Training & Nutrition - Bowlingball on a broom stick - newbie with issues!

I bought myself a road bike for Christmas (Trek 1000) and I've been out riding and I've found that on rides longer than 15 miles, that my head and neck begin to feel like a bowling ball on a broom stick and the muscles, or lack thereof, between my shoulder blades get sore.

What's the best way to overcome this problem; exercises or will it fix itself with enough time on the bike?

Thanks from the uber-newbie!

PH
:D

How's your bike fit/setup? Maybe you're too stretched out, or need to raise the handlebars a little.

This is not an unusual problem. If your bike fits, you should get used to it as your muscles develope.

If you bike doesn't fit, this is a real problem.

Roadbuzz suggests that your frame might be too long.

I found the opposite to be true in that a short top tube rounds your back and forces you to lift your head even higher still just to see down the road.

Of course, it may be too late now since you already bought your bike. You could experiment with different road stem lengths.

A low-cost alternative would be to attach a long piece of duct tape from the front of your helmet, over your back, and stick it to your fanny. This just might help you keep your head up.

purple hayes,
Where do you ride? Maybe I've passed you without knowing it. I ride from Decatur to Stone Mountain every Sat/Sun.

Anyway, are your elbows bent slightly? Shoulders relaxed?
Tight shoulders and straight arms can cause head and neck problems.

If that's not the problem do as roadbuzz mentioned and check your bike fit. Go to a bike shop if necessary. Maybe it will be something as simple as swapping stems or adjusting your saddle position.

Two things to bear in mind:

1. If the nose of your saddle is angled downward too far, you may be pitching forward a bit too much and placing undue stress on your hands arms and shoulders. Try tilting your saddle backward a TINY bit and see if this helps.

2. If you have a visor on your helmet, tear it off. Visors aren't ideal for road bikes because they force you to crane your neck upward to see around them. This may be a source of your trouble.

My two Canadian cents... call it a ha'penny.

Originally posted by velocipedio
Two things to bear in mind:

1. If the nose of your saddle is angled downward too far, you may be pitching forward a bit too much and placing undue stress on your hands arms and shoulders. Try tilting your saddle backward a TINY bit and see if this helps.

2. If you have a visor on your helmet, tear it off. Visors aren't ideal for road bikes because they force you to crane your neck upward to see around them. This may be a source of your trouble.

My two Canadian cents... call it a ha'penny.

1. That could be part of the problem. I've been messing with the adjustment to see what is most comfortable and right now it is pointing down a little.

2. Right again! I'll take it off and see if it helps.

RonH - So far I've stuck to the Grayson, Snellville, L'ville area so you haven't passed me yet. If you are willing to /want to get together and ride with a newbie, you can reach me at john@interwovendesign.com . I'm always looking for pointers on riding.

PH
:D

How far are your bars below your saddle. A lot of modern road bikes come with quite an extreme position. 1-3" is standars

...or if it's not the fit and just fatigue...do some strength training. Shoulder presses and back pulls should help the muscles you're mentioning.