Sore shoulders and bike fit questions

gloomyandy

Hi,
So like many here I'm coming back to cycling after many years away. Have been building up the miles over the last few months etc. Yesterday I had for me a long day on the bike (approx 4 1/2 hours, my previous longest ride was probably 2 1/2 hours), mainly thanks to my terrible navigation skills! By the time I was nearing home my legs felt a little tired but not too bad at all (I had not been going that fast due to not having a clue half the time where I was!), but my shoulders really ached. Basically a deep sort of ache mid way between the top part of my shoulders, base of my neck. This morning my legs are fine but my shoulders still feel a little sore.

So is this normal?
Will it get better as I ride for longer more often?
Are there any exercises/stretches I can do to help?
Does this possible mean I have a bike fit problem? Too stretched out? Bars too wide?

I have been thinking of getting a pro bike fit. But I wasn't sure if now is a good time or bad time to do it? I assume that as I ride more my riding position may change... But I guess that if I'm in pain I'm not going to be riding long rides. So does it make sense for a beginner to get a fit, or is it better to wait until things settle down?

Thanks for your help

Andy

PS I've searched the forums and some older posts seem to suggest that the problem may well be fit related (so maybe a shorter stem would help, or simply flipping the existing one). But I'm also interested in peoples thoughts on when it is a good time to get a pro fit...

napoleond

I would personally get a fit done at the earliest opportunity, that way there is much less risk of developing minor (or indeed major) niggles will develop over time.

I have someone I would recommend that I would travel a long long way to see.

Monty Dog

Tight shoulders and neck is often a consequence of too-tight grip or extended reach. If you are riding with arms straight-out and elbows locked, then it's likely to be the latter - arms need to be relaxed with a slight bend at the elbow. If you are riding mainly on the drops, try switching regularly with the hoods.
You could try flipping the stem or if you have room, putting spacers underneath. Mid-term, perhaps a shorter stem and then if problems persist, maybe a visit to a bike fit specialist?
Give yourself time to adapt - only make small changes and give yourself a few rides to see if you get used to it.
Doing some core-body and stretching exercises may also improve flexibility and strength - if you are riding to lose weight, then less 'midriff' will help alleviate the problem.

Evil Laugh

Also too much weight on the hands can cause this sort of pain.

This can be a result of bar position or saddle. Try what Monty says. Overreaching and rolling the shoulders forward is a likely scenario.

Another thing to look for is saddle angle, if you are sliding forward on the saddle you will likely be pushing yourself back with your hands on the bars to support your weight and this will also give the type of pain you describe from shoulders to base of neck. Get a level on the saddle and check if you think this is a probably source of the problem. Some saddles need to be a bit nose up even but the key is they (along with feet) support your weight properly, your arms should be relaxed and just used for balance and steering.

Evil Laugh

I would say get a fit asap but make sure you go somewhere good.

There are a lot of people offering the service but how thorough are they? Is the fitting an afterthought service at a shop or the fitter's main area of business? Are they selling their expertise or some new "fitting system"? Will they offer a satisfaction guarantee?

gloomyandy

Hi Folks,
thanks for the fast answers. Yes I suspect that I may have too much weight on my hands/arms. What I wasn't sure of was if it was normal to get pains like this as you do longer rides and that over time your body gets stronger and the problem goes away. It sounds like this may not be the case.

During my ride yesterday I rode mainly on the hoods and from time to time I would move my hands back to change the position. When I set things up I tried to make sure my saddle was ok using a level. The saddle is a Selle Italia Shiver which has a slightly raised back portion so it is kind of hard to be sure if it is level or not. Unfortunately I can't raise the height of the stem, so I may try flipping it.

I'm sure I could be much fitter than I am but I've always been pretty active (I've been a climber for the last 20 years or so) so the gut is not so much of an issue (but I can see how it could be). Actually thinking about that, the core muscles play a big part in climbing but in general you tend to use them mainly to lift your legs/ keep them in position, but in this case things may well be the other way around. Similarly I think that the pulling action used in climbing tends to lead to a hunched shoulder posture. So perhaps I need to work on some of those opposing muscle groups a little more...

Any thoughts on when is a good time for a pro bike fit (NapD thanks for the comments, having read your blog I'm sure I can guess who you would recommend!)? Being relatively new will I change my riding position over time and need the setup to be re-assessed?

Thanks again...

Andy

gmacz

I get sore shoulders as well.
Might not have anything to do with the bike.
When it is wet or very windy, I am holding on to the bars a lot tighter and the body is tense waiting for the next blast of wind to hit the bike. Loose grip and the front wheel gets away. Another problem is that I just slouch on the bike and I let all the weight rest on the arms and shoulders.
No problem when I pay attention to the posture and straighten the back properly.
4 1/2 hours is a long time on the bike and if you are not used to it, you will get sore.

small_bloke

I also get this problem. When I joined a club and started doing long rides (70 miles), at the end of the ride when I got back to my driveway at home I couldn't move my arms off the handlebars. They were literally locked into postion because of pain and I couldn't prise my arms wider or narrower. I get off the bike really really slowly with my shoulder and arms locked in that riding position like a robot.

This has eventually subsided but still happens sometimes. I think I was leaning far too forward although people commented my posture generally looked ok when I asked. I try to maintain light grip on the hoods with my arms kinked at elbows. Imagine in my own mind stem and levers being made of egg-shells. A light feather like touch.

I also try and stretch my shoulders throughout the ride and rotate arms round-and-round to stop them feeling seized up.

I didn't have any bike fit. Maybe I need some professional advice too. Like others have also commented, I think its definately worth making sure most of the weight is on the saddle and not resting on your arms to much.

Hope this maybe some help.

Wheelspinner

I've also had this type of soreness, and perhaps weirdly, the fix for me involved fitting a LONGER stem and lowering it by 5 mm as well. Seems my position before had me too hunched up, which caused the soreness. Now, I can relax and stretch to a more natural position.

So, BIKE FIT is the key, but don't automatically assume it means stem is too low or long.

gloomyandy

Hi Folks,
Thanks a lot for all of the comments. Will try experimenting a little with my position on the bike and will look into various stretches and other exercises. If none of that helps will take a look at getting some form of pro bike fit...

Thanks

Andy