Backache

[Stantheman]

3 weeks into my new love affair with my MTB bad I am now cycling upto 40 miles, this week I have done 36, 32 and 41 miles rides. They have mainly been on trails with a few big hills. All is great except I am now getting backache, it's about chest high, feels like it is muscle related but is quite painful. Is this to be expected when increasing milage. Any advice on this one appreciated.

 

[Pikey]

I get something similar when I don't stretch out my hamstrings, quads and it band properly. Give that a try!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

3 weeks into my new love affair with my MTB bad I am now cycling upto 40 miles, this week I have done 36, 32 and 41 miles rides. They have mainly been on trails with a few big hills. All is great except I am now getting backache, it's about chest high, feels like it is muscle related but is quite painful. Is this to be expected when increasing milage. Any advice on this one appreciated.

It takes time to get used to cycling such distances, youth helps, I started nearly 2 years and ached everywhere, from aches the bike to different aches off it, overtime I have set my bike up better (this changes as you physic changes, these days I am happy up to 30-40 miles not that I do that much at the moment.

 

[Stantheman]

Alas, youth is not on my side. Mentally I am still in my twenties but physically no where near. I do no think it's any thing serious as after a good nights sleep I feel fine. I must be getting fitter as my legs ache less the days after. I was thinking of changing the set up a bit. What could I do to get a more upright position?

 

[vickster]

Flip the stem? Adjustable angle stem?

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Alas, youth is not on my side. Mentally I am still in my twenties but physically no where near. I do no think it's any thing serious as after a good nights sleep I feel fine. I must be getting fitter as my legs ache less the days after. I was thinking of changing the set up a bit. What could I do to get a more upright position?

As you get cycle fit a lot will go away, but it does take time, took me nearly a year and I covered 8,000 miles in that time, one of the best changes I made were new bars, and straight away I noticed a difference, that was about July or so, I still suffer over longer distances as I said, but anything up to 30 miles is no problem and 50 is easy enough (but I dont ride that distance as a rule), but 12,000 since I start in Jul 12 sort of got me cycle fit.
Make sure saddle height is right its set forward/backward so you are sat on it not perched and always adjusting your position, a rule of thumb is if sat your front axle should be obscured by the handle bars (not a perfect guide as my axle is slightly forward, and when I ever get some free cash I will get a slightly longer stem to see if it improves things)

 

[doog]

3 weeks is early days..40 miles on a MTB ?? ..that would probably punish most people in some region or another...you need to give your body time to adapt man !!!!

As stated, look at your set up, saddle height, seat position......shorter stem perhaps ? You will notice a really nice difference between say a 110mm stem and a 90mm if you want a more upright position, might ease the back pain.

 

[Adam1965]

So is that 40 miles off road or on? , I went out on my MTB on Saturday for the first time in approx 6 weeks and did 25 miles with a mix of trail and road and really felt it, I have been using my road bike at the weekends, I almost forgot how hard riding an MTB on Tarmac is ( for me anyway), so I am not surprised you have back pain!

Have you thought about a bike fit at your LBS?

 

[screenman]

Going more upright may not be helpful.

 

[PaulSecteur]

Are you locking your elbows straight? I know as I get tired I tend to do this too, the result is that instead of bumps being absorbed by the arms they get sent up to the shoulder and back.

If you are getting to 30-ish miles and tart to feel tired have a breather for 15, start off again and keep elbows bent. If you don't get backache then you know what the source of the problem is.

 

[Stantheman]

I was quite fit before starting to cycle again, many a mile walked in the Brecon Beacons, but I suppose I could be doing to much to soon. No pain no gain though. Looking at the stem, flipping it would make me Less upright and I may need a shorter one. Locking the elbows sounds like a likely cause. The 40 miler was on road, uphill for the first 3 miles or so then on a mixture of trail and cycle path. Aiming to get up to 50 miles in the next three weeks, I am a man with a plan.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Going more upright may not be helpful.

Just my thought as well. Under 25 miles, I'm okay with upright riding position. Any farther, and I prefer drops. A trekking bar also works for greater distances, at least in my case.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I was quite fit before starting to cycle again, many a mile walked in the Brecon Beacons, but I suppose I could be doing to much to soon. No pain no gain though. Looking at the stem, flipping it would make me Less upright and I may need a shorter one. Locking the elbows sounds like a likely cause. The 40 miler was on road, uphill for the first 3 miles or so then on a mixture of trail and cycle path. Aiming to get up to 50 miles in the next three weeks, I am a man with a plan.

You are using different muscle groups in different ways in an unfamiliar position, it takes time for your body to adjust.

 

[Stantheman]

Looks like a bit of experimentation could be needed then as well as giving my body time to adjust. In regards to pushing my self is it a good idea to cycle everyday or best to have rest periods inbetween rides. I have a lot of spare time at the moment (long story) and I am trying to put it to good use.

 

[the snail]

could be from having wide bars? Tends to push your shoulder blades together which gets uncomfortable after a while. Might just be your posture being bad due to tiredness.