Coccyx pain

Boy Lard

My friend has recently bought a full sus mountain bike, having seen me start commuting to work and heard me wittering on about getting out on the trails on evenings weekends. He hasn't been on a bike in 20 odd years and is a bit hefty at the moment. He's started off with the right idea of doing a little bit at a time to ease himself in, but he is getting really bad coccyx pain, even on gentle rides locally on nice smooth flat(ish) roads.

I could understand if he was feeling a bit bruised around fleshy parts of the bottom, or if his sit bones where taking a bit of a bashing, but I can't understand why he's getting coccyx pain. He's never had trouble with his coccyx before.

The saddle height seems to be correct, the saddle itself is virtually level, maybe very slightly nose down. When he first goes out everything feels fine and he's enjoying riding, and then for 2-3 days afterwards he get's really bad pain and can't even sit in a normal chair properly.

I thought maybe the saddle was too far forwards causing him to curve the bottom of his spine, but his sitting position looks pretty normal. I am by no means an expert at this so I could really use some ideas as what may be causing it.

dondare

He's using the right medical term, I assume?

I would say about any unexplained pain that other cyclists don't experience - get a real doctor to check it out.

lost_in_thought

Yeah, if it really is his coccyx then he needs to see a doctor. I've never heard of coccyx pain from cycling before, indeed, it's rather out of the way if you're sitting properly on the saddle.

Does he get it off the bike too?

Boy Lard

I was a bit baffled myself as to what might cause coccyx pain on the bike. Yes it is his coccyx, or at least that area, that is hurting, and no he doesn't get it off of the bike. (To clarify, he doesn't normally get the pain when he's not been using the bike, but after some cycling it does cause him trouble sitting in a normal chair, until it has worn off).

I've had trouble with coccyx pain myself, because of sitting in computer chairs for 16 hours a day, (8 hours at work and then playing addictive games all evening and weekends). It's normally too much pressure on the lower back from not sitting 'straight', or an injury to the coccyx from a fall, jumping over a fence, something like that. He doesn't remember ever having damaged his coccyx, but after cycling for 30 minutes to 1 hour he has trouble sitting down, even off of the bike.

I've suggested he goes to see his doctor, but he is very frustrated at having a new bike and not being able to use it, and I am jealous because his bike is a lot better than mine

Jay dubbleU

Persuade him that cycling is bad for him and get him to donate his new bike to you - no more coccyx pain and you get a better bike 8)

bicyclepirate

I fell off my bike onto my a**e about three years ago and couldn't sit down for a month. After it healed and i got back into cycling i would regularly get quite nasty pains (in the coccyx and lower back) a few days after exericse. Ive found that the best way to combat it is prevention through streching. I find the crucifix strech works really well after a ride. After by back goes off like a set of fire crackers (imagine the pop's in sequence just up my spine instead of a firecracker string) i feel much better and its almost as if the pressure is relieved (im fairly sure that this is in my head though).

The only other suggestion is to get a suspension seatpost.

link to back streches below.

http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/health ... back-24568