Lower back pain

[Turley]

While riding XC(and a bit of road) I have noticed I get a fair bit of lower back pain. I know this is cause I arch my back alot when I ride XC and road so I am just wondering what Adjustments I can make to help eliminate this problem? My seat isn't too low, I am 180cm tall, ride a large (43cm) with a 600mm TT and 110mm stem so I don't think it is cause the frame is too small either.

Anyone got any suggestions?

[john]

yeah i sometimes get the same thing, and am also not really sure why

possible tight hamstrings?

[Grover]

try doing alot of lower back, glutes and illotibial band stretching.

some riser bars on your mtb might make a bit of a change but your stuck with the road setup.

[Squidly Didly]

Try tilting your saddle ever so slightly foward. I know i run mine slackened back a bit, but if i'm doing an xc ride, i'll flatten it.

[hasbeen]

yeah, i had this problem big time and was about to give up cycling

after 3 car accidents and numerous lower back injuries, I wasn't the same as back in my early 20s

i used to run an apollo himalaya hardtail which had a flat bar and long stem.... very stretched position but great for speed

BUT! I recently bought a VT3 and had no probs.... or alot less.... riser bar, shorter stem, more upright, plush rear suspension... might mean that I can ride into my 40s now....

i was so surprised that I didn't have any lower back pain at all after my 18km commute.... usually, I'll be in a fair bit of pain

maybe... you could start by sliding the seat forward and getting a shorter stem....???? for starters?

[Kram]

I used to get the same problem on road rides. I gave up riding road and XC and I'm totally fine now. HEhe

Solution for me was... shorter stem, higher bars and most importantly (as already suggested) stretch your hamstrings.

A good and really easy exercise is to just hang with your arms and head dangling towards the floor. Try and point your tailbone to the sky and engage your quad muscles while pushing your knees open. Do it whenever you can. I do it repeatedly all day at work. There was a time when I couldn't come close to touching my toes (I could barely get past my knees!) now I can put my palms on the floor and my back pain has gone.

Some people will tell you the best time to stretch is after exercise. Some will say before exercise. They are all wrong! The best time to stretch is after a couple of cones. :D

[LordNikon]

I had a similair problem when I stretched out my riding position on my XC bike. Moving to a shorter stem and riser bars fixed the problem but I felt better on the bike with flat bars and a long stem.

I threw in a suspension seatpost which fixed the problem completely, sacrificed a lot of weight though.

[Fat_Ride]

I am experiencing quite bad lower back pain lately... not caused by mountain biking but it defiantely gives me relapses of pain.
I find that stretching is the key. As soon as I start getting pain in my lower back I will stretch it out.

Another solution I have found is taking a couple of ibuprofens or asprins after your ride... some say you shouldn't touch medicines for it but it is a mild muscle relaxer and assists the muscles to heal and strengthen.

[ryd_mtb]

Stretching is by far the cheapest fix, and the most effective. You should not have to compromise bike setup for something soo minor. Some simple stretches like the ones already mentioned are all you need, even if it's just for 5 minutes when you get up in the morning and again before you go to bed at night.

However sometimes it can be caused when your racing/ riding on really rocky ground. Castlemaine is a classic example for anyone that lives in good ol' VIC

Good luck with it guys...

[Velophile]

My seat isn't too low, .....

Seat too high?
Better an inch too low than 2mm too high. Get someone to watch you while you ride. Make sure your pelvis doesn't rock side to side when you pedal.

[Rexy]

i get a sore back on long rides but i put this down to running my seat really low so yeh maybe the seat needs more padding and bumps are like jarring or something?

[n00b]

I get killer lower back pain but it usually only lasts half and hour and is totally unpredictable.
Does anybody else get this? or know what it could be a symptom of?

[Rexy]

yep same thing but my back pain last about 1 hour after the completion of riding, and i get it worse on cold days and i never get it except on xc rides it really sucks hey. Maybe we should try warming down after rides and taking breaks so not pushing as hard?

[WILLY]

I get a f**kin painful back after rides, not all the time, but it does happen, and not just on harder rides.
I used to ride a hardtail, and even with seatpost suspension i got a killer back, now i've made the switch to dualie- hey presto, no back pain!
This may just be me, but i would definately say that some degree of that backpain is coming from that stiff rear triangle of your hardtail (assuming you have a hardtail, otherwise my theory is stuffed) and so having the extra plush and allowing your bike to absorb the impact and not your spine.
well, thats what i reckon!

[LTR]

try this exercise: Lay on the floor stomach down and slowly lift your arms and legs off the ground like superman. It really helped when i started Maccas because i couldnt stand up very long before my back would hurt, now i have 0 problems.

[hasbeen]

just got back from oakes..... and no back pain at all from the 6km of bone shaking downhill

with my hardtail... my back would be sore for the next couple of days BUT with my plush VT.... i sat back and enjoyed the scenery

yeah.. i know... it is like cheating... but who cares.. i'm still enjoying myself and it keeps me riding

i reckon the reduction of back pain is due to both the cushioning effect of suspension AND the frame angles... i sit alot more upright compared to my hardtail

[snow_rider]

yeah i get that too there isn't much you can do but there are a few streches you can do to prevent it

[Keith]

Velophile has a good point about the pelvis moving. If you are rotating it or it is rocking from side to side then you will definately get a sore back. Another problem could be one leg stronger than another causing more force to be applied on one side which will start to push the pelvis out of place.

With a pelvis problem you will generally find the pain is mostly on the same side.

[Adski]

How's the back turley? taking anyone's advice?

I used to get back pain then put risers on and it eased. then went to a cushier rear end (giant VT) and I never get it any more. Does that say something?

I had completely forgotten about the back pain of riding rough trails on a hardtail until i went out Thursday for a few laps of the Killingworth XC track - they were fast laps but god i was stiff! I'm in two minds what to ride for the 8hr this weekend, perhaps a bit of both bikes..

[mtbmx]

my seat was too high wehn i commuted so i put it down and it stopped back pains

[cheese]

Im a tall skinny bastard on a small low bike. I also have scoleosis which = back pain. I am currently on a core strength excercise program which I have found to help a lot with pain. Most of the excercises I do are with one of those gym balls. Also as mentioned stretch your legs and pelvic area a lot. As these areas loosen up your lower back will feel much better. I dont have a big problem with my bike even though my seat is low and tilted back.

[Daver]

I had it constatntly. Went to the doctor and got x-rayed and apparently i have a broken disc in my back :shock: . Could be the source of someone else's pain?

[hasbeen]

I had it constatntly. Went to the doctor and got x-rayed and apparently i have a broken disc in my back :shock: . Could be the source of someone else's pain?

not good but not much you can do,,,,, surgery can screw your back even more

all my discs have been flattened

ppl complain about pain..... how is the pain, shooting down one side or in the lower back area only?

[chris7]

yeah i get the same thing, dont no y and dont no how to stop it. gets pretty annoying

[Philo]

I also have had and ocassionally get lower back pain. Stretching is one thing definately overlooked here, my brother is alway's onto me about it, he stretches several times a day and never seems to have a problem. He only rides occasionally but it doesn't matter what he's on or where he's riding, might say something.
One way I get a little relief on a climb if it's starting to play up is to get back in on the saddle and really push my heals down to stretch my hammie's, seems to help, for me anyway...

Philo...