Originally Posted by
grolby
The OP is in so much discomfort he/she is literally unable to ride more than 14 miles in one day. A weak core isn't sufficient to explain this. In general, people on these boards WAY overrate the importance of core strength - most of the chatter about it from most posters on this board is basically cycling cargo culting. They've heard other people talking about it, but don't actually know what it is useful for and what problems are caused by lack of it. Riding a road bike 15 miles without enormous discomfort doesn't require tummy crunches or planks. Enough of these silly, super-confident know-nothing diagnoses. "It's probably your core." Actually, it almost certainly isn't! And if core strength is a factor, which it could be, it's certainly not that alone.
As for fit, the particular case I described may well not be the issue. As others have pointed out, there are simply too many variables. Maybe the OP has a bad back. But fit, as a general issue, is definitely the first place I'd look, not to inadequate core strength.
Agreed.
That's why I made the comment that I fit bikes. For some of the "41" crowd, it's hocus pocus. Everyone's an expert. Until you are in excruciating pain.
It's funny...a couple of years ago I started having back pain. Which I have never really had. I'd get to 20 or 30 miles and had to ride no hands sitting up about every three miles. I had switched my seat post and had not marked the new one for the correct height based on the pedals and shoes I was riding at the time.
Got home, measured, lo and behold my seat was about 6mm too low. That's all it took. It had apparently slid into the seat tube on a particularly rough stretch of road. And in a pinch I did not use a torque wrench and tried to guess so I did not damage the post or tube. Fixed it and had no further issues.