Back is stiffer than legs sore

M

mpmffitz

Newbie
Good Morning folk.!


i climbed up Potatoe mtn yesterday for me it wad a killer. I was mainly a downhill rider too long.

My back is extremly stiff from the climb or even maybe the long fast decent but shouldnt my legs be sore rather than my back be stiff. I workout feverishly so im lil concerned of my climbing style.
 
I worked out the other day and was sore for two days. Biking I'm usually sore for a few hours. It must be different muscle groups get used.
 
DH'ers usually have their Saddles way lower that their bars. Do you have a Dropper?
Best bike configuration for climbing first takes into consideration saddle height and forward/aft placement to accomodate best for climbing. Bar height is usually below saddle height to maximize power output.

My suggestuion is make sure your bike is fitted to you for climbing. Then use a dropper for the typical DH descents.
My 2 cents... :D
 
Good morning, fitz,

Try for moderation if you're getting back into it? Mild stretching? Any known back issues?

My back always gets tired before my legs, and feels more worked after a hard ride. fWIW. I keep my known back issues in check by exercising regularly and maintaining a strong core. In the cooler weather it's easy to get dehydrated; drink up before, during and after. Adding a dash of juice or sports drink makes the wet stuff go down easier for us.

Hoping it works itself out quickly.
 
Thanks Gents.

Seat was pretty high for sure higher than the bars. Im wandering if its possible how I pedaled. Ive been on many climbs but this aftemath feels as if a potatoe canon blasted me dorsals. LOL
 
What mike said and , more back pain and knee pain than people think comes from alot of excercise, not enough stretching, no massage to release toxins, massage is imparitive as to separate muscle tissue that actually fusses together in the legs such as the calf IT band. This happens with our repeditive movements of cycleing odviously. I found an incredibly knowledable sports massage therapist who puts me through terrible pain, goes through my hole back glutes and legs, the worst of my sessions pain comes from him killing the front of my lower leg. Everything is connected and can affect the back . Even for normal people just driving thier car puts the legs in an unnatural postion while we are contantly flexing our foot back and forth for the brake, and foot pedals. Athletes put their bodys through major stress so we need down time,or rest time, and adequate maintanence, otherwise pain sets in that only gets worse with time, until you are a hunched over, finished old person before your time. Take the time and spend the money if you have it, or face the pain. I have conceded to two hours of sports medicine pain, for 30 days of no pain. It's well worth if for me.
 
My back always hurts more than my legs. Bulging discs get aggravated. Backpack doesn't help, but I refuse to ride without tools and supplies, and I hate saddlebags and water bottles. Soooo stretching and lots of core exercises helps quite a bit. Good luck!
 
My back killed when I got back into riding a few years ago... Core exercises were the cure! For me, sit-ups are the best for keeping the torso in good shape for riding. I try to do at least 50 every day...
 
Stretching is important, especially for cyclists. We tend to be in a sitting position most of the time, and our hip flexors don't get stretched out enough. This makes other muscles work differently than intended, putting undue strain on other areas.

There are a lot of stretching exercises that you can figure out from watching Youtube videos, but the best thing to keep my back in shape is a Trigger Point roller. It's essentially a piece of pipe with a thin foam sleeve. Most importantly, I roll my gluteus medius (medii?), then move on to rolling the entire length of my back. The Triggerpoint is also helpful in rolling all the leg muscles from top to bottom. The leg muscles are attached to your back. Try it.
 
The back pain could just be from pedaling. When you're grinding up a climb...if your butt is too far back on the saddle...you start pushing the pedals with your legs...if that makes sense. That creates a lot of strain on the lower back. That in the addition of the saddle being up past to what you're used to riding at.

Also may depend on the seat tube angle. Alot of the AM bikes have a super slack seat tube angle. That angle sometimes will not let you get your saddle into an ideal pedaling position. You typically want to be over the bottom bracket.

Maybe try sliding the saddle forward a touch.

Its could be a combination of thing...or it could be something super simple. :mrgreen:
 
Faust29 said:
My back killed when I got back into riding a few years ago... Core exercises were the cure! For me, sit-ups are the best for keeping the torso in good shape for riding. I try to do at least 50 every day...
Click to expand...

Core exercise was the fix for me too. The various plank variations are good too (mtn climbers, dives, side plank, etc.).

FS with decent cush to it and good geo delayed the onset of the back issues. I think it's when your posture is fatigued and you start slumping, resting weight on your arse and wrists, that cause back and wrist pain. I remember doing a test where I put more air in my tires and susp to test how much my E29 was losing in climbing speed and efficiency, and long term efficiency around an 8 mile loop, and I found that my back was strained more than my cardio for that ride, and that it rivaled my HT's times. I just wasn't accustomed to absorbing impacts to adapt well enough for that 1 test.
 
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