good idea.

I sure hope 43 is not considered old!!! I agree your sore neck is most likely a matter of getting used to a new riding position. Subtle adjustments to the saddle and bars can make the "getting used to" part a little quicker process.

it's funny reading an old post like this. now i've got a cervelo dual tri bike to go with the lemond. my neck never hurts any more, and riding the lemond feels like a chaise lounge after riding the tri bike. HAH!

It sounds like I had this same problem when I started riding a few months ago.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=98514

It went away after a couple of months

it's funny reading an old post like this. now i've got a cervelo dual tri bike to go with the lemond. my neck never hurts any more, and riding the lemond feels like a chaise lounge after riding the tri bike. HAH!

What a great followup!

Cheers.