Bike setup and gradual onset of neck pain

Rich-Ti

Both visually and when I'm sat on my bike the setup looks and feels very good - I think my saddle position is spot on and apart from feeling the need for a slightly shorter stem I'm generally pretty happy.

I may have already answered my own question in that the stem length maybe making my life uncomfortable, but gradually over the course of a ride my neck and shoulder gradually tighten to the point of practically going into spasm in the last 15-20 miles of yesterday's ride.

A shorter stem will obviously mean I'm sat a little more upright and will therefore be holding my head up less, but I just want to be sure there's nothing else I'm missing?

I don't have a pic of me on the bike but a pic of the bike is below - I have made some (pretty minor) tweaks to the saddle and its height (now an Arione, levelled with a spirit and dropped by 2 or 3 mm), hood position (now less horizontal), stem height (dropped a couple of mm). Is there anything obvious?:



Any advice most welcome! 8)

giant_man

You're not going to get the correct position on your bike until you have yourself positioned properly by someone who knows what they're doing.

No-one on this forum is going to be able to tell you about your positioning and if it is correct or not.

Rich-Ti

giant mancp wrote:

You're not going to get the correct position on your bike until you have yourself positioned properly by someone who knows what they're doing.

No-one on this forum is going to be able to tell you about your positioning and if it is correct or not.

I see your point - just could be a while before I can get around to getting that sorted so was hoping for some help / pointers regarding the neck pain in the meantime?

Doobz

maybe try and have a go getting your bike setup on your own - I would say your seat looks a bit too far forward but I cant be 100% sure unless you were sat on the bike (very nice bike btw)

Check out the link below and have a mess around with seat height and fore and aft position

http://www.cobr.co.uk/e-cobr_informatio ... tion.shtml

Gary D

I suffer from similar problems but I am pretty sure it is nothing to do with the set up of the bike - it is mainly down to my riding technique :oops: :oops:

Unless I make a concious effort not to, I find myself locking my arms straight and also tensing up my shoulders whilst riding - as if I am trying to push the tops of my shoulders towards my ears is the best way of describing it :shock: . This causes the aches and pains you mention.

I have to continually check and correct myself if I am doing these things and it does make a difference. I am finding the more I ride the less prone I am to tensing up - sort of self education?

Next time you are out check whether you are tense or relaxed on the bars.

Hope this helps.

Gary.

Rich-Ti

Cheers Gary D - as a mountain biker it's likely that's playing quite a part in my discomfort, especially as everything else does seem to be ok in terms of the 'standard' fitting advice.

I've ordered a shorter stem so hopefully that'll help even if 90mm does seem too short for a road bike!

Otherwise a very valid comment on the link above from Doobz mentioned that glasses and the front of your helmet can make you look up more if they obscure your view, and I think that is definitely worth investigating as my new glasses (cheap PBK ones) do have a chunky nose bridge which seemed to obscure my view a lot unless they were right back on my face.

meagain

Well, if I rode with that sort of vertical difference saddle to bars I'd be in some pain well before 15-20 miles. That's no doubt an age thing with me, but you might try bringing the bars up and back a bit?

Rich-Ti

The hoods are now higher up the bars and that's where I spend most of my time - the bars can't go any higher. I managed 40 miles or so before the pain kicked in. I have long legs compared to my body length, hence the saddle height.

GeorgeShaw

What Gary D said.

Plus, think about what's happening in your back. If you're getting a sore neck, it's likely that, when you look up, you're putting all of the bend in your neck. Try not to do that. Try to rotate your shoulders upwards so that the bend is distributed down your back. It will also help if, at the other end, you're rotating your pelvis to get flat, rather than your back.

meagain

the bars can't go any higher

They could with a different stem (the only solution to the steerer having been cut too short for future changes in riding requirements).

Rich-Ti

meagain wrote:

the bars can't go any higher

They could with a different stem (the only solution to the steerer having been cut too short for future changes in riding requirements).

The perils of buying second hand! :roll:

Nuggs

+1 for what Gary D said.

I suffer a painful neck if I don't constantly remind myself to relax my arms (something I find particularly hard to do when descending; I'm usually hanging on tight for dear life!)

jxohn

I suffer from the same and found moving the saddle back quite a bit meant less weight being suported by the arms. This means its easier to relax the shoulders. I did have to shorten my stem. The other thing I discovered was the reach on my bars were longer than most 95 mm so i swapped to bars with a reach of 78 mm. Usually the shallow drop bars have shorter reach. I do think posture on the bike has a huge bearing on comfort. I tend to sit back on my haunches when fatigued and drop my head. Pilates is recommended by most which strengthens the core. Haven't got round to trying that yet.

musto_skiff

Gary D wrote:

Unless I make a concious effort not to, I find myself locking my arms straight and also tensing up my shoulders whilst riding - as if I am trying to push the tops of my shoulders towards my ears is the best way of describing it :shock: . This causes the aches and pains you mention.

I have to continually check and correct myself if I am doing these things and it does make a difference. I am finding the more I ride the less prone I am to tensing up - sort of self education?

I find myself doing that and as you do I have to remind myself.

I also sail lots and have for years so have more than the average amount of muscle on the front of my neck from holding this position for too long ...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24334505@N ... 031954450/

This is the opposite to the bike so I stretch my neck out before & during rides to ease of the muscles that oppose the ones that hold my head up whilst riding.