More Lower Back Problems

Larry has been getting back problems on longer rides and has been trying different methods to help, but to no avail. He wants our suggestions on what he can do to try and help his condition. We list his options and give him an important warning as to adjustments

Question:
On my longer rides (50+ miles), I often begin to get a tight lower back that turns quite painful and then sometimes even goes numb. I have tried everything from Chiropractic adjustments, to muscle relaxers before a ride but it still re-occurs in about 7 of 10 rides. Are there any bike related adjustment that could help. I do stretch before a ride but that does not seem to help. I never know when it is going to happen and seems to just pop up. HELP thanks.

Hi Larry,

You seem to have covered all the angles with stretching excesses and seeing a chiropractor, the muscle relaxers maybe going a bit far as they may not help you’re cycling and personally I find that they make me sleepy, which is not the best for a bike ride.

Are you too stretched or too cramped on your bike? Are you sitting too forward or too far back on the saddle? Maybe the most important thing could be that your handle bars are too high or too low?

A small change of all or any of these positions could help your back, most riders mess about with their positions most of their riding lives, the only other method is to go to a bike measure service, which many of the larger bike stores will now do for you, it way cost, but will be worth it.

If you are going to move your saddle on Handle bars only make small adjustments at any one time, at most one eighth of an inch at each adjustment, otherwise you could cause more damage. I would start with the handle bars, raise them a little and see if that helps, make sure your knee is over the pedal, if it is then don’t move the saddle forward or back, the next adjustment could be the height of the saddle a little up or down could be your answer. Remember small adjustments and not all at the one time, if in doubt get some advice from someone that can look at you while you are riding, either on the road or on a home trainer.

If none of these suggestions are your solution, then it could be the saddle that is causing you to sit uncomfortably and putting your lower back into a bad position.