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QUESTION:
to all of those of you with more experience than myself in biking (which
is about 99% of the people here), I have a question about lower back pain.
I've only recenlty started riding and am still learning alot. I was riding
for about 2 hours and started having lower back pain. It was localized below
the waistline and right smack dab in the middle of the back. My back was
arched and as soon as I stopped, the pain started to go away. I spoke to a
friend of mine and she told me that like any new sport, my body may just
need to get used to being in that position. I tend to agree as I have no
lingering pain.
So is my friend right? I just need to get used to being in that position? I
am inclined to think that all I need is some time getting used to this. Oh,
btw I was riding a road bike on well established bike paths, not mountain
biking and flying downhill.
ANSWER:
Well, your friend may be partly right and partly not right. What kind of
bike are you riding? If you're completely new to cycling and you're just
venturing out on your first long rides, you're gonna have some aches and
pains most likely. But you really need to make sure that your bike is
properly fit to you. People who log lots of miles (I ride about 12,000 or
more a year) make certain that their bikes are fit to them to the nth
degree. My personal opinion is that good bike fit is part art and part
science. There are quite a number of formulas out there. Basically, they
take your body dimensions and determine how large your frame should be, how
high your saddle should be, how long your cranks should be, how far your
saddle should be behind the bottom bracket, how long your stem should be,
how wide your handlebars should be, etc.
I have been cycling for more than a couple decades, and without exception, I
get lower back pain in the area you describe when my saddle is back too far.
This generally occurs when I set up a new bike and go through the very long
process (at least for me) of adjusting saddle position, both up and down and
fore and aft. I have found that moving my saddle forward even slightly (the
thickness of a fine pencil line) is sometimes all that is needed to stop the
pain.
Those instruction on Colorado Cyclist are unintentionally amusing for the
non-PC reader. The text says:
"When a cyclist fits her bike well, she rides more comfortably and
efficiently. She rides with more power, and yet the effort comes easier to
her. Her body is relaxed, her bike handling skills almost second nature."
However, all of the pictures included with the piece show a hairy legged
guy. Half-hearted political correctness, I guess.
Try some stretching before riding and every 1/2 hour while riding. It could
be your hamstrings. If so, try bending down and touching your toes a few
times. If this helps, do regular stretching on days you don't ride also.
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