Kindaslow

My 50th is coming up soon. I got back into cycling last summer after seeing a number on the scale that I thought was impossible. I have lost 44 pounds, on my way to 60 plus.

Many years of activity have left my body with significant issues, the biggest for biking is my fused neck (stress fractures led to bone spurs led to losing the use of my left arm and some usage of hands...). The surgery fixed most of the problems, but the fused neck has me limited to just under 2 1/2 hours on my road bike. The muscles around my neck just give out eventually, but this is up from 1 hour.

Anyone else facing this challenge or no someone who has? Solutions?

Thanks for giving it some thought.

scroca

This reminds me of an issue I heard about with someone doing endurance riding who had trouble with her neck. It seems to me that there should be some kind of neck harness that would allow one's chin to rest. Have you tried looking for something like that?

Gerryattrick

As a non medical expert I'm not sure if there is a full solution but I think you may be on the way to solving it yourself, or at least learning to accommodate it more. In around 6 months you've increased riding time from 1 to 2 1/2 hours - well done!

Kindaslow

Thanks guys. The good news is that I can MTB a until my legs wear out and my neck is fine (other than the crashes). I am hoping to get to three hours by summer on the road bike, but I appear to be on a plateau. Maybe the return of warm weather will help?

berner

I don't have your specific problem but I am a certified, card carrying old guy, 76 y.o. My solutions to physical issues may not work for others in my age category but they are to maintain mobility and flexibility by stretching. I like some of the yoga poses which also add strength. I also do some weight work to maintain a general level of strength. For example, I'm able to ride all winter here in coastal Rhode Island but at a reduced mileage from summer months. In Spring, when ramping up mileage again, my neck muscles may get a bit sore on longer rides. I know then to add in neck strenghtening exercises which solves the problem. I also have a troublesome knee which also goes away with exercise. These remedys may not work for everyone but they cost nothing for you to try.