Back pain, wrong bike, give up?

[Short_Lass]

UPDATE: PAGE 3
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With an office move nearer to my home I embraced the idea of cycling to work and bought a bike. Being overweight, in my forties and living in the Chiltern Hills, I bought an electric bike (after consulting with the man in the local shop).

Two months in and I keep feeling unwell, then a coule of migraines sed me to the physio with very tight neck muscles. These are common in cycling, but will bet better as I get used to it she says. She loosens me up, I feel the tension across my back and neck after I go riding again. Another physio appointment and I don't go on the bike again until an appointment at a bike shop to check positioning (not the shop where I bought the bike).

Bike guy says position I am riding is putting strain on my lower back which is likely spreading up my spine. Because I am short, I am having to stretch for the handle bars. The upright position of the bike (Dutch style) is not good for back outside of flat Dutch countryside. Unfortunately, my bike is not very adjustable and he can't change my position. He would have sold me a road bike instead -- I have a quick try on one (leaning forward like they do on Tour de France) and I *think* I feel no strain on my back, but I only go round the carpark.

Do I believe him? I'm now scared to ride my bike because it appears it's making me ill. I've had some migraines would have caused me to go off sick at work over the last couple of months if I wasn't on a late shift and could dose up with painkillers before going in. I thought it was stress of the move, then I thought it was a bit of ordinary muscle tension, then I thought I had a bug, but maybe it's the bike.

Don't know what to do now. Sell the bike, I guess. Then try a road bike? Or just give up and go back to the gym? I'm not someone who wants to be a cycling trailblaser. I just want to get fit by incorporating exercise into my life.

Sorry this is so long. Any help welcome.

 

[cyberknight]

Is it upper or lower back pain , what bike and what size is it if you know and what height are you ?

 

[screenman]

Do you do a daily stretching regime, have you done anything about the weight, which is more of a problem than the bike.

 

[Short_Lass]

Forgot to say what bike I have. I have a Freego Wren. It is upper back pain. I am five feet tall.

I am doing something about my weight -- I took up cycling!

 

[cyberknight]

ooph 22 kg weight !
You would probably have been better with a lighter hybrid as your lugging a lot of bike weight when the motor is not assisting , as far as the back ache goes it sounds like you need a shorter , higher stem
The stem on that bike looks like and adjustable quill stem, have you got the handle bars raised as high as they can go and has the LBS raised the height of the bars by making the stem stick out more from the frame ?
If so you can still get shorter , angled stems or convert the bike with a ahead set adapter to change the stem to the newer design so you can fit a shorter , angled stem to reduce reach as it sounds to me like your overreaching to the bars and the bike shop doesnt sound like he wants to help besides selling you another bike.
Of course this is all conjecture based on what you have said so far.

 

[marzjennings]

Bike guy says position I am riding is putting strain on my lower back which is likely spreading up my spine. Because I am short, I am having to stretch for the handle bars. The upright position of the bike (Dutch style) is not good for back outside of flat Dutch countryside. Unfortunately, my bike is not very adjustable and he can't change my position. He would have sold me a road bike instead -- I have a quick try on one (leaning forward like they do on Tour de France) and I *think* I feel no strain on my back, but I only go round the carpark.

Do I believe him? I'm now scared to ride my bike because it appears it's making me ill. I've had some migraines would have caused me to go off sick at work over the last couple of months if I wasn't on a late shift and could dose up with painkillers before going in. I thought it was stress of the move, then I thought it was a bit of ordinary muscle tension, then I thought I had a bug, but maybe it's the bike.

Don't know what to do now. Sell the bike, I guess. Then try a road bike? Or just give up and go back to the gym? I'm not someone who wants to be a cycling trailblaser. I just want to get fit by incorporating exercise into my life.

Sorry this is so long. Any help welcome.

I'm struggling to understand why the bike is not adjustable. Surely handle bar and seat height are adjustable. Also if you're going electric then there are plenty of dutch style upright bikes available and dutch style bikes, if appropriately geared, are fine up and down hills.
I've never heard of a road bike helping with back issues, usually they exacerbate existing back issues.

So this guy at the bike shop initially sold you an e-bike that didn't fit you and is now attempting to sell you a drop bar road bike to solve back pain issues. Is there another shop you can go to?

 

[screenman]

Forgot to say what bike I have. I have a Freego Wren. It is upper back pain. I am five feet tall.

I am doing something about my weight -- I took up cycling!

So no stretching, which really can help. A good diet is a better way to lose weight that a little cycling.

But all credit to you for recognizing there may be a problem and wanting to do something about it.

I was obese fir a while until I realised it took 2 minutes to eat a mars bar and an hour to work it off.

I have no idea how much you need to lose, but try finding something that weighs the same and see what it feels like, it can be a huge wake up call. I had to find a 25 litre container of water.

 

[screenman]

After suffering a non cycling related back injury many years ago, lowering the stem and stretching out was more comfortable to me, as it spread the load more. Or so it seemed.

 

[Short_Lass]

I'm struggling to understand why the bike is not adjustable. Surely handle bar and seat height are adjustable. Also if you're going electric then there are plenty of dutch style upright bikes available and dutch style bikes, if appropriately geared, are fine up and down hills.
I've never heard of a road bike helping with back issues, usually they exacerbate existing back issues.

So this guy at the bike shop initially sold you an e-bike that didn't fit you and is now attempting to sell you a drop bar road bike to solve back pain issues. Is there another shop you can go to?

Shop 1 sold me the bike, I went for positioning to shop 2 because they offer the service. He wasn't really trying to sell me a bike, just saying that a road bike would be more adjustable.
The saddle on my bike will adjust up and down. The handlebars will go up or down. But that's it.

I thought the same about the leaning forward position and back strain, so I wanted to be upright. Physio also says be upright, but maybe that's wrong. I'm not an expert.

So no stretching, which really can help. A good diet is a better way to lose weight that a little cycling.er.

I stretch. It doesn't help.
A diet can help with weight loss? Who'd have thought?

I am about a stone overweight, I am not enormous. I was just saying I'm not exactly athletic

 

[screenman]

I apologise, you could soon turn that little bit into athletic. People often take up cycling to lose weight which to be fair is not the most effective way to shed the pounds, which is why I mentioned diet.

I am glad you stretch as most people do not. I have a 30 minute session 7 days a week, I feel it the next day if for some reason I miss a day.

 

[cyberknight]

The angle of your back is only a part of a comfy fit .

 

[Short_Lass]

The plan was to watch my diet with the new cycling regime. It makes it more difficult to stop off at the takeaway on the way home! Besides, when I'm in the exercise groove, I tend not to over eat in the same way. I may get hungry, but because I've burned calories rather than craving chocolate! But I've been unwell a lot recently and this plan hasn't quite worked out.

Of all the things I thiught might go wrong with cycling -- falling off, rude motorists, gettimg rained on -- I never anticipated back strain leading to migraine and queasiness. Assuming that's the problem, which I am starting to suspect is the case. I just don't know who to believe now and what to do about it. One needs willpower not to get in the car and drive to work and to eat sensibly and that willpower has somewhat been worn down.

 

[Short_Lass]

The angle of your back is only a part of a comfy fit .

Bike guy said as he couldn't make many adjustments there was little he could do about a comfy fit. I may have been preoccupied with my back. But he's a cycling purist and the shop doesn't sell electric bikes, he was a bit shocked to see one. And he charged me £30 just for putting the handlebars down a few inches. So I'm not going back to that shop, but I remain confused.

Thank you everyone for replying. I will chat with physio again when I see her on Wednesday. Maybe she'll have some ideas.

 

[velovoice]

You mention the Chilterns - where abouts do you live? I could maybe recommend a few therapists who really understand what the body goes through from cycling. I also suffer from migraines. Those can be real b*st*rds. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[ayceejay]

Their are several pictures of your bike below Short Lass, the girl at the top looks comfortable on the bike as does the man below.but the woman does not look comfortable - which one are you?
A common cause of migraine is stress, are you a little bit repetitious whenyou go out as a new comer?