live311

I've had back issues (no major injuries or anything) for several years now and it seems that cycling is making them more apparrent. My back fatigues long before my legs do, so it's cutting my rides short. And it happens on both my road and mountain bike. It's in my lower back, and stopping and stretching does help, but I can start to feel it after only 10 miles or so on the road.

I've had my road bike for about 2 weeks and I've been mountain biking for several years. The roads around here are not in great shape but my road bike is steel and I do try to avoid potholes and float over bumpy sections. I try to get to the gym 3 times a week and I do plenty of crunches. I don't really have any back soreness after a ride; in fact, after I get back and rest for an hour or so I'm tempted to get back on the bike! All the signs point to poor strength somewhere. I suppose I could give myself a couple more weeks of saddle time before I try other measures. Can someone possibly recommend some effective exercises that will strengthen my back so it will outlast my legs for once? Or do you think it could be a fit issue? I doubt it because my back can get sore from just sitting in a chair. So what can I do to get some relief?

lotek 

Live311,

I guess its just a matter of age, huh? (well it is with me).
I've been having back issues (no surgery etc.) for a while
now, and heres what I've found.
STRETCH before a ride, it helps.
STRETCH after a ride, it helps even more.
I've been taking Glucosamine and Chondriatin (sp?)
on the advice of Chiropractor.
I think its also a matter of strength and giving it time.
Crunches on a swiss ball will help, as will
reverse crunch (head down, lift up from waist while
on ball) I'm not sure of the name of that one.

Hope this helps

Marty

Hunter

Well you might want to try to adjust your riding position. Get yourself a bit more upright. Lower back pain can be caused from a variety of activities and continuing to stress that area out with exercises that do more harm than good is no help.
Since you have stated you have no major injuries then it could be muscle strain. In this case continuing to strain it more by doing crunch sit ups is not helping. Ovwer the years I have been dealing with it I have found that M Zone (Mega Pain Therapy)and a magnetic waist belt helps a great deal. However you do not have the extent of lumbar problems I do. Anyway M Zone (Mega Pain Therapy) will work great.
https://www.javelinacreek.com/

RWTD

Hunter is right about riding position .If you are hunched over with a rounded back like you see many riders do this puts more strain on the lower back.Make sure your back is flat and flexed inward rather than rounded and stretched outward.While this tends to put you in a higher more upright position you can still ride low in the drops without rounding the back with practice.
As for training to isolate the lower back people do back extensions or reverse extensions on machines.You can also do goodmornings (light weight here)where you put a barbell on your shoulders and bend forward til your back is parallel to the ground.I get my lower back training in through compound exercises like deadlifts ,squats etc.Check this site for video and description of these exercises. www.exrx.net ps to get to the exercises go to weight training then the male exercise body map then click on the lower back of the body map.

live311

A matter of age? I'm only 26!

As for my riding position, maybe I could have my LBS swap in a shorter stem with a higher rise. I'll try adjusting my seat some more, too.

I've done the back extensions you're talking about, lotek, but haven't done them for a while because the day-after soreness kinda sucks. Right now, sitting in my chair at work, my back is a little stiff, but no more than usual. I don't believe in using drugs for everyday discomfort so it sounds like I just need to suck it up and get used to it. I will try to remember to stretch before a ride, too. Thanks, guys.

lotek 

well ok, scratch that about age!
(well it seemed plausable in my case, 50 next week).

the Glucosamine and Chondriatin aren't drugs per say
they are more in the homeopathic domain (vitamins ?
well, not Rx or anything).

If you are having continual pain, I'd go get it checked out.
at 26 your way too young for back problems.

just my .02 worth tho.

Marty

cbhungry

Lotek is right, glucosamine is considered a food supplement, not even an herb or drug. (It's found in gelatin, shark cartlidge (used in the orient for bad arthritis) etc. ) No liver or kidney effects with long term usage. Good clinical trials have been done in Europe and the American Orthopedic Society acknowledged it as a safe and probably effective remedy for osteoarthritis.

At your age see a doc. WIthout a history of back injury (and unless your riding position and fit absolutely stinks) I would see a doctor. There is something called ankylosing spondylosis or spondylitis , common in young males who present with chronic back pain that can be easily assessed.

see link https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/000420.htm

Note onset of this disease is usually in men in their twenties.

DnvrFox

Interesting thread because I find that riding my road bike HELPS my back. Stretches it out, seems like.

Between losing some weight, doing more specific back exercises such as extensions, etc., and riding, I am totaly pain free.

Also, your abdominals are very important for your back strength.

RWTD

In addition to what has been said if you don't see a doctor which I think would be a good idea if this is chronic and continuing I think you should focus on your posture whether on the bike ,sitting in a chair or in the gym etc.This means focusing on the straight not rounded back.If you notice on cbhungrys link the treatment besides drugs and surgery in extreme cases is exercise to improve posture.Correct form for all back weight exercises is the straight back and this has taught me good posture at other times both on and off the bike.

live311

I think you may be right about my posture. I tend to slouch even when I walk. I have for as long as I can remember. I did some back extensions at the gym today and I got a burn pretty quick. It seems that if I can get some strength in those muscles and learn to sit up straight I might have some hope.

I just wanted to clarify some things. The pain I'm talking about is not in my joints or vertebrae. It is obvious lower back muscle fatigue from being hunched over in the saddle. After about an hour of relaxing the pain is completely gone. I have no problems with my range of motion. I'll admit that 7 years of high school and college rowing took their toll, but once I graduated my SI joint disfunction went away and I have been relatively pain free ever since. Like I said, I'll work on my posture and try to stick to some exercises to strengthen my lower back. I appreciate everybody's concern and advice. Keep it coming. It won't fall on deaf ears

ncr

For a start there is a lumbar support that fits in the lower back
curve when sitting in a chair or driving and it should end your sitting in chair problem but you need to sit up straight and feel
the pressure of that support on the lower back.
Your problem on the bike is caused by the pedaling and you are
just one of thousands who have the same or worse trouble in
this area. When normal pedaling is used all resistance and
support for most of the upper body weight must be supplied by
the lower back. This continuous strain will soon start to take its toll on any back that is less than perfect and varying intensities of
pain begin. As soon as you climb off the bike, the strain ceases and so does the pain. It is as simple as that and all the talk of
changing bar and saddle positions and strengthening the abs
comes from people who never suffered from this type of pain.
Yes they may have had discomfort from bad positions etc but
they never had chronic "on the bike" back pain because if they
had it could only have been cured by very risky surgery.
There is another cure, a different pedaling style, the same that
was used by the great J Anquetil, when using that style all
resistance is supplied by the hips and all upper body support is
supplied by the working arms. Trying to explain it on a forum
is an impossible task so I won't even try but when it is released
to the victims of back pain (hopefully later this year) it will be free
of charge.

joeprim

Live311

When my back hurts I do some pushups (100+) then lay on my back and twist from side to side ~ 20 times. I also do some back stuff at the gym regulary. If the doc thing dosen't find anything specific you might try that. I have a friend retire Navy Helio pilot that said situps cured the back problems he had when flying. I've never liked situps - it takes some many do do anything.

Joe

ziemek

hi,
i'm 37 and recovering from a herniated disc in the lumbar area,,,
all i can say to you is that back injuries take time to heal... if you don't have a back injury and it's just soreness, then you should do some press-ups (seal position push ups) and certainly crunches or ab exercise. also, keep those hamstrings loose, you can't imagine how connected all of our muscles are. still sore?
use cold packs for 15min. and more press ups. giving up? get the ibuprofin.....good luck.-TZ

mister_hl

Hello:

Back problems are pretty tough to get rid of, but doing exercises on the exercise ball worked wonders for me.

This works especially well if your back is sore/bad due to improper posture and slouching. Do exercises to work your abs.

tandemCruzer

Hello,

I don't write much here, but lurk occasionally and thought I'd chime in. I have an old back injury, and I've fought it for several years to get the time in on the bike, which I love. I know I find a lot of the suggestions mentioned above helpful. I agree also that these things can take a long time to heal. Exercises, ab work, stretches, as others have mentioned, have been very helpful for me.

In addition, I find that I have to be conservative when I'm first starting out in the season or changing my intensity on pulling up on the pedals (esp. the 6-10 o'clock positions) -- working my hamstrings a lot makes them tighten up later, which in turn affects my back.

Perhaps you're pedalling a little differently on your new road bike, and that's caused you to notice the ol' hamstrings/back more?

steveK

My lower back muscles hurt from time to time, I think its posture. I try to ride stretched out. I ride mountain bike 100 % of the time, I use bar ends to give myself different positions and shift in the saddle from time to time. I think riding makes my back stronger. Slouching definately puts strain on the lower back, and a few extra pounds in the gut can put added strain.

RWTD

One note on this.As I said I tend to cycle with a flat back.And since ncr and others have brought up this linear pedalling technique I have noticed that due to the flat back position I do tend to pedal more in this manner than a more pronounced up and down motion that tends to occur if I start rounding my back and hunching my shoulders foward and downward .It has been helpful to me visualizing this linear motion as I pedal.

ncr

Don't forget, Anquetil used pedals and toe-clips and he
generated and applied the power to his pedal in exactly the
same way as an indoor tug o' war man generates and applies the
power from his shoe to the non slip floor mat while lying back
and pulling the rope. The resistance or power is coming from
the hip, not the lower back and how it is transferred from shoe
to pedal is a vital part of his technique. Direct downward
pedal pressure is never used.

RWTD

Actually I use toe-clips as well.I do notice more power seems to come from the hips.And my abs and lower back are in a more flexed stronger position to support the upper body rather than the lower back being in an elongated more vulnerable position to stress.Like was said in another thread cycling doesn't create huge amounts of stress compared to weight training etc. but this would be more likely to create problems over time or aggrevate preexisting problems.

ncr

Lastly the setting of the ball of foot ahead of the pedal axle makes the
elimination of the dead spot area much easier and gives that toes down
riding style for which Anquetil was noted. Of course all these only work
when you are using his identical style both mentally and physically.

luvabluzer

Forget all the advice above. Get a recumbent and your back problems, along with any other aches and pains cycling may cause you, will be cured.

Laid back and lovin' it

Helmut

crowley

Being laid back makes it difficult for motorists in heavy
traffic to see recumbents. Are there any statistics on
the accident rate of recumbents?

luvabluzer

Crowley,

I've been riding recumbents for four years now. almost completly on the road, no trails. I have not experienced any problems with visibility. If anything the uniqueness of the recumbent draws more attention to you than riding on a regular bicycle would. I'm not aware of any statistics to verify this though. I didn't mean to make light of the original posters back problems. I have had back problems also so I know how frustating they can be. I hope he gets some relief from the recommendations but if all else fails give a recumbent a try. You'll wonder why you waited so long.

Regards,

Helmut

crowley

It's not the driver immediately behind that I would be
worried about, it's the driver behind him who is following
closely, you would be completely out of his range of
vision.

luvabluzer

crowley,

You know that anytime you venture out in traffic on a bike you're taking part in a risky endeavor. You can try to analyze it any way you want; it's dangerous out there. All I can tell you is that I haven't found being on a recumbent anymore so than being on an upright.