On board, in flight pain control
 

I'm getting longer distances these days (40-70 miles a ride) , some of it is a new bike that fits me and a saddle that feels great (at last!) but most of it is learning to cope with all the little pains that crop up during the ride. They seem to hit in stages, knees the first two miles(that clears up after I warm up it seems) , butt pain much later and any number of wrist, elbow, foot and shoulder discomforts in between. By moving around, standing, stretching on the bike etc I am able to manage, in a way, to keep moving in relative comfort.

Any of you high mile guys have words of wisdom on the topic?

Mike

To be honest- I don't know. I do get numb hands occasionally so that is the time I realise I am riding too intensly- not relaxed. Back ache comes in so sit upright- stretch the back etc but I should have been doing it beforehand.

But if Butt ache comes in before 8 hours are up- something is wrong so find out what it is.

But warning signs- That last hill was tough- tougher than usual- is it the bike- me or Nourishment. The knee hurts in certain parts of the pedal stroke- something is going wrong so if it gets worse- bail out.

But in general- most aches and pains are not noticed. Perhaps it is a higher pain threshold- because I do not know I have done a long hard ride till the day after- Or is that just aging.

Yeah, but you are english..you guys are tougher than us.

Remember Pink Floyd? "hanging on in quiet desperation, it's the English way"

You may want to re-check your fit on the bike -- for example, are you putting too much load on your hands?

IMHO long rides require having multiple subtle position changes in the saddle, multiple handlebar positions for the hands and various riding techniques. I will sit a little to one side or the other or a little up or back if my rear is getting a little sore. I will just stand and pedal for a few minutes to use different muscles, I will change the power points in my pedal stroke to use different muscles - all of this allows me to go for a long time. Even at all that - a rest stop every 20 or 30 miles is a welcome relief.

There's a difference between pain and discomfort. Discomfort I expect on long rides. Pain means something is wrong. If you're really feeling pain, then fit might continue to be something that needs more attention. Very small changes can make big differences. For example, a friend had very persistent should pain. He was riding handlebars that were 44 cm center to center. This was what the professional fitter suggested. After all, his shoulders were 44 cm wide and conventional wisdom holds that you match your bars to that. He went to 42 cm on a whim and has had not should pain since.

Ihave always been able to hang on in quiet desparation. Stretch on the bike, occationaly stop and take off a shoe, stand up and stretch the back. Its all about recoginzing discomfort vrs pain. Discomfort I ride through.

What saddle do you have? In a month or two, if I find some loose change under the seat cushions, I may try a (gasp) Brooks.

I can ride 100+ miles and really not have any discomfort other than muscle fatigue. That didn't happen overnight but took a while to get the fit right and also the proper equipment for me-saddle, shoes, shorts, etc.

My guess is there are some fit issues and/or your bike is transferring a lot of road noise to your joints. From personal experience I'm thinking your reach-top tube/stem might be too long??? What type of frame and fork is your bike? What type of wheels do you have and how much pressue do you run in them?

I have the same problems, with the neck being the worst. My solution is to alternate riding my upright (tandem) with my recumbent (single.) On the recumbent I have zero pain problems. I can ride longer distances more comfortably at the same speed. If it weren't for enjoying the teamwork with my wife on the tandem, I'd be 100% recumbent. As it is, I consider it cross training and enjoy both bikes.

TWL: Welcome to the Kool Aid stand!

"There's a difference between pain and discomfort."

That statement may be key here. I am a weenie of the first order and I am revising my "pain" to "discomfort". I have a huge problem with stopping to take breaks, I need to learn to pull off and hang for a few minutes.

I am running about 115 PSI in my tires (stock tires on the bike) but the bike seems pretty comfortable.

I appreciate all the input. I listen to much of what I learn here and I have benifitted from a lot of it. ...not quite ready for a 'bent yet but I do look at them once in a while.

Mike

115 psi should be okay-but I have one set of wheels that are so stiff at 115 psi they translate a lot more road vibration that leads to a "jarring effect". You need to get rid of the discomfort so keep working on it. It will become real pain the longer the ride-especially if you have the desire to do a century-which I'm guessing is very doable if you're already doing 70 milers. Even little discomforts will become huge mental distractions, knaw at you and greatly take away from the ease of doing longer rides. It could mean something as simple as a cleat adjustment on your shoe, switching a stem to a different length, changing the bars to a different material, etc. My discomforts got so bad it led to having to go to an Ortho to get help with the joints. You can correct it-I would just hate for you to have to go through what I did!!!

Everything so far is good advice. I’ve been riding seriously for 12 years, each year I seem to up the anny for distance. Now I’m a member of a small in group in our cycling club called the ultra-milers. Each of our rides is 80 to 110 miles in length on hilly terrain.


Get a professional bike. Be sure and hydrate even when you’re not thirsty. Most important, don’t forget to eat. When riding 100 plus miles forget the power bars, etc. Eat real food, comfort food like sandwiches, pizza, fruits. You even need a little fat to help keep going. Don’t be afraid of it, you’re going to burn in up.

The more you ride the more your body will get acclimated to the longer distances; it just takes time and the willingness to put in the miles.


H.R.