Back pain from cycling, but only whilst riding! Why?

samfailed
samfailed Posts: 82
edited August 2017 in Training, fitness and health
I sometimes get a very painful lower back whilst cycling. However as soon as i get off the bike and have a quick stretch it's gone! Just like that, within 30 seconds of finishing my ride!

I find it very disruptive whilst riding though and am not sure of the cause. Could it be causing long term damage or injury?

I know bad bike fit is a common cause of back pain but would that not continue after i get off? I never experience except on the bike.

Comments

  • bikes`n`guns
    bikes`n`guns Posts: 959
    Bad bike fit.

    Sorry to be glib about it but it seems a bit obvious to me. The bike causes pain so the bike is the issue.
    Trek,,,, too cool for school ,, apparently
  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    Bikes`n`guns wrote:
    Sorry to be glib about it but it seems a bit obvious to me. The bike causes pain so the bike is the issue.

    Although it might not be the bike causing it.

    how long have you been cycling and how soon into your ride does the pain start. ..... If you have weak glutes/hamstrings, if your posterior chain has spent a couple of decades shrinking in length thanks to having a desk job, you might find that your back muscles are taking the strain to compensate.

    sure a proper bike fit wont go a miss and you cant set it up to combat the likes of anterior pelvic tilt .... or you might find that doing a bit of cross training, yoga etc and strengthening your core, the opposing muscles that the pain goes away.

    It worked for me .... I have never had a bike fit, I used to get back pain after 1hr of riding, now I need to be in the saddle for 3hrs before I start to get uncomfortable
  • hdow
    hdow Posts: 184
    Agree with fat daddy but also consider stretching hip flexors and quads. Quite commonly tight in cyclists especially if you do lots of desk work
  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    Hdow wrote:
    Agree with fat daddy but also consider stretching hip flexors and quads. Quite commonly tight in cyclists especially if you do lots of desk work


    Quads surprised me .... I never realised how bad mine were when I first read about stretching quads and the pain when I first lifted my ankle to my butt nearly put me on the floor ..... 2 months later I can stick my foot up my arse pain free (when my head isn't up there :mrgreen: )

    basically though ... I tried every single stetching/yoga routine under the sun and started lifting again making sure I hit all the opposing muscles as well, not just the ones that get direct use. And its massively worked

    And a few other niggles have disappeared as well ... no longer do my shoulders roll forward due to a over developed chest and no rear delts.

    statistically I am still as fat ... but thanks to the better posture OF the bike none of it sticks out :D /... and the pain on the bike has pretty much disappeared unless I push hard for a couple of hours

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