…shoulders. So I'm new to bike commuting this year. I've only logged 100 miles this summer, but I think that's a pretty good start for an out-of-shape smoker of 18 years (recently quit, again.)

So I know I've got a ways to go before my body is accustomed to riding more, but last week, I rode to work (7mi round trip) and had ridiculous pain for two days afterward between my shoulder blades. Any ideas why? My hunch is that I slouched after a long day of work and let my spine sag forward between my shoulders? My bars aren't all that low, but am considering some taller riser bars for next season. Thoughts?

improper fit? google jim langley bike fit. it'll give you an idea of how properly fit your bike is. you could also get a LBS bike fitting but you'll have to keep adjusting your settings to your liking til you find the sweet spot and you'd have to ride maybe 25 to 50 miles to feel if the bike feels good to you. trust me, there is a setting for your body. just keep experimenting. is your saddle high enough? are the bars lower than the saddle?

Hmm... yeah. It sure seems to be a good fit though. Saddle adjusted so I'm getting near-full leg extension (but not 100%). Bars are an inch or so above saddle, and I don't have to lean over all that far to reach grips. I'll look up JL fit, and keep tweaking. In my head, the bars are the problem (edit: or me), but I dunno.

are you locking up your arms and keeping everything too tense?

Maybe…

My guess, too. Trick on a bike like this one is to keep your wrists straight, and your elbows bent. It's OK to hold your upper body up with your arms, but when your elbows are locked, all that shock goes straight into your shoulders. Muscles can absorb shocks much better than joints!

What are your thoughts on the bars?

relax

You may want to add a pair of barends to your setup. They're cheap & offer you another hand position. That may (or may not) help with the shoulder issue. If the problem is that your stem is too short, or your handlebars are too narrow, the bar ends should help a bit. Also make sure that your seat is approximately level with the ground. If it's tilted forwards, you'll be sliding forward/ pushing backwards with your arms/shoulders for the whole ride.

Edit: OK scratch the whole hard ends thing, I just blew up the picture you posted & can see the bar ends now.

I'm just thinking that getting some riser bars to get me in a more upright might help me out vs these current bars that have me in a 'sportier' position. While a more aggressive position is fun to ride, it seems to tire me out more. As much as I like the idea of drop bars, I really can't imagine ever being comfortable leaned over that far. At least until I get into better shape? Shave some weight off my middle, strengthen my core, etc.

As for the pain, yeah, I probably was all tensed up that day.

I get some pain in between my shoulder blades if I ride much with my neck craned like I'm looking up over my head. Then when I try to stretch the other way (chin to chest) it really hurts, so I keep doing it. The stretching, not the original problem. There may be exercises to strengthen those muscles but I just try to keep my neck in a more neutral position, and that prevents the pain.

give it time. All good things come to those thru pain.