Aching Shoulders

TwistedSpirit

Just got back from my first ride on my first road bike and my shoulders really ached.

Could this be because its been a while since i rode a bike or because my seat is at the wrong height?

Any advice would be appreciated!

sungod

might just be you need time getting used to it, but...

are you leaning on the bars? you shouldn't really have much weight on your hands

are you having to stretch/hunch to reach the bars? again. you shouldn't need to

it could be your position is wrong, or bike set-up, or both


quick, general, set-up guide, won't be right for everyone, but on average should be close...

before starting, make sure saddle and bars are both level

step 1 - get the saddle height correct

get the bike in a doorway or narrow corridor so you can balance upright safely with something to lean against - have someone there to help steady you just in case!

sitting on the saddle, hips level, wearing roadshoes but not clipped in, pedal backwards then stop with leg down, move your foot so that the flat of the sole between cleat and heel is just resting on the pedal. your leg should be relaxed at natural straight extension

if your legs is bent - raise saddle a smidge, repeat process

if your foot doesn't reach without forcing it or leaning, - drop saddle a smidge, repeat process

once ok with the right leg, check it's ok on the left - hard to tell, but people do have leg length differences (which causes other issues)

step 2, once height is correct, adjust saddle back/forwards...

clip in, pedal backwards, stop with right crank pointing forwards, a line dropped from tip of right knee should just touch the tip of the crank arm

if too far back/forwards, move saddle forwards/back as necessary until you've got it right

repeat for other leg to check if there's a major difference (i.e. in femur length)

recheck the height is still ok as a big back/forward change will affect it


at this point you've got the saddle in about the best position for most people, won't be perfect, but should be ok


step 3, are the bars in the right place...

sit up straight on the saddle, pedal backwards to get comfy

keeping your back gently arched back a bit, lean forwards from the hips (don't bend your back!), your hands should reach the hoods in riding position with your elbows slightly bent, and without having to put weight on your hands

if you can't reach the hoods like this then they're too far away and/or too low (and the opposite if you reach them while you could still lean much further)

there's not much you can adjust if step 3 is the problem, if there're spare spacers above the stem you can raise the bars, but if they are too far away then a shorter stem, and/or one with extra rise could help you - a good lbs ought to help you with this


as time passes, you'll lose weight and develop power and technique, you need to keep an eye on these adjustments as they can change a bit, for instance if you lose some body fat you might end up sitting a bit lower and so need to raise the saddle a few mm

CarleyB

i found my shoulders ached initially. I was tensing up because of the difference in riding style.

spinndrift

I too had shoulder aches initially but then my elbows started aching - now days it's just my legs that ache lol.

Monty Dog

Don't grip the bars so tightly - if problems persist then you may be over-reaching and may need to look at ways of reducing the bars to saddle distance i.e. shorter / raised stem or shallower / shorter reach bars.

sarkster

I had a lot of shoulder pain yesterday in a sportive. I fixed it with painkillers

TwistedSpirit

I just did another 15 miles today after work (still getting used to it) and there was no pain in my shoulders, just my backside and neck...

Also when i got home and walked upstairs my legs felt really weird. Sort of like they weren't there...?