Overcoming hip pain on longer/more intense rides?
01-02-15, 04:27 PM
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Overcoming hip pain on longer/more intense rides?
I have noticed on a few rides that one of my hips starts acting up. On normal rides up to 30 miles I am in good shape and feel "worked" afterwards. With harder rides of similar mileage or longer ones up over 50 miles I start getting a bit of irritation in my left hip.
I came over to biking from backpacking with the goal of doing another type of activity, and closer to home, to keep my legs working and in better shape so when I do get the opportunity to do a backpacking trip I hold up better. I have experienced similar pain, usually in the second day, while hiking. I always attributed it to the stress of lots of walking with a lot of weight.
Is that feeling while riding a sign I'm not "in shape"? I closed out 2014 with a hair over 1000 miles of riding. I don't think that is too bad considering the time I was able to devote to it. I kicked off the 2015 season with 27 miles yesterday and it was a very hard ride - stiff winds all day and slow goin'. I am feeling my hip again, but not nearly as much as I did a month ago after 60+ miles. I would think riding more overall is going to help. Any thoughts?
I came over to biking from backpacking with the goal of doing another type of activity, and closer to home, to keep my legs working and in better shape so when I do get the opportunity to do a backpacking trip I hold up better. I have experienced similar pain, usually in the second day, while hiking. I always attributed it to the stress of lots of walking with a lot of weight.
Is that feeling while riding a sign I'm not "in shape"? I closed out 2014 with a hair over 1000 miles of riding. I don't think that is too bad considering the time I was able to devote to it. I kicked off the 2015 season with 27 miles yesterday and it was a very hard ride - stiff winds all day and slow goin'. I am feeling my hip again, but not nearly as much as I did a month ago after 60+ miles. I would think riding more overall is going to help. Any thoughts?
01-02-15, 05:16 PM
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I've had hip pain when my seat was too high. Relatedly I've had the same pain when my seat was too far back (and therefore should have been lower). Also, I'll change the fore/aft position of my butt on my seat, that is, I'll slide back on my seat while riding sometimes during the ride. Of course this too changes the distance between my hips and my pedals.
Maybe lowering your seat will help? Steve Hogg recommends lowering your seat several millimeters from what you determine to be your optimal height "because not every day is the best day of your life." Perhaps you feel pain more on longer rides because the muscles that are compensating for your issue tire out and don't help as much as you ride for longer?
Maybe lowering your seat will help? Steve Hogg recommends lowering your seat several millimeters from what you determine to be your optimal height "because not every day is the best day of your life." Perhaps you feel pain more on longer rides because the muscles that are compensating for your issue tire out and don't help as much as you ride for longer?
01-02-15, 05:18 PM
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See a doctor. Very possibly you have a mechanical issue with that hip.
Other than that, 1000 miles for a year isn't much. That's only ~20 miles/week, which IMO is way below any conditioning threshold. Current aerobic conditioning threshold advice is between 45 and 90 minutes per day.
"Time you have to devote to it." Wrong. You don't have anything except your health. You have 24/7 to devote to that. Fortunately as above, that's not necessary. But it is the most important single thing you can do every day. If you live somewhere that inclement weather, darkness, etc., prevents you from riding outside, buy a set of rollers. Your bicycle is the cheapest and best doctor you will ever have. Get the rollers and start with 30 minutes of comfortable spinning on them every day. There are many roller threads to view.
Exactly where does your hip hurt and what form does the pain take? Any chance it's that Brooks? When I rode leather 50 years ago, I had to ride at least an hour a day to keep my butt tough enough. Now that I'm older, I can't ride a Brooks at all, though I've done 400k on modern saddles.
Other suggestions would be to stretch:
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...l#post15372967
and to go to a gym and do some lifting, starting light.
I also hike and backpack. I've found that cycling is great for the aerobic system, but that only hiking gets me in shape to hike. I'm on the bike ~5000 miles/year, hike ~75 hours/year, and use the gym (weights, stairmaster, spinning) ~75 hours/year. I've been on about this schedule for the past 15 years and it's done me good.
Other than that, 1000 miles for a year isn't much. That's only ~20 miles/week, which IMO is way below any conditioning threshold. Current aerobic conditioning threshold advice is between 45 and 90 minutes per day.
"Time you have to devote to it." Wrong. You don't have anything except your health. You have 24/7 to devote to that. Fortunately as above, that's not necessary. But it is the most important single thing you can do every day. If you live somewhere that inclement weather, darkness, etc., prevents you from riding outside, buy a set of rollers. Your bicycle is the cheapest and best doctor you will ever have. Get the rollers and start with 30 minutes of comfortable spinning on them every day. There are many roller threads to view.
Exactly where does your hip hurt and what form does the pain take? Any chance it's that Brooks? When I rode leather 50 years ago, I had to ride at least an hour a day to keep my butt tough enough. Now that I'm older, I can't ride a Brooks at all, though I've done 400k on modern saddles.
Other suggestions would be to stretch:
https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...l#post15372967
and to go to a gym and do some lifting, starting light.
I also hike and backpack. I've found that cycling is great for the aerobic system, but that only hiking gets me in shape to hike. I'm on the bike ~5000 miles/year, hike ~75 hours/year, and use the gym (weights, stairmaster, spinning) ~75 hours/year. I've been on about this schedule for the past 15 years and it's done me good.
