Road Cycling - Sore neck, better with time?

Hello,

I rode for about an hour today on the old road bike, my first significant ride on drop handlebars in about 15 years, and I came home with a sore neck. The handlebars are about 1 inch lower than the seat and I spent a good percentage of time in the drops.

Is this something your body adapts to and will stop bothering you eventually or does something need to be adjusted? If I will eventually adapt I'll just take it easy until it gets better. The handlebars are already up as far as the stem goes so I can't raise them without shopping for some new parts.

Thanks.

You should be fine. Just remember to vary your riding position and stretch out. Most people don't spend the majority of their time in the drops - I spend most of my time on the hoods, but some in the drops, some up top, etc. I also sit up, stretch the neck and shoulders periodically. The idea is to stay loose and stretch.

Hello,

I rode for about an hour today on the old road bike, my first significant ride on drop handlebars in about 15 years, and I came home with a sore neck. The handlebars are about 1 inch lower than the seat and I spent a good percentage of time in the drops.
It will get better with time in the saddle.
While you were out riding you may have noticed that most cyclists ride with their hands on the brake hoods and on the top of the handlebar.

Next time try changing the location of your hands to help prevent the neck strain and relieve the pressure on your hands (numbness), upper arms, and shoulders. Also make sure you don't tense up your shoulders and neck. Relax them when riding. If it doesn't help perhaps you need to make other adjustments (like a shorter stem, saddle position) for a better fit.

i agree with the guys.. you'r body will eventually adapt.. I also am on the hoods most of the time.. My handlebar is about 2" lower than my saddle..

Also, a tip.. Don't look too far out.. I, most of the time, look down at the asphalt, about 20-30ft ahead.. I just glance one in a while for traffic, etc. :)

Keep riding.. you'll get the hang of it.. ;)

I just wanted to add a few comments and a question to my original post.

I'm in the market for a new bike and I'm trying to decide between a bike with drop handlbars or straight handlebars. On my ride I spent more time in the drops to try to decide if I like it and if it works for me.

If people spend most of their time on the hoods and the tops would you be just as well off with straight handlebars? How much time does the average rider spend in the drops?

Thanks.

My two cents worth -

Work up to the longer rides. An hour is not a long time for someone who rides a lot and has built up the base miles, but for a first ride it may have been. Especially if you spent most of the time in the drops. Like the others who have responded I tend to spend most of my time on the hoods (or just back from them). The drops are really for accelerating in a sprint or descending a hill where you want to get as aerodynamic as possible.

About two and a half hears ago I returned to cycling after about six or seven years off the bike (the last one was a MTB with smooth tires). Because I was concerned about carpal tunnel (I have had it and Ulner com-pression) which cause numbness in the hands I got a Specialized Sirrus Comp which is a hybrid bike with MTB gearing, a straight bar with rapid fire shifters and is set up to run 700x23-28 "road" tires. I used the bike for about six months before I realized I had made a BIG mistake! The riding I do is in a relatively hilly part of Maryland so I thought the gearing would be good. Unfortunately, the gearing was way too low for road riding (unless I had a LOT of time). Going full boar I still only averaged 14 mph on my rides and was always at the back of any group (often getting dropped like a bad habit). I put drop bar, STI shifters and a road cassette on the bike, but I still couldn't hang with my friends for long.

I got a road bike for Christmas (bless Ms. Claus!!!). It is geared very differently and as a result I FLY!! I opted for at double because I have fantasies of racing, but you can get a triple which gives a bit lower gearing for hills.

The other thing to consider is the angle of your wrists! On a straight bar used for mountain biking and commuting (what I found out after I got my Sirrus it was meant for). This gives you very quick wheel turning (needed at slower speeds), but really hammers you hands after several hours because you have VERY limited options for changing hand positions. I put climbing bars on the Sirrus and this helped a bit.

See what it is like to ride the hoods more and really change your position. I would hold off making any adjustments until you determine (by having your LBS or a knowledgeable friend analyze your position on the bike) that they are needed. No matter what kind of bike you are riding FIT is the most important issue.

Sorry for preaching if you already are familiar with all of this.

I use the drops a LOT if I'm riding into a headwind, for example (lower profile for MUCH less wind resistance). Otherwise, I try to vary it, but I also tend to use my drops whenever I need to brake - I'm not comfortable braking from my hoods, so I spend most of my time either on the tops or in the drops.

Most of the time,95% i'm not in the drops.

If you assume that the brake levers are your crusing position, put them where your hands want to be. You have the drops for when you need to get low, which is quite rare. I use them into headwinds, but also to lower my centre of gravity on steep descents.

I think the hoods give a more neutral wrist position than flat bars. I cant my brakes inward a tad for more comfort.
Dont forget to ride with bendy elbows and relaxed shoulders.

Does anyone have opinions about moustache bars as another option?

Try yoga. It's exercises the same back and neck muscles as biking.

I'd say most of my riding (99%) is done on the hoods or top of the bars. Rarely do I get into the drops. I've also canted my hoods up and inward a bit which has helped with the comfort level.

I used to have some upper back and neck soreness for most of last year even by altering the bar and hood positions. I thought at first it was my body getting used to the road bike position. What helped me was a slightly shorter stem and wider bars. I noticed an immediate difference as the tension in my back disappeared almost immediately. I guess I just don't feel so bunched up in my arms and shoulders anymore. Although from a technical racing point of view its probably not the most efficient set-up. I read somewhere that widerbars = less aerodynamics, more comfort. However, thats all that matters to me. Maybe not so much switching to a shorter stem, I was running 120mm then went to 100mm. I could probably go back to a longer stem, I'll see as the season goes by.

On a side note, I also used to get sore hands for a while too. I stopped wearing gloves and the pain went away.

On a side note, I also used to get sore hands for a while too. I stopped wearing gloves and the pain went away.

yup... Gloves make my hands sore too... That's why I don't wear gloves now..

Sore neck, yes it does get better with time. That is the first thing I usually notice when I get back to cycling after some time. When I first started riding, an hour was easy for me. Lol. Varies from person to person, but yep.

About the gloves, they don't fit snugly. They don't exactly make your hands sore. However, it does feel slightly uncomfortable with that patch between your thumb and your index finger. I do not really like cycling with gloves too, but when an accident does happen, you might just regret not wearing a pair. I bought a new pair of gloves, and might start riding more frequently with them.

yup... Gloves make my hands sore too... That's why I don't wear gloves now..

Wow - that's a new one to me. Only thing I can think of is your gloves were too tight. I can't imagine not wearing gloves!

Wow - that's a new one to me. Only thing I can think of is your gloves were too tight. I can't imagine not wearing gloves!
To much padding will do it.Dont worry,once he goes down,the gloves will be back on.

if you're wearing a helmet with a visor, remove the visor. the road bike position pitches you forward and down, and if you have a visor, you have to crane your neck a bit much to see.

The bike is designed to ride in the drops. Typically, if a person cannot or does not ride there very often, it's due to an improper fit. Too cramped, or too stretched out. I ride almost all the time in the drops, as it is the most comfortable position...hoods, etc...for me are for climbing or to stretch out my lower back and shoulders.
Watch a professional..when they are hammering, it's in the drops.

Thats BS.

No, its his opinion! The drops ARE there for a reason!! I know a lot of folks that ride in the drops a lot of the time. I think it is what we call personal preference!! Like what drives our choice in bikes, cars, women (or men) etc.

Bill

No, its his opinion! The drops ARE there for a reason!! I know a lot of folks that ride in the drops a lot of the time. I think it is what we call personal preference!! Like what drives our choice in bikes, cars, women (or men) etc.

Bill
Yup, just a preference thing and very much related to your flexibility. Pro riders might spend a lot of time in the drops, but not many of us on here are pro riders. I virtually never ride in the drops unless riding into a big headwind. Even then, I often find I get as much benefit from trying to make myself narrower as I do from getting in the drops to make myself lower.

Try riding on the hoods and the curved part of the bar. You'll probably find it more comfortable. Removing the helmet visor if you have one is a good call too... :) Add some stretching to your daily routine, and over time your muscles will loosen up significantly to make riding in the drops a more pleasant and/or frequent experience.

another thing that you can do is to rotate your pelvis forward. This will make your back straighter, and will naturally lift your head. this makes you position such that you do not need to bend your neck as much as before, and it will be more comfy. Try it.

Your position in the drops is less efficient for breathing. On the hoods your respiratory system is less restricted.

No, its his opinion! The drops ARE there for a reason!! I know a lot of folks that ride in the drops a lot of the time. I think it is what we call personal preference!! Like what drives our choice in bikes, cars, women (or men) etc.

Bill
Strange,i ride for 3-4 hours on a saturday and i wont see a single rider in the drops.Of course they are there for a reason. So is poison but you dont need to use it,unless its needed.

The bike is designed to ride in the drops. Typically, if a person cannot or does not ride there very often, it's due to an improper fit. Too cramped, or too stretched out. I ride almost all the time in the drops, as it is the most comfortable position...hoods, etc...for me are for climbing or to stretch out my lower back and shoulders.
Watch a professional..when they are hammering, it's in the drops.

I agree with Shokhead, it's BS. The drops are there for those times when needed to cut the wind and its not your average person's position of choice. You can have a good fit and still be more comfortable higher on the bars, ( posers not included )........