Be good to the back on the bike

I found out after getting my back checked out last year at a sports clinic that the position you have on a road bike can contribute to back pain. So I got a bike fitting at the clinic, where they align you on the saddle, and adjust pedal and handlebar heights to keep your back in good form. I found out I had been riding a little bit off the saddle to the right to compensate for a somewhat shorter leg to the pedal. The guy put shims under my cleats to square me up.

Then he raised my drops slightly to keep me from bending too far forward while riding. He did those basic adjustments, but recommended I get the drops raised a little bit higher for optimum back form. He suggested I try riding them as adjusted before deciding whether to raise them further. I took the bike to the shop, and the owner pooh-poohed the idea of raising the handlebars higher. He’s done it for other riders, he said, on the recommendation of the same clinic, and he said it put them too high in the saddle. Climbs become much harder to get a leveraged center of gravity. 

On steep climbs, “You’re too far back, and you’ll have a hard time keeping the front tire down,” he said. I’d ridden my bike a bit with the new pedal balance, and had to get used to not slightly hanging off the saddle to the right. Once I did get used to it, I felt more balanced in the saddle. Even though I hadn’t noticed it before, my back wasn’t getting pulled more to one side than the other. I was squarely on the saddle. After the sports clinic bike fitting, the handlebars felt a bit high, so I figured the best way to go forward was to leave them as they were: slightly raised, in favor of better back position. I didn’t want them any higher, though. I saw the bike shop guy’s point about their problem with climbing. So while I now have them a bit higher, they still feel low enough to get good climbing leverage and descending aerodynamics. A middle ground seemed the best way to go.

So a bike fitting for better balance and less forward leaning can definitely help you keep your back in shape. It just takes knowing how far you want to compromise your climbing and aerodynamics with raised drops.

Beyond that, I just keep my back stretched and as loose as possible through core workouts and leg stretches. That works fine to keep any occasional back pain at bay.

Don’t hurry, be deliberate

When I’m getting ready to go on a ride, I’ve noticed that sometimes my eagerness to get out on the bike makes me rush around too much. Sometimes I want to leave as soon as possible because I have to be back for something else. But I’ve been working on stepping back when I feel the need to rush. I’ve gone out on the bike while feeling hurried when I leave and it takes away from the ride. Something about getting settled in the mind, being mindful, knowing that you’ve taken care of everything before you go, pays off. If I feel I’ve taken the time to get everything properly done pre-ride, it puts my mind at ease when I leave. Then I’m really ready to ride the bike. I can completely tune into the present and get the most out of it. Try it!

Til next time, remember to strap on a helmet before every ride. Then, it’s all important to keep the rubber side down!

-- Mark Eric Larson

Mark Eric Larson has written two books of essays, "The NERVE...of Some People's Kids," and "Don't Force it, Get a Bigger Hammer. To read, visit: 
http://www.scribd.com/Mark%20Eric%20Larson/shelfHis blog of personal essays is at: http://marksmuzings.blogspot.com/