I've had this ache in my lower back for about a week. I got it while teaching my four year old son to ride his bike without training wheels, which he can do now :D, however, my back's been bugging me, and yes, I've commuted via bike a few times this week too. Here's my stupid question. Do I have to take a break from riding until my back stops hurting? I'm hoping someone will honestly say that riding won't aggravate it any more. I really want to ride, because I just put on some new 165mm bulletproof cranks and I uped my chainring a couple teeth, but I haven't given it a test ride yet. What do you think? Is it safe for me to ride?

I have been having lower back pain for about 2 months now, it really only hurts when im bending over, not using my legs. But I've still been doing about a 100-150 miles a week. Just hope it doesnt get worse when Im doing my regular 300 miles a week.




RiDe It LiKe YoU sToLe It

I've always found that doing situps regularly helps with the lower back pain. I try to get in about thirty every morning. If this helps you, you'll feel a difference in about a week to ten days. Good luck. If no relief from that, start tweaking your setup (bar angle, seat position, etc.) until you feel better. One variable at a time, you know?

Thanks for all the replies. Actually the pain came from leaning over and running along with my son as he was learning to ride his bike without training wheels. I did this for like three hours one day, until he got it. He kept pushing me to keep going, or else I would've stopped, hehe. I haven't tried the new setup, but I've got short legs, and was running a 175mm crank. I inherited the bike with those cranks on, and realized that they're too long, so I just changed it up. I haven't ridden the bike with the new setup yet, so I dunno how it'll feel. I'm just wondering if riding is going to make my back worse. I guess I'll just take it slow and ride. If it gets worse, I'll try doing some situps and changing my seat height and see if that helps.

leaning over for too long probably caused you to tweak a muscle. i do this a lot cos i have a sensative lower back. even sitting in a chair for more than an hour makes it stiffen up. i can't see exercise do anything else but help loosen stiff muscles, but if i were you i would try stretching before riding. i don't see saddle height or crank length affecting your back, but it might help to adjust your stem/bars if you can.

i'm in pretty good shape and i don't weigh much, but i tweak it every once and a while where i'm useless for a day or two. that's also cos i'm lifting heavy lights and camera equipement almost daily. i try to do situps and lower back exercises and that helps a lot. you could also try some icey hot or some flexall and see if that helps. it sounds like you're married, so you could also guilt your wife into massaging it for you!

A type of physical therapy called Feldenkrais will cure what ails you.
Think of it as the most gentle yoga possible.
Gentle, gentle, gentle.
Feldenkrais costs a fortune.
Few people can afford it.
However, the best Feldenkrais teacher I have ever heard sells audio CD's that will lead you through the whole thing.
I just finished four years of Feldenkrais, two hours a week at $140 per hour.
My insurance paid for every penny of it.
Russell Delman sells his whole CD set for $79.95.
Feldenkrais works and no one teaches it as well or as pleasantly as Russell Delman.
If you have an unhappy back, this will fix it, and you will see results from the beginning.

http://www.russelldelman.com/products.html

Yeah, strengthening your abdominal muscles really helps the back. Maybe try crunches for starters, sometimes situps can be really stressful, especially if you have lower back pain.
A couple years ago I had a lumbar vertebre fractured in a car accident, so I had to do a LOT of lower-back related exercises in PT for a while. Crunches were a help, also this goofy thing where you are down on all fours, and lift your left leg and right arm all the way out simultaneously, then right leg and left arm, etc. Sounds basic, but do it long enough and you will feel how it could strengthen your back. And I will repeat my emphasis on the abdominal muscles.
Also realize that compensating for back pain can lead to compensation in a lot of other muscles, so make sure you are stretching everything out too.
Of course, I'm not a doctor (I just play one on TV) so please don't hold me to anything! Good luck with recovery.

Sometimes aches from working out a muscle that you don't normally work out lingers around for a week or more. In addition to the sit ups and crunches, holding the plank pose also helps strengthen the core and lower back. http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/470_1.cfm

thanks for that yoga link. I tried it out this morning and it felt really good, even if I felt goofy trying to do all this: Press your front thighs up toward the ceiling, but resist your tailbone toward the floor as you lengthen it toward the heels. Lift the base of the skull away from the back of the neck and look straight down at the floor, keeping the throat and eyes soft.

now you guys have got me doing yoga poses, too.

damn you all!

Yoga is really good for core strength and flexibility which would do most cyclists a world of good. Flexibility allows a lower torso position which in turn increases power output from your glutes. Lower bar position on a track bike also looks better too :)