New Commuting Hybrid - bad lower back pain - please help!

horder2344

I regularly commute 20 miles per day into london and up until this week I have covered most of that on a Specilized Hardrock with Slick 1.35 tyres. To give me more speed I have purchased a Boardman Hybrid Team which is a flat bar - fairly aggresive posture road bike. I am experiencing lower back pain and am worried that I might be stuck with a bike that is not suitable.

It is comfortable to ride albeit very different to the hardrock- and it has a long top tube 615mm which is the same as the hardrock. The core difference is the the bars are about 2-4 inches lower than the seat compared to the laid back Hardrock setup.

I have been to Evans and Condor for some advice and both have said that the bike is the right size and I am not too stretched out. I am 5-11 and the seat tube is 54 and top tube is 615mm

Is back pain pain normal to expect where I have gone for a completely different ride set up and the pain will eventually subside or is their anything I can do to alleviate the pain?

Any help would really be appreciated

Thanks

pastryboy

I've had some back pain when switching to drops for the first time - it passed after getting used to the new position. I found moving the seat further back helped too.

horder2344

Thanks - my biggest fear because of the long top tube was over stretch but that is definately not the case. Today the pain was quite bad on the way in so on the way home I pushed myself to the back of the seat more and it definately helped. I may stick on the original 120 mm stem rather than the 100mm that I asked the dealer to fit

Thanks

frazerbrown

I used to get bad lower back pain when mountainbiking, which eased a lot by stretching my hamstrings a few times a day.

lost_in_thought

Stretch stretch stretch. Some of the more, ahem, senior members of this forum have suffered at the, erm, hands of over-tight hamstrings. Be careful not to over-stretch cold muscles, but when you reach your destination, go for it.

Also, spinning in a lighter gear can help with back pain. Don't give up!

STEFANOS4784

I had lower back pain when i got my new bike and it was a less aggresive position :?
Anyhoo my mate said it was probably due to lack of core strength so i did loads of sit ups. No pain now but not sure if it was the sit-ups or i just got used to it........

AndyManc

horder2344 wrote:

Thanks - my biggest fear because of the long top tube was over stretch but that is definately not the case. Today the pain was quite bad on the way in so on the way home I pushed myself to the back of the seat more and it definately helped. I may stick on the original 120 mm stem rather than the 100mm that I asked the dealer to fit

Thanks

Have you thought about adding bar-ends to your bike, they will provide a less aggressive riding position and on a 20mile commute I'm sure an alternative hand position would be welcomed.


.