Biking Pains?

harv405

Hello All,

I wanted to get your insights on some pains that I have been experiencing and check to see if you all have any input. I have been a super fit guy for the last three years or so and have always done my workouts at the gym. About 3 months ago, I started to commute to work via bicycle. At first, I started to get pains in my feet that seemed to go away after a few weeks and I believe it to have been shoe related. Now, I have daily foot pain along the sole of my foot, soreness in my calfs and thighs (seems to move around), and tingling around my knee caps. As a precaution, I got an MRI and CT Scan of my brain, as well as numerous blood works and consults. It never presents itself as pain, just more soreness that moves around both legs. I was wondering if anyone has any input on if this is possible nerve damage somewhere/slipped disk/lumbar issue due to riding my bike improperly, etc. Any input would be really appreciated.

The issues seem to feel better after a good ride but return after sitting on my butt all day or a long walk.

Thanks so much for taking the time!

ricky_h-2

You don't say what you are riding and for how long as these are all factors. I am a bit like a broken record on this but if you are spending a lot of time in the saddle, a retul bike fit is £150 well spent. My gut instinct is that many of the pains you describe could be attributable to poor position on the bike.
The other suggestion I'd make is do some pilates and yoga to strengthen your core as this will help

harv405

Ricky h wrote:

You don't say what you are riding and for how long as these are all factors. I am a bit like a broken record on this but if you are spending a lot of time in the saddle, a retul bike fit is £150 well spent. My gut instinct is that many of the pains you describe could be attributable to poor position on the bike.
The other suggestion I'd make is do some pilates and yoga to strengthen your core as this will help

Hey Ricky,

Thanks for your input. So I have been riding for about 3 months now and have an older Giant road bike. Does that help? I am 5'11" Maybe I should run by a bike store to see about my riding position?

imafatman

You got a CT scan because you felt a bit of niggles on the bike? You say you are fit and healthy so why would you think you've got some kind of brain and back issue all of a sudden.

You should have saved the money and gone and got a professional bike fit.

It is extremely common for people to feel pain and niggles on a bike. A good bike fit will tweak your bike and resolve 95% of issues. If you do a lot of riding you will need to make sure you keep up with your stretches, with good core exercises etc but otherwise you should be able to ride fairly comfortably.

You may be super fit but you are very new to riding a bike so it takes time for your body to adjust. I would say aches and soreness are normal and not a problem.

harv405

imafatman wrote:

You got a CT scan because you felt a bit of niggles on the bike? You say you are fit and healthy so why would you think you've got some kind of brain and back issue all of a sudden.

You should have saved the money and gone and got a professional bike fit.

It is extremely common for people to feel pain and niggles on a bike. A good bike fit will tweak your bike and resolve 95% of issues. If you do a lot of riding you will need to make sure you keep up with your stretches, with good core exercises etc but otherwise you should be able to ride fairly comfortably.

You may be super fit but you are very new to riding a bike so it takes time for your body to adjust. I would say aches and soreness are normal and not a problem.

I was thinking that being fit from the gym, along with three months of riding would have been enough for my body to adjust. As I said, I don't really feel any symptoms while actually riding just when walking around, etc. throughout the day.

Do you really think a good bike fit will fix these issues?

imafatman

harv405 wrote:

Do you really think a good bike fit will fix these issues?

I cannot guarantee it however lets look at the information:

1. You are apparently very fit, do a lot of gym work. I assume no major issues until now.
2. You started riding a bike 3 months ago and are now feeling pains, aches etc...
3. You've had a CT and MRI scan and I assume nothing was found hence why are you on a bike forum asking for advice instead of a Doctor.

Assuming all those things are true then either you have some undiagnosed condition with the doctors have not found with the most advanced modern technology available, OR you are simply riding in an awful position and creating a lot of stress in places on your body which you shouldn't be.

Either way, given the fact you I assume have stumped up the cash for a CT/MRI (or have excellent medical insurance) - the next obvious course of action is to spend the money on a bike fit and make sure you are put in the best possible position on the bike and go from there.

How often and for how long are you riding?

harv405

imafatman wrote:

harv405 wrote:

Do you really think a good bike fit will fix these issues?

I cannot guarantee it however lets look at the information:

1. You are apparently very fit, do a lot of gym work. I assume no major issues until now.
2. You started riding a bike 3 months ago and are now feeling pains, aches etc...
3. You've had a CT and MRI scan and I assume nothing was found hence why are you on a bike forum asking for advice instead of a Doctor.

Assuming all those things are true then either you have some undiagnosed condition with the doctors have not found with the most advanced modern technology available, OR you are simply riding in an awful position and creating a lot of stress in places on your body which you shouldn't be.

Either way, given the fact you I assume have stumped up the cash for a CT/MRI (or have excellent medical insurance) - the next obvious course of action is to spend the money on a bike fit and make sure you are put in the best possible position on the bike and go from there.

How often and for how long are you riding?

I have not had any issues until now and that includes injuries. The aches and pains just started in the last few weeks with the exception of the foot pain that I originally outlined. That's my main concern as I assume the substantial muscle issues would have come sooner.

My doctors are essentially scratching their heads at this point as they can not find any root cause to the issue. All tests have come back normal.

I am open to getting a professional fitting, it doesn't look like it costs a lot of money and as you said, it is far cheaper than healthcare.

I ride about 5 days a week for about 20 minutes each way. I tend to ride on the faster side/push myself pretty hard.

ricky_h-2

No problem Harv,
I'd echo imafatman's view and say that a bike fit is essential for you. If your seat is too high that can create problems with knees and calves. It's really simple if you go to a decent bike shop that provides this service.
Disk/lumbar may well be down to core strength. Just because you are fit and active, it doesn't mean you have a strong core ! You'll soon find out if you go to a pilates class

keef66

If your saddle's too low and you habitually push harder gears at a low cadence, that's going to put a lot of strain on your quads and patellar tendons. Having it too high can cause knee problems through over extension, and strain calves if it makes you pedal toe down. Similarly having cleats too far forward or pedalling with a heel down style can put a lot of strain on the calves / achilles and the underside of the foot. And the type of footwear and pedals can have a huge influence on how the load is spread across the forefoot.

So unless you were properly fitted on the bike when you bought it, or you've taken advice from experienced cyclists, I'd say paying a bike fitter to take a look at you on the bike would probably be a better investment than random brain scans and blood tests.

Posting some pictures of you on the bike would help us speculate less wildly. Side on, with the pedals at 12 and 6 o'clock, then again at 9 and 3, and with hands on the hoods, and again but in the drops.

20 minutes is just about long enough to get properly warmed up; what kind of cadence do you tend to pedal?

imafatman

harv405 wrote:

I ride about 5 days a week for about 20 minutes each way. I tend to ride on the faster side/push myself pretty hard.

Aka the 20 minute commuter TT. Those are pretty hard on the body, you aren't warmed up properly and you are most likely hammering yourself in a horrible badly fitting position. It takes me about 30 minutes to get warmed up enough that I can actually start stretching the legs and putting serious power down.

Get a bike fit and see how it goes, there really isn't anything else to do at this point.

harv405

Alright, so I have contacted a bike fitting company here in Boston and will see what they say. From what I understand, this could all be caused from improper seating, etc... If so, I have wasted quite a bit of money (and anxiety attacks) on healthcare related inquires.