shoulder to lean on

BikeAndEarly

10 years ago I damaged my left shoulder through lifting weights. The bones in the shoulder joint have come further apart which means now my ligaments and tendons rub against bones. This causes inflammation and of course until it subsides there is more rubbing going on.

Perfect that was my attempt at a scientific explanation.

I am a newbie in cycling. I like it a lot. I have a Roubaix. My shoulder hurts a lot because I lean on my arms or use them as a shock absorber on the handlebars.

Is this the wrong way to cycle? I mean do you guys have any suggestions on how to lean without controlling the front wheel through the shoulder area but more from the wrists or forearms or something?

Is it about confidence of riding with the legs and simply gently resting on your forearms?

I am genuinely distraught.

meanredspider

You obviously need to do all you can to take weight off your shoulders/arms/hands. This is probably going to mean sitting more upright. Thoughts off the top of my head:
1. Nose up on the saddle a bit more
2. Shorter stem set in the highest setting
3. Most relaxed geometry frame getting the bars as high as possible.
You might want to consider going to a proper bike fitter like the Bike Whisperer who can set you up to take into account your shoulder issues. Good luck

Tom Dean

A good position on the bike should mean you put minimal weight on the bars in normal riding. You can sort it yourself with a bit of reading and trial and error. With a pre-existing injury I reckon a good bike fit will be about the best money you will ever spend on cycling.

BikeAndEarly

thank you to the both of you

I will experiment with my seating position

I do feel that pointing the saddle upwards might be a good move

I simply cannot believe how easy it is to get my shoulder inflamed .

thanks again

JayKosta

Having the front of the saddle tilted very slighty upwards might help.
Basically you want the saddle to be positioned so you aren't 'sliding forward' or ' have too much pressure on the 'delicate parts'.

Have you had professional therapy for your shoulder?
Do you currently do any shoulder stretching or exercises? Any current weight training?
I have had minor shoulder injuries, and find that doing regular stretching is helpful.

If you do stretching / exercises / weights - be sure to STOP before additional injury happens.
Don't try to 'tough-out' more reps when your body tells you it's time to stop.

If you attempt 'bike fitting', be sure to consider that your body might not be able to accomodate the typical fitting that is fine for someone with good shoulders. Beware of using measurements and calculations that do not include how you actually FEEL in the resulting positions.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

meanredspider

JayKosta wrote:

If you attempt 'bike fitting', be sure to consider that your body might not be able to accomodate the typical fitting that is fine for someone with good shoulders. Beware of using measurements and calculations that do not include how you actually FEEL in the resulting positions.

That's why I suggested the Bike Whisperer. The first hour seemed to be mostly about me (flexibility, injuries, history etc) before we even looked at the bike. Not cheap but great value.