By Lars Hundley
That dull ache in your lower back toward the end of a long ride isn’t just annoying – it’s your body sending you an important message. Lower back pain ranks as one of the most common cycling complaints (along with knee issues), and it gets more frequent as we add birthdays to our collection.
But here’s the good news: most cycling-related back pain is preventable with a few smart adjustments to your riding and training habits. Let’s tackle this common roadie problem head-on.
Find the Real Culprit
Lower back pain rarely has a single cause. Instead, it’s usually a perfect storm of factors — some related to your bike, others to your body. There are several common culprits.
First, check your bike fit. That sleek, stretched-out position might look pro, but if you’re reaching too far for the handlebars, your back will protest. Similarly, a saddle that’s too high forces your hips to rock, stressing your lower back with every pedal stroke.
Then there’s the matter of your muscles. Many cyclists have weak core muscles but strong legs – a recipe for back trouble. Your powerful quads and hamstrings generate tremendous force, but without adequate core strength, your lower back gets drafted into stabilization duty it wasn’t designed to handle.
Another biggie that many riders overlook: inactive glutes. When those large butt muscles don’t engage properly during pedaling, guess what picks up the slack? You guessed it — your lower back.
Simple Solutions for Immediate Relief
First, take an honest look at your riding style. Are you mashing big gears, especially on climbs? This puts enormous strain on your back. Shift to an easier gear and increase your cadence. Your back will thank you, and you might even climb more efficiently.
Next, pay attention to your position, especially when fatigue sets in. Many riders unconsciously slouch after miles in the saddle, forcing the lower back into a strained position. Every 15 minutes, check your posture – shoulders relaxed, slight bend in the elbows, back neither completely flat nor excessively arched.
For immediate relief after a ride, try this. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. It looks like the same position as this exercise. This neutral position takes pressure off the spine and allows muscles to relax. Hold for 5-10 minutes while focusing on deep, relaxed breathing.
Prevention Is Better Than Treatment
The best approach to cycling back pain isn’t treating it – it’s preventing it from happening in the first place. Here’s how:
Strengthen your core. Focus on exercises that target the deep stabilizing muscles like the transversus abdominis and multifidus. A simple plank, held with proper form for 30-60 seconds and repeated 3-4 times, does wonders. Add side planks and bird-dogs for a complete core routine.
Don’t neglect flexibility. Tight hamstrings pull on your pelvis, increasing strain on your lower back. Spend 10 minutes after each ride stretching your hamstrings, hip flexors, and lower back. The seated forward bend is particularly effective – just avoid bouncing or forcing the stretch.
Wake up those sleeping glutes! Before rides, do 10-15 bodyweight squats or glute bridges to activate these crucial muscles. During rides, occasionally focus on pushing through your heels and engaging your glutes, especially on climbs.
Consider your overall training load. Dramatically increasing your mileage can overwhelm your back before it adapts. Follow the 10% rule – don’t increase weekly mileage by more than 10% from week to week.
When to Seek Help
While most cycling-related back pain resolves with the approaches above, some situations warrant professional attention.
If pain radiates down your leg (sciatica), consult a healthcare provider. This could indicate nerve compression that needs specific treatment. Pain that persists more than two weeks despite rest and self-care deserves professional evaluation. Any back pain accompanied by numbness, tingling, or weakness in the legs requires immediate medical attention.
For recurring issues, consider a professional bike fit from someone experienced with cycling-related pain. Small adjustments to saddle height, handlebar reach, or cleat position can make dramatic differences.
The Bottom Line
Lower back pain doesn’t have to be the price you pay for enjoying the road. With the right combination of bike fit, core strength, flexibility, and riding technique, you can put back pain behind you and focus on what matters – enjoying the ride and getting stronger with every mile.
Remember, your body is constantly communicating with you. When your back speaks up, listen to the message – then use these tools to respond intelligently. The road ahead is long, and your back deserves to enjoy it as much as the rest of you!
Readers, what has helped you best to solve lower back pain issues related to cycling?
So this suggestion comes from a member of Cycling Over 60, which to me correlates with the activating your glutes suggestion above, but it’s done on the bike. There could be another reason why it correlates or why it works for me specifically! Note, I have an extra vertebra in my spinal column from my tailbone that did not fuse as a child.
The simple trick that I’ve adopted is to mash a massive gear (either of the three hardest gears you can spin at a low RPM) for 20 to 30 minutes either in a warm-up, on the trainer, or as part of the beginning of your ride then switch to your fast spinning at a higher RPM in your optimum all day gear. Most days it only takes about five minutes of mashing and then I’m free to spin my ass off!
Even on days when I’m off do something strenuous off the bike I will jump on the trainer and do 30 minutes to get my muscles going!
Yes, working on one’s body is the best way to relieve lower back pain.
In addition, I have helped many riders relieve lower back pain by raising the bars. This puts the body in a better position and relieves lower back pain.
A couple of years ago a lower back issue (compressed disc) flared up again, and my doctor sent me to a sports rehab center. Their prescription was a set of simple core exercises – planks, bird dog, etc. These used to be part of my year-round training, but I had lapsed out of ‘core’ work. I thought these exercises were too simple to be effective for my discomfort, yet within a few weeks of returning to ‘core’ work, the lower back issues faded away. Since then, I do believe I see the correlation between keeping up my core exercises and the mitigation of lower back issues.
Besides planks and birddogs what other core exercises have you found useful ?
A few years ago my lower back was really hurting until I started using the Roman Chair (you could also do the “Superman” if you don’t have access to a gym) …. worked miracles for me. However, stupidly, I stopped and my back pains came back with a vengeance so I’ve gotten back into to using the Roman chair and have noticed a great improvement
I started going to a new personal trainer about a year ago, at a gym that specializes in people with injuries or special needs or just who want to rehab or avoid injuries.
My trainer started me on Romanian deadlifts and those seem to have actually solved my 10 plus years of lower back discomfort on rides, or triggered by riding.
I don’t know if it’s a permanent fix, but I am loving it for now.
I think building real strength from lifting with a barbell either built enough back muscle or gave me enough functional strength or gave me enough stimulus to my lower back that it finally healed up. I’m not sure exactly how it worked, but I am very pleased that it worked for me.
I am also building real strength where I can lift more than I’ve ever been able to in my life, so I feel like I’m really fighting off sarcopenia too.
I understand that people say that deadlifts can injure your back, but I’m not lifting like a powerlifting competitor. I’m not trying for one rep max type lifts. And I am working with someone who knows what he’s doing, teaching me good form, helping choose the right weights, etc.
I saw this hint a few years ago on this site. Someone mentioned doing the McGill Big 3 exercises. They worked wonders for me and I rarely have any back pain after long hours riding, doing outside work with a lot of twisting, bending, etc.
Here’s one example from YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_e4I-brfqs
They take me about 7 minutes to complete.
When you budget for a new ride, always include a professional fit. If the fit isn’t right, nothing else will fix the problem, especially as we get more experienced.
good info, thanks!
I agree with Walt. As I will soon be in my octogenarian years (2 years) the good Lord willing, I have some suggestions that most don’t want to hear. First, bike fit:: adjusting handlebar height and therefore reach can take a lot of pressure off the lower and upper back. It might include adding a “height adjuster” or similar added equipment. Yes this makes your bike look pretty dorkie, but may let you ride without back pain for a few more years. Also, using your “easier” gear combinations and even replacing crank and rear cassette to give you more easier options. I now ride a crank with an option of choosing a 30 tooth “granny” and an 11/26 which allows me to still do the N.H. hills on my favorite rides. and the last but most unpleasant thing is realizing as you age it’s ok to do a little less in the way of speed and miles, just be thankful you can still ride and think of all the others your age who are doing crossword puzzles!
Glenn
Sprung Brooks Flyer saddle instantly eliminated my back pain from riding. Turns out it was road shock causing the problem.
Also, Selle Anatomica saddle works. Lotsa bounce and suspension even though it is not a sprung saddle.