Back Pain

[If_Rider]

Lately when I ride my road bike I get lower back pain at about the 12 mile mark. No problems on the MTB just the road bike. I'm pretty sure it's a fit issue and I should get fitted by a Pro but I was wondering if anyone else had similar issues and/or advice. I'd rather try to solve the problem on my own as getting fitted can be expensive.

I'm guessing I should play with the saddle height and try a shorter stem as a start.

Thanks

Mike

[jaime]

Have you considered a higher stem or one with more rise? I recently had to borrow a set of bars from a coworker & when he gave 'em to me with the original stem (quill type) still attached. It was much higher than the one I normally use, like 2.5-3 inches. Felt weird at first, but seemed like neck pain or back pain could be helped. it was a Nitto Technomic, btw.

The drawback was that it was hard to stay aero, and I felt like I had less power while climbing out of the saddle.

Hope this helps...
j.

[C.P.]

It's a best guess when it comes to e-fitting tips - esp on road bikes.
Things to check.
Saddle height too high? (even 1-2 cm is enough to make a difference)
How 'bout handlebar width? I'm big guy like you, and a nice set of 46 (width) bars made a BIG differnce in comfort for me...it helped with my chest feeling like it was easier for breathing too.
Do you ride primarily on the hoods? If so, sometimes just a slight moving of the hoods a little closer to you (new bar tape here) or even just slightly rotating the bars so the hoods are higher up can help.

If nothing else, then higher stem, or go get a fitting, cant recommend that enough...made a HUGE difference when I did it...and you can keep the measurements for future road bike set-ups.

[If_Rider]

Thanks for the tips. The problem seemed to start around the time I switched saddles awhile back so I'm going to try that first. I've had chronic back problems so it's possible my posture is affecting things too.

Hbar width is 44cm and the stem is 130mm. I got a shorter stem to try from a co-worker but it has no rise...we'll see.

Mike

[If_Rider]

I dropped the seat a bit and moved it forward slightly and put on a shorter stem, 100mm down from 130mm. Rode 16 at lunch today with no pain!! The back was a little tight but I think that will go away as I put some miles on. It feels more comfortable overall too. The real test will be commuting.

[EVIL BOTA]

Mike another way to help yourself would be to do some strait legged dead lifts.. Low weight high reps. or hyper extentions.

Everyone works their ab's and tend to forget about their lower back.
Doing these to exercizes will stretch your hamstrings which pull on your lower back when their tight. Plus it wil strenthen your back up nice. I had lower back problems for years until I started doing these...

Just remember when your doing them to keep the bar as close to ur legs as possible during the movement and keep a slight bend in your kness.
Ron

[If_Rider]

I used to do deads lifts years ago but lately, with chronic back pain, I've avoided them. Could be worth a try though.

Knock on wood, for the past few months, except for the road bike, my back has been excellent. Hopefully this solves that problem.

Even better than dead lifts...Yoga. Get a tape with Lisa Bennett (Yoga Zone) and you won't take your eyes off the screen ;D

[markdmtb...ir]

I, went thru a spell of back pain issues, and I asked the advice of an extremely fit personal trainer at the gym. And she said to strenthen my core muscles. I started banging out the crunches and voila no more back pain. Mark

[biffster]

I've had pain from riding my road bike and 99% of the time it is a fit issue.

I used to use the string on the kneecap to determine saddle position, but now I just center my saddle so that I feel neutral on the bike.

On a trainer using a riser block, move your saddle fore and aft until you can almost balance on the bike without falling back or falling forward while in your riding position. I usally ride on the tops and lift my hands slightly and see if I fall back or forward while pedaling. The string method only works if you have a "normal" length femur and tibia. My femurs are long, so the string method causes an incorrect fit for me. A balanced seat position is the way to go.

Once you get this correct, you can approximate a good stem length by riding on the hoods and looking down at the handlebars. If the front axle is ahead of the stem, the stem is too short. If it is behind the stem, then the stem is too long.

I wouldn't bring the stem any higher than necessary. It will make your bike feel more like a wet noodle and your climbing position will suffer.

The last 60cm Trek I bought had 175mm cranks. I switched them to 172.5's, even though I ride 175's on my MTB rig. The 175 cranks for some reason, caused back pain and made the frame seem huge.

Hope this info helps. I've been there and back pain sucks.