Originally Posted by
Harold74
Fundamentally, I believe that the posture used by competitive road cyclists must, in fact, be bad for one's back. It sure doesn't look like yoga. I'm curious to hear what others may have to say about this.
Riding a bike in a competitive or athletic manner demands a modicum of flexibility, core strength, and upper body strength, but does little to develop these strengths. Obviously, if one is not inclined to maintain this kind of fitness, riding a bike in this manner is not a good idea.
Regardless of how you want to tilt your upper body, maintaining a straight spine is important. Many riders, mostly men, I've observed, appear to need to curve their spines at the pelvis, shoulder, or both. I don't understand why.