Originally Posted by
HawkOwl
Pain on wheels is a never ending topic that soon loses focus.
Mostly, with no or limited suspension every little shock is transmitted to and absorbed by the body. Over time that wears on a person. Some people can train out of that, some can't. It is like trauma. Some people can know the trauma is coming and just absorb it, some can't.
Some people will say changing machines, say from upright to recumbent, is "the answer". Nonsense. It is the answer for some people, but not all. So the religious fervor should be put back in the box.
Bottom line is we ride machines that are not designed for comfort, let alone pain free operation. Some can overcome that and ride for varying lengths of time. Some can't.
moth54 approves of this message.
I spend time in the pool, time on my bike, time skating (although I'm spooked since breaking my arm last winter) and time hiking, and I consider these to be complementary to each other. The pool time works out my shoulder (still recovering from break, so the ligament involved whines a bit), the hiking and skating use different leg muscles than cycling and vice versa, and most importantly, are weight bearing exercises, and the cycling forces me to be aware of my core. I am a strong believer in varying the kinds of activity I participate in. My motto is, if you can't avoid discomfort, you can always vary your discomfort. A change is as good as a rest...