Maybe I just need to keep working on my bike fit, but after a certain number of miles, my back and my feet start hurting. Today I road 52 miles and things started hurting somewhere around mile 30. Is this normal? Or is your bike so comfortable that you don't get aches and pains at all? I recently reduced my stem length and that seems to have addressed the pain in my upper back (shoulders), but it seems the pain just moved down to my lower back. Thoughts?
Alan

Have you been fitted yet?

My pains mostly depend on my fitness, it is more muscle cramps and sores.

I've never had a bike fit. I suppose that could be a good idea.
Alan

Goals ? You going for endurance roadie riding, or neighbor hood JRA tours.?

Hurts @ 30 miles ? Stop @ 25 & take a Break.

Well, I am signed up for an 80 mile ride in two weeks, but I am thinking I will ride a shorter route instead (metric century). I would also like to ride an 80 miler in August. Other than that, I think a 40 mile ride every weekend would be about right.

Normal? Probably yes. Solvable? For many people, yes. On a regular upright bike, your fitness has much to do with how long you can stay comfortable. As long as your energy remains high, much weight is supported by your feet, not hands and seat. The right shoes, right fit, and frequent rides all go a long way. Those frequent rides should be well within your 'comfort' zone. The special occasion long rides will probably still come with some discomfort. Weekend warriors mostly have to be content with short rides.

Might have went too short with the stem, too short kills my lower back.

Part of cycling is the ability to provide yourself with a measure of onboard pain management during a ride. Many of the sore spots and irritations you experience will change from hour to hour and very subtle changes in position and exertion can bring about some relief and also give you clues as to what works or doesn't work for you.

Any time you engage in physical activity beyond what you are used to, you will have some aches and pains. Given proper rest and nutrition, with continued training your aches and pains will become less and less, or at least it will take more and more exercise to elicit them. I will guarantee that even the top pros get sore after hard training or competition.

Consider some kind of conditioning/cross training to address specific concerns. Pilates, yoga, stretching, core exercises, foam rollers or balls, all have their place in reducing discomfort on the bike. If problems continue or worsen, a trip to a sports oriented physician or physiologist may be in order.

It depends a lot on positions for me. If I'm tightened up things start going south in about an hour. I try to get on the tops on climbs (even shorter climbs, anything less than about 16 mph -- basically any time where I just don't care about being aero at all because I'm powering through it and wind is less of a factor), the drops when descending, and the hoods for like the other 60-70%...as long as I can do that I'm good for a while. My old shoes, no matter what I would have to loosen them after about an hour though, but since I changed from 44's to 44E's, I haven't had any discomfort in my feet.

Are you wearing gloves and bike shoes? If not, do so.

I'm 61 and have aches and pains even before I start to ride.

Do not ignore a stretching routine. How is your flexibility? If your lower back gets tight your hamstrings may be the issue? Get a good stretching routine and put it into place and see if over time it helps.

Are you riding a road bike or a hybrid or a mountain bike?

I find engaging my core helps my back when I ride (and other times too).

I'm on a road bike with clipless pedals. Rode for about 3 years a decade ago and have been getting back into it the last few years. I just realized while my ankles are very secure in my shoes, the ball of my foot can move quite a bit. I think I have a poor pedal stroke and an pointing my toes down through the while stroke, pushing with my toes, causing pain. I also have trouble keeping my shoulders relaxed. The shorter stem has helped, but it's a bad habit I need to break. I've also been wondering about core exercises as I think I'm pretty lacking there. Thanks for the input.

How long have you been riding? How long have you been riding more than 20 miles? 30 miles? more? What's the terrain? Did you recently add hills? On-road, or off? Have you recently changed gearing? Pedals? So many factors...

For lower back pain, one possibility is that you're bending your lower back. If that's what you're doing, you can probably prevent the pain by rolling your pelvis forward instead, which keeps the lower back in the right position.

Cheer up. At least your back pain goes away after the ride.

[QUOTE=RFEngineer;18822016I also have trouble keeping my shoulders relaxed. [/QUOTE]

bend your elbows.

riding with locked elbows induces the dreaded 'turtle head' posture...not good.

Spoken like a physician .

I'm comfortable for 200 miles including the two highest paved peaks in the SF Bay Area.

Your fit and position aren't right yet and/or you don't have enough recent miles.