beakersbike

Until this summer, it has been decades since I regularly rode a road bike, my riding the last several years has been on very upright hybrid or comfort bikes. I'm looking to do longer rides including a 3 day 160 mile ride in September, so I've been rebuilding an older Fuji Royale. I have found a lot of shoulder and neck soreness when I was riding with the handlebars in their normal position. I changed out the stem to an adjustable stem that allows me to adjust the angle so right now the bar sits a couple inches higher than the seat. I've done some 30-35 mile rides and the soreness is almost all g one. I still get some soreness at the base of my neck, and that made me think of my doctor's warning in my last physical when talking about biking is just to be careful with the neck.

I'm starting to wonder if it's as much to do with my form as anything else. I am getting down in the drops a bit more (though 'down in the drops' is a relative term with how high the bar is set) and I think that's when I notice the soreness in the base of the neck. I'm wondering if I'm craning my head up too much. It seems like the natural way to hold my head when riding is maybe more about a 45 degree angle or so. Of course, this creates an issue with seeing further down the road, because if I try to hold that position and look ahead, more often than not I'm looking over the top of my glasses. I went out on a shorter ride on a Bridgestone RB-1 that has lower handlebars but oh man was it a sweet ride. Didn't ride long enough to get the neck soreness but did notice craning my neck up more because of the lower position.

Do you all put much thought into how you're holding your head, how you're looking ahead, and all that when riding? Is it better form to keep your head down more and just look ahead with your eyes? I'm wondering if getting contacts or prescription sports glasses would make a difference. Or is it likely there's still a fit issue going on?

MRT2

A picture of you riding would make it easier to make suggestions about your bike fit.

TheManShow

Age, ability to move or contort your body has a lot to do with perfect TEXT BOOK FORM. As we grow older it is harder to do the thing with ones body that was easy as pie for an 18 year old.

As you age what fels good, or comfortable is IMHO more important than trying to do as a 20 y/o Navy S.E.A.L can do. S.E.A.L.s get old, and their body in many case finally talk back for years of pushing limits, and doing what S.E.A.L.s do daily.

Willbird

I read some stuff recently here about the importance of relaxing your upper body, I have been focusing on that.

beakersbike

When I focus on keeping my head and neck in a neutral position, I do feel a lot better. But when I do that, if I want to look further down the road, that's a matter then of just raising my eyes instead of lifting my head also. That's not a big deal except then I'm looking over the top of my glasses then. Which I can see things well enough to be okay, but it's just irritating when you can look through your glasses and see just fine.

I wonder if it is time to think about going back to contacts, at least for when I'm riding.

Al Criner

I am not quite a Clydesdale but your problem is common. Pictures would definitely help, but basic suggestions are:
1. Keep your back straight and bend at the hips, don't bend at the waist and hunch over.
2. There are exercises to strengthen your neck, shoulders and upper back muscles. There is a system of muscles that play together to hold your head up and bicycling puts you in a position that you are not used to.
3. Staying relaxed is definitely important.
4. Craning your neck to see through glasses is definitely bad. Contact lenses with sunglasses or safety glasses over them would address that.
5. The more you ride, the easier it all gets. Start by riding often, then if you want to, you can start riding longer.

TrojanHorse

Do it more, you'll get used to it.