Sore lower back - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

RC Vikings · 07-02-2008, 03:28 PM

My lower back is getting sore & tight right around the twenty mile mark on my rides this year. I've tried yoga, epsom salt baths, daily stretches, crunches and even started swimming again to try and stretch me out. Any other ideas out there. It's my biggest worry for Lotoja.

MikeWaters · 07-02-2008, 03:33 PM

try back exercises. lay down on floor and lift up legs and arms.

bluegoose · 07-02-2008, 03:36 PM

Aren't you on a new bike this year? Is there any chance this is a bike fit issue? Is the top tube the same length as your old bike? Also you may want to check the stem angle and length to make sure you are not stretched out too much. How much higher is your seat (if at all) than your handle bars?

Where do you spend most of your time on your longer rides - tops, hoods or drops?

BTW, its kind of hard for me to feel too badly for you when even with a sore back you are still averaging 20+mph.

RC Vikings · 07-02-2008, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluegoose

Aren't you on a new bike this year? Is there any chance this is a bike fit issue? Is the top tube the same length as your old bike? Also you may want to check the stem angle and length to make sure you are not stretched out too much. How much higher is your seat (if at all) than your handle bars?

Where do you spend most of your time on your longer rides - tops, hoods or drops?

BTW, its kind of hard for me to feel too badly for you when even with a sore back you are still averaging 20+mph.

It started getting sore on my old one and hasn't come around. I'm more upright on my new one and spend most my of my time on my hoods. If I keep my cadence high it feels a little better but when I hammer or climb is when it starts to bother me. I'm afraid I've got some irritation down there and it just won't go away.

MikeWaters · 07-02-2008, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

try back exercises. lay down on floor and lift up legs and arms.

btw, I am one who is speaking from experience. I used to have a lot of lower back pain years ago.

BarbaraGordon · 07-02-2008, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RC Vikings

My lower back is getting sore & tight right around the twenty mile mark on my rides this year. I've tried yoga, epsom salt baths, daily stretches, crunches and even started swimming again to try and stretch me out. Any other ideas out there. It's my biggest worry for Lotoja.

your back is not something to play around with. get it checked out by a doc before you try to do a self-fix.

If everything's lined up then I'd check your bike fit.

I do reverse situps to strengthen my lower back, but I don't know if you should add any strength exercises until you're certain everything's in line.

07-02-2008, 03:28 PM	#1
RC Vikings Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Rexburg, Idaho Posts: 2,236	Sore lower back My lower back is getting sore & tight right around the twenty mile mark on my rides this year. I've tried yoga, epsom salt baths, daily stretches, crunches and even started swimming again to try and stretch me out. Any other ideas out there. It's my biggest worry for Lotoja. __________________ "I always rode to my limit. If I won by three minutes, that's because I couldn't make four." Eddy Merckx

07-02-2008, 03:33 PM	#2
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	try back exercises. lay down on floor and lift up legs and arms.

07-02-2008, 03:36 PM	#3
bluegoose Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Northern California Posts: 2,919	Aren't you on a new bike this year? Is there any chance this is a bike fit issue? Is the top tube the same length as your old bike? Also you may want to check the stem angle and length to make sure you are not stretched out too much. How much higher is your seat (if at all) than your handle bars? Where do you spend most of your time on your longer rides - tops, hoods or drops? BTW, its kind of hard for me to feel too badly for you when even with a sore back you are still averaging 20+mph.