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Lower back pain and stiffness after Bike fit

4.5K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  Paconunez  
#1 ·
Hello my name is Francisco and I am a ciclist from México, I've got a Vilano Shadow road Bike that i've been riding for 6 months. 3 weeks ago I got a Bike fit done at a Specialized dealer. They raised my saddle height from 680mm to 730mm and I changed my 100mm stem forma a 80mm since the reach was toó long after raising the saddle and it hurt my shoulders. My drop from saddle to handlebar went from 2mm to 6cm. Overall the fit was great, I spin the pedals more fluidly, muy cadence went up and muy overall confort improved. But after 2hrs + riding I get pain un my lower back no matter if riding con the tops, hoods or drops. It is so un confortable I need to get off the Bike for 1 or 2 minutes and walk a little. The guy that did the fit said that i hace good back flexibility. I weight 100kg and ride about 120-200km a week. What should I do? Continúe hoping it gets better? Do core exercises?
I apreciate any help, and sorry if I made gramatical errores as english is not my native lenguage
 
#5 ·
Francisco, "getting used to it" might be a part of it, but some big changes were made to your fit. After a few fittings, I thought they would solve all my problems, but personal preference and trouble shooting aches and pains is an ever evolving process.

Don't be afraid to follow up with your fitter to find solutions to your issues. A good fitter will offer options, but ultimately you are the boss here. My fitter made small changes and noted the increments, this way we're not guessing at the next step to correct a problem area. I ended up adjusting my saddle position completely opposite of his advice after suffering with neck and hand pain for some time, and fortunately it was the answer in my case. However, my fitter solved nagging hot spots on my feet, aligned my knees, etc. to great success! Best of luck!
 
#9 ·
Yes wait at least a couple of weeks, probably closer to 4 weeks, BUT as MMSREPBIKE said in the first post to your question was you NEED to work on your core muscles, failure to do this won't help you improve and you'll blame the fit when it's really the fact that you have weak core muscles. Keep in mind that as you strengthen the core muscles not only will your back feel better but your performance on the bike will improve! A WIN WIN situation.

However the video doesn't show any core exercises so see this: Abs Workout (1) ? Bicycle Maneuver or Bicycle Crunches by MunFitnessBlog.com
And this: The Best 10 Exercises To Relieve Lower Back Pain Those two sites should get you started toward a pain free lower back.
 
#8 ·
Those are big changes, like others said it will take time for you body to adapt. Also with that saddle height change I wouldn't be surprised if you experience some hamstring soreness for a little while too.