back and hands hurting

kamil1891

Hi all,

To start with, I am relatively tall (190cm/6ft 2) and I ride BMC pro machine size 57 (top tube 575mm) with 120mm stem. I started riding about a month ago after having about 3years long brake from any kind of bicycle, but I have never had any problems with health etc and I'm only 20.

The bike seems to be fine for me but almost everytime I go out and ride 30m (I don't ride less than that) or above I've got a massive back pain. It's mostly when I'm going downhill and I use brakes (and we've got a lot of hills here in Rochdale and around so avoiding them is impossible). Then the hands also hurt so much. I also cannot ride for long on the drops. I cannot do more than 70 miles because I feel like my back is completly broken and then I'm making different crazy poses on the bike just to feel a little bit better for few seconds :oops:

I have tried many, many setups according to bike fits I found on the internet (moving saddle, saddle height, adjusting bars lower or higher, putting stem under spacers or above and also cleats position) but none of them works. Now, I suspose it's because I over-reach to the levers and hence brakes, so maybe shorter stem would be an option? But would it make a big difference? Would also be helpful moving the brake levers a little bit inwards? (I feel incompetent to do that by the way). However, my main question is, whether I can do something before I get a professional bike fit? However, I would not afford it for at least 2-3 weeks. Would any of the above options work?

Thanks in advance for responses

ollyridesfirst

Certainly make sure the bike is fitted for you....even being out by 10mm can make you overstretch and stuff you up over that distance.

I presume you have set the saddle in relation to the pedals and then set the handlebars after the saddle is in the correct position?

Also stretching before, after and even during a ride helps me get through some of them! Even if it's just a reach up with both hands or a cat stretch to arch your back a bit and get it moving so it's not in the same place for too long helps!

If your hands are hurting as well, i'd say you are too far away from the bars and you are stretching. This is putting more weight on the front end and as such on your hands....

I know a full bike set-up is sometimes costly, but in my honest opinion, it pays for itself with the benefits of optimized riding position and ensuring you don't get any problems from incorrect position in later life

kamil1891

Yes, the saddle height and saddle to pedals are right and I'm also very well streched overall. I used to do many different sports too, so I'm more than sure is not a case of my health etc.

Thanks for response, I will try to get the bike fit as soon as possible

bobgfish

I have to agree with getting a proper Bike fit done. After spending years with various niggles riding a bike almost all of my "issues" disappeared after a proper bike fit. Too much of it is guess work when you do it yourself. All the calculators etc are a good starting point but no substitute in getting a dedicated professional looking at how you ride a bike.

pinnaclered

When I first got my bike I was too stretched out so I slammed my seat forward, and cause I couldn't fully engage my brakes from the hoods I bought shorter reach bars ( I have a ladies bike so stem is already has short has I would like without been twitchy) the short reach bars worked for my reach but I found I was getting numb hands. Also my knees were killing me after 10 miles, so i raised my seat adjusted cleats ad basically ran in circles for the past month. I was getting pretty fed up so decided on a bike fit. I went to JD Cycles in Ilkley it cost me £25 and took about 45 minutes. He adjusted my bike according to the computer read out and advised that the computer gives an ideal and I may be a few mm's either side of that ideal. I was a little suprised with the adjustments my seat was at much higher he had moved it back too, but as soon as I sat on it it was perfect everything felt better. I went to the otley crit last night rode in from
Leeds via kirkstall normally I can push up the hills at about 8mph
And sometimes stopped a few times depending on my knees. Last night with a slight headwind I was whizzing up them at 10 and 11mph my riding feels much more fluid and I feel faster. I woul highly recommend a bike fit and couldn't recommend JD cycles highly enough

secretsam

How/where do you get a bike fit?

ollyridesfirst

I got mine down at Paul Hewitts in Leyland, Lancashire before i ordered my bike!

A decent LBS should have at least a manual rig that they sit you on and measure you up with

rdt

Kamil, as others have said, it sounds highly likely your position on the bike is wrong. The hand and back pain, particularly when going downhill, suggests your centre of gravity is too far forward, so you're getting too little of your weight supported by your seat.

So a bike fit by someone good is the place to start. Someone on here should be able to recommend someone decent within reach of Rochdale (depending on how far you're willing to travel), or perhaps you know people at a club who might be able to help.

kamil1891

Thanks for all the replies.

I have read on this forum that Adrian Tammis is exceptionally good at bike fitting, so I may even travel down there to do this (if a get the transport from someone from my household) otherwise, I would have to look for something decent within my area

ollyridesfirst

Kamil....this fella isn't too far from you:

http://www.hewittbikefitting.co.uk/

certainly closer than the midlands

bobgfish

Don't mistake a bike fit at your local shop for a poper bike fit. Someone that is dedicated bike fitter will have a lot more expierence than most and lots of usefull advise.

kamil1891

OllyRidesFirst wrote:

Kamil....this fella isn't too far from you:

http://www.hewittbikefitting.co.uk/

certainly closer than the midlands

Ok, great I have to go there as soon as possible

P.S. I cannot ride like that anymore, from yesterday's ride even my fingers are hurting badly, and so my neck is (it was the worst pain I forgot to mention in the former post)

chris_phillips

Hi there. Travelled to see Adrian Timmis a month ago, lovely guy with a wealth of knowledge and hands on experience being an x pro. I have suffered with a bad back for a number of years gym related, and felt if i had a pro fit and it didn't make any differnce then at least i have tried all avenues, I wasn't expecting complete back relief off Adrian but combined with physio and a proper fit i now feel a ton better and completed my first sportive with a modicum of discomfort. Well worth the £120 because you also get sidas footbeds in with the price , thats what the pro's use.
Adrians business is Cadence sports.

kinelljohn

Hi, just a small point.
Don't expect a "bike fit" to be the end of your problems. All it does is provide an ideal starting point for further adjustments relative to your physique, as you will find out.
Some people have stronger muscle groups than others, no-one is symmetric R/L and joints don't all move through the exact same axis...
When you do the adjustments, record what you do and only do one at a time EG Saddle height or Bar height, not both. Felt pen or a bit of tape stuck on seat post, stem etc
Each adjustment should be checked over many miles and not just around the block.
It can take a season to get it perfect or a much shorter if you are lucky and depending on miles.
I'm 6'1" and ride a Look555 size 57 with a 110 stem. Maybe you are too "aero" to begin with. The neck, back and hand pain all point to this.
Good luck.