How To Avoid Cycling Lower Back Pain?

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It is common to experience back pain while cycling. What is the cause of this?

Cycling back pain, including lower back pain from cycling, is relatively common in rider circles. There are many reasons for this problem.

As a cycling enthusiast and physical therapist, I hope you will find this article helpful in making your back cope with the stress of cycling more easily.

Causes of lower back pain from cycling-Cycling Lower Back Pain

Muscle groups in the core are too weak

The core muscles are primarily the rectus abdominis, the oblique abdominis, the lower back muscles, and the erector spinae.

The biggest cause of back pain is a weak core muscle group.

When you cycle, your back connects your shoulders and hips, which makes it a support point, thus making it weaker, which is why it tends to hurt.

Incorrect riding position-Cycling Lower Back Pain

Can bike riding cause lower back pain？In my opinion，incorrect riding positions are among the most common causes. In general, the riding posture is closely related to frame size, saddle height/angle, etc.

By choosing the wrong size and height angle, you will be in an unscientific riding position that is very stressful to your body, especially your back.

There are some other factors, such as the length of the handlebars and cranks, the angle of the saddle tilt, and so on, which can also contribute to back pain over time.

Overweight backpack-Cycling Lower Back Pain

The majority of the weight on the back is transferred from the mid-back (the thoracic counterpart) to the hips and pelvis thanks to the strong and stable pelvis.

In a way, the lower back is like the suspension system between the backpack and the hips.

This means the lower back has been working hard in the middle, and the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc.) are easily overloaded, resulting in pain.

Flexibility of the hips is inadequate-Cycling Lower Back Pain

The hip muscles of some riders are too tight, especially the hip flexors, gluteus, and pear-shaped muscles.

When these muscles are tight for a long period of time, they will increase the movement of the pelvis, which in turn will force the lower back to work harder to compensate, causing pain.

It can also cause other problems such as iliotibial fasciculus syndrome and knee pain.

The suitability of the chosen road bike

My friends around me will often discuss why lower back pain on road bike.

In my summary of riding for so long, there is one reason that I think is easier to overlook. Is the bike you are using the right size for you, knowing that an improperly sized bike can increase the burden on your lower back.

While aggressive geometry may get you faster, an overly curved spine can also cause muscle stress on the lower back, so picking the right bike is also one of the reasons to ensure you ride healthy and reduce lower back pain on road bike.

How to avoid/prevent back pain?-Cycling Lower Back Pain

Adjustment of riding position

To begin with, adjust the chariot according to your riding position, such as the seat height, angle, etc.

When you feel that the frame size is not right, you can do a fitting for yourself, if the size is really not suitable, or change it, the body is what matters most.

Strengthen your core muscles

In addition to the correct riding position, improving your strength is the most effective solution.

Having strong core muscles keeps the back in a more natural position, which in turn serves to protect the back.

Core muscle groups can be effectively exercised with plank support, squat, bridge exercise, arrow squat walk, etc.

Exercise hip toughness

You will improve your performance and reduce the risk of injury by strengthening this exercise.

Deep squats, straddles, hip flexor stretches, and pear-shaped muscle stretches are effective exercises.

Adjusting climbing habits

It is important to stand up occasionally when climbing, since standing up allows the spine to be straight and natural, which reduces the risk of back injuries.

Additionally, reducing the weight of the lower back by keeping a smaller gear ratio and improving the pedaling frequency is helpful.

Give your backpack weight reduction

Take only what you need, or find ways to replace light tools. Reduce your load by taking just water, food, tools, sundries, etc.

In the event you cannot reduce the weight, you can separate these things by installing a tube bag on the upper tube and a tube bag on the seat to reduce the burden on the back.

Therefore, I think you need a simple and lightweight backpack for outdoor sports cycling. I recommend one to everyone the best backpack for lower back pain: LOCALLION Cycling Backpack Bike Backpacks Hiking Daypack for Outdoor Travel 18L. A really useful backpack that will accompany you all the time.

Product Information

Brand: LOCALLION	ASIN： B07QCS1GNN
Capacity: 18L	Weight: 0.50KG (without packaging)
Size: 43cm* 30cm*16cm	Structure: main warehouse, auxiliary warehouse
Fabric: Nylon	Lining: polyester
Zip chain: SBS zipper chain	Use environment: outdoor, leisure, cycling, outing, hiking

Highlight analysis, I wish you a worry-free trip

1. Water repellent, rain or shine
   Nylon fabric has good water-repellent properties. Splashing water on the surface of the backpack is as impenetrable as falling on a lotus leaf.
   Comes with a rain cover. The rain cover is placed in the secondary compartment of the backpack, which is double waterproof, so that the items are well-protected. It can also be put on on sunny days to play the role of dustproof and anti-theft.

2. Double-layer space in the main compartment
   Main compartment, double-layer storage space, partitioned storage, more convenient and reasonable storage of items.

3. Fast drinking water system
   Free your hands with a quick outdoor drinking system, replenish water at any time, and are suitable for various outdoor activities. The curve of the outlet pipe fits the body of the bag, which is more beautiful and more convenient. The water bag is placed in the bag and fixed by the hook (users who need a water bag should purchase it separately).

4. Portable hanging net bag
   There is a helmet net pocket at the bottom of the backpack, which is convenient for hanging helmets, basketballs, etc., which is convenient and practical.

5. Keep dry and don’t feel stuffy on your back
   The air backflow carrying system can drain air, breathable, and perspiration, and the three-dimensional honeycomb fabric on the back has better ventilation performance.

6. Reflective warning, safer to ride at night
   With high brightness, night travel can be seen by others, as safer. When traveling, it can be quickly found by companions on the back. There is light shining on the backpack, and the backpack will have a reflective effect to warn passers-by and vehicles.

Best bike for lower back pain

To avoid too much bending of the lower back and to reduce stress on it, we don’t recommend road racing that is too aggressive.

We would choose light mountain bikes that can maintain a relatively upright seating position, or comfortable hybrids and cruisers.

However, if you can’t give up your road bike, I recommend an endurance road bike that will be relatively more comfortable and fast enough to not put more stress on your lower back.

FAQs

1. Does this backpack provide proper ventilation for your back when using it on hot days?
   Yes

2. How does this pick fit for people who are heavier set/larger build?
   I wouldn’t recommend this bag for larger builds.

3. Would this work for motorcycle travel? (Ignoring the camelpack portion.)
   I would say yes. Straps down tight and has a chest strap. Also, it’s compact and contours a bit to my back when I strap it tight so I think it would work very well for your purposes.

4. The ‘yellow’ looks orange and the ‘orange’ looks almost red. What are the true colors? I am looking for a medium orange color. Thanks!
   I think it is a bright medium orange. It is a really wonderful backpack.

Customer reviews

• From Doleman/Color: Blue

Love my new backpack! I know the title says outdoor sports backpack but it works just as great as a mama backpack and here’s why I love it so much:

1. Lightweight, doesn’t matter where you go, this is a must for a backpack (IMO), so you don’t get tired just carrying the backpack alone.
2. Padded straps. The straps are padded without the thick pads/fabric, the material is foam like so it’s light but soft.
3. Looks compact but actually can hold a lot of stuff.
4. Waterproof material so I can clean it easily.
5. Lots of compartments. I like the little one on top to put keys/credit card/anything you want quick access to.
6. Rubber band bottle holder on BOTH sides.
7. Reflective strips.
8. Massage padding on the back, they feel quite hard but it’s pretty comfortable once you wear it.

I use this as my everyday backpack and I’m loving it so far.

After riding, do cold body exercises

Be sure to do cold body exercises after riding. If you feel back pain, you can try to have major health care, and massage the back to relax.

For more serious issues, it is best to see a physical therapist so that they can determine the source of the problem and help you devise a plan for solving it.

These are our suggestions on how to avoid cycling lower back pain. If our content is helpful to you, you can follow us. Thanks for your support!