Neck Pain

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straas

Matt
Location
Manchester
On my last few long rides I've started developing pretty uncomfortable neck pain about 70 miles in, sometimes getting bad enough to cause headaches and make me stop and massage shoulder muscles / neck.

I feel like I'm tilting the top of my head too far backward - I feel it could partially be due to the top rim of my cycling glasses being in the way, causing my to over extend to look down the road?

Glasses aside, what adjustments would you suggest to the bike fit to try and keep the neck in a more suitable position?
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Take a break more often (every hour or so) and do some basic neck and shoulder mobilisations if changing glasses doesn't help

If persists, pay to see a sports Physio with expertise/interest, even better one who'll do an on bike assessment

Presumably it's a road bike? Flipping stem always helps me, ymmv
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
When I had neck/shoulder pain, it was cured by switching to a lightweight hat (either a fleecy beanie in winter or a baseball cap with chinstrap in summer, actually). No idea if that's part of your problem.

Glasses being too low on your face won't help anything, though.
 
OP
OP
straas

straas

Matt
Location
Manchester
Thanks for the replies - I had considered a bike fit but I've heard contrasting opinions on their effectiveness.

I'll have a look at different glasses and see if that solves things.

It is a road bike, would flipping the stem shorten the distance between saddle and bars?
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
As said, try flipping the stem first. Glasses I can't help with. I found that pain as described went when I ditched the helmet years ago as per @mjr
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Thanks for the replies - I had considered a bike fit but I've heard contrasting opinions on their effectiveness.

I'll have a look at different glasses and see if that solves things.

It is a road bike, would flipping the stem shorten the distance between saddle and bars?
I found bike fits by specialist physios useful. By a bike shop with a computer and fancy kit, much less so
 
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