himespau 

Hi, I'm fairly new to commuting (and also to a bike with drop down bars after riding upright on a small mountain bike for many years). Anyway, I've been noticing some lower back pain when I ride down in the drop down bars. Is this normal for someone new to this type of riding, or does it sound like I'm doing something wrong? If it's just a normal adjustment thing, will it go away in time like the sore butt did? Thanks.

tjspiel

It might and it might not go away over time. How's that for an answer?

It's something I experience from time to time on both my drop bar road bike and my flat bar mountain bike. There seems to be a correlation with head winds. I don't know if I tense up or what.

At various points during your commute sit up with one hand on the tops and stretch your back. Red lights are a good place to stretch too. If your saddle is adjusted correctly, you're probably standing anyway while at a light. If it's a long light I get both feet on the pavement grab some water and stretch.

BroadSTPhilly

I had this pain initially when I started running drops and it went away eventually. That being said if your pain doesn't go away you need to adjust you bike. You can use a fitting guide of the internet.

idcruiserman

Strengthen your core.

DAkilles

Remember not to lean over and hunch but to keep the back in good posture like sitting in a chair and then incline down towards bars. This helps keep the back in a comfortable "rounded" shape and you will actually get a little massaging effect from cranking. Also, remember to watch arm positions as you ride as this will also change how your back and neck feel.

envane

Uh, this is the OPPOSITE of what you should be doing:

Back pain while cycling is usually caused by poor cycling posture. Good cycling posture is very different from good posture while sitting or standing. A posture that is comfortable for sitting still will not necessarily be comfortable while actually riding a bicycle. Correct cycling posture must facilitate the pedaling action, and also must enable the rider to cope with the jolts that result from road irregularities.
When riding a bicycle, the back should be arched, like a bridge, not drooping forward between the hips and the shoulders. If the back is properly arched, bumps will cause it to flex slightly in the direction of a bit more arch; this is harmless. If you ride swaybacked, bumps will cause the back to bow even farther in the forward direction, which can lead to severe lumbar pain.

https://sheldonbrown.com/pain.html

DAkilles

Uh, yeah. That's basically what I recommended, "This helps keep the back in a comfortable "rounded" shape and you will actually get a little massaging effect from cranking". Sorry I confused the advice by using the word chair. Although, I'm not sorry. Because when I am sitting in a chair, like I am now, I do the same thing to correct my posture as I do on my bike, i.e. use my back muscles to keep from 'hunching' or creating that 'swayback' shape. Interesting that the quote you include does not make a useful differentiation between the two proposed postures.

cabbotts

I have this pain every spring the first few times on the road bike. It will probably go away as your muscles stretch a little. It's because you're stretching further out than on a mountain bike.

Remember, you don't always have to ride in the drop position just because you have drop bars. I mostly ride on the hoods unless I really need the drops. I think I read something a while back that you should be changing your hand possition frequently anyway. I my not be correct on that though.

If it doesn't go away soon, I would make sure you have the correct size bike, make adjustments in the seat and handlebars. If it still doesn't go away, you may just need to go back to the mountain bike and put some road/city tires on it.

10 Wheels

Stand up to pedal once every 10 minutes.

nahh

+1 The end/start of my commute ALWAYS has a headwind, and that's the only time i feel it.
and yeah..it might go away. might not.

himespau 

Thanks, I'll just keep working at it for a while and see if it improves. I should have known to look at sheldon's site for some insight...

Yeah, I don't ride down in the drops a lot, but when I'm fighting a lot of wind resistance, I do want to get lower...

tate65

A good fitting by a profesional is worth every dollar. Most good LBS will have a fitter, just be sure they have been trained and do alot of them.

himespau 

So what exactly goes into a bike fitting? Do they tell you how to adjust the specific bike you have to make it better? Do they figure out the exact measurements you want in a new bike?

DAkilles

Usually depends on what type of fitting you are getting. My LBS offers two kinds - the freebie everyone gets when making a purchase and the race-level pricey one.

For the former they get you on the bike, stationary, and measure the angle your knee makes at the pedal, make sure you can reach everything comfortably etc. There used to be an axiom floating around that advised getting the smallest bike that fits you - anyone heard that one before?

For the latter I have no idea. I started watching one of those fitting once but decided to go ride instead. my LBS advertises the Serotta Fit Method.

himespau 

Well, I've been riding more and the pain has been less than it was, but it still happens. I also notice that sometimes when I'm in the drops my quads bang against my belly (yes, I've got a bit of a belly as I'm 6'2, 230-ish). Is that normal for a bigger guy such as myself or is that an indicator that I don't have things adjusted right? Here's a picture of my setup:


thanks

DAkilles

In a similar state of shape

I think its nothing to worry about. I notice some of that too when I'm tucked up on the drops. Looking at that photo, seat height and bars would put you very horizontal, so yeah, normal.

bike2math

Try stretching your hamstrings (stand and touch your toes). I had major mid-to-lower back pain once and couldn't figure it out until I started stretching my legs for minutes at a time a dozen times a day. Pain was gone forever in less than a week. In my case the onset began after a long hiatus from cycling and was almost certainly related to things tightening up as I started working my leg muscles again.