Originally Posted by
staehpj1
I would question that on two counts.
First IMO it isn't normal to have pain in the lower back even in a racing posture. It is an indication that something is wrong with your posture, bike fit, or conditioning.
Second, I think that an upright posture is actually more likely to cause back pain in the long haul assuming a rider conditioned to the lower position.
BTW, I am a bit puzzled by the fact that, on the road, the touring cyclists I have met mostly did not adopt an upright posture, while on the various forums my impression is that everyone has their bars at or even well above the saddle. The majority I met on the road seemed to be in a range between racing posture and slightly more relaxed, but seldom with bars higher than the saddle.
Regarding bike tourers, pure conjecture on my part.
Regarding lower back pain in general, I got that from poking around on the web because I tend to get lower back pain after about 2 hours. Since that's usually about the time I stop for food and water, I do a quick stretch and I'm usually fine for another hour or so. Anyway, I was hoping I could do something to get rid of that pain (I already do a fair amount of abs and core work), either through exercise or bike fit, and everything I came across said it was a very common problem even among those who race for a living and it was the result of being in a bent over position for such a long time and putting pressure on the back or hip flexors that weren't meant to be bent for so long.