Lower Back Pain for Cyclists: Tips for Prevention and Fixes
By Coach Rick Schultz
One question that the recreational roadies and racers I coach have in common – and something I hear very often from riders of all ages and abilities – is some variation of: “My lower back is always sore during and/or after a ride. What can I do about it?”
In short, there’s no magic bullet to address this common problem. Lower back pain is typically the result of a combination of possible issues at play.
My reply is to lay out the five main factors that can combine to cause lower backpain, and how to address each one of those:
1) Bad or No Bike Fit
Being in the wrong position on the bike can not only cause lower back pain, but can also cause knee pain, damage to the knee, pain in the arms, neck, upper back, calves and Achilles. Couple a bad position with worn out or wrong-sized equipment (like stems that are too long, bars that are too wide, a saddle that causes high pressure ridges) and you have a potent recipe for pain and discomfort during and after rides. Getting a good bike fit by a competent fitter is one of the best things you can do as a cyclist.
2) Lack of Flexibility
Most cyclists lack basic flexibility. But what is flexibility in cycling? Effectively, it is how much your hamstrings will stretch before pulling on the base of your pelvis, which in turn pulls on your lower back. Lack of hamstring flexibility is undoubtedly the No. 1 cause of lower back pain. A good daily stretching and core strengthening routine is recommended. Here’s one helpful exercise from our recent eBook, Stretching and Core Strengthening for the Cyclist.
From the eBook: Hamstrings extend the leg and flex the knee. Tight hamstrings can be the cause of lower back pain. This stretch will stretch the hamstrings as well as the lower back. While sitting, knees slightly bent and trying to maintain a flat back, bend over and grab your toes. Slowly straighten out your knees. For a greater stretch, pull on your toes, which will cause you to bend further forward. The further you bend forward, the more you are stretching your hamstrings. Try and maintain a flat back. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax and do another set or two. If you can’t reach your toes, bend over as far as you can. Do this stretch every day. Eventually you will be able to grab your toes and do the full stretch.
3) Lack of Core Strength/Poor Posture
A strong and engaged core helps support your entire body, especially the lower back This is especially true for cycling. A strong core helps produce power. A weak and non-engaged core allows the body to slump into a poor posture that can also lead to a sore back. Doing a daily core workout like planks along with back stretches like the one shown below from the eBook will help to strengthen your core.
From the eBook: Lie flat on your back and engage your core. You can place your hands to your sides, which will help with your balance. Keeping feet together, lift heels 6 inches (15.25 cm) off the mat and hold for 10 seconds. Raising your head and shoulders off the mat helps to keep the core engaged. Slowly lower heels (and head and shoulders) back down to mat. Repeat 10 times. Again, lifting your head and shoulders helps engage the core. This will help reduce any possible injury to the lower back.
4) Poor Position on the Bike
A flexed back instead of an extended back can cause stress on the lower back, as can a backward tilted pelvis. Rotating the pelvis forward and extending the back will unload the lower back and load the glutes, which are the most powerful muscles in the body. See the following for a comparison of incorrect vs. correct posture on the bike.
5) Other Possible Contributing Factors
- Leg length discrepancy (LLD) – Having a LLD, which is not uncommon, can cause you to sit off to one side of the saddle. This can cause the body to, ineffect, fight itself as you pedal, twisting and torquing the lower back. If a LLD is discovered during a fitting, you and your fitter need to address it with cleat shims, pedal setup, etc.
- Worn out equipment – Chamois pads can get old and bunch up, saddle padding can bunch up, causing the base of the saddle to become uneven, insoles can be worn out to the point of becoming uneven as well. Worn out shoes, worn out cleats, even worn out handlebar tape can cause one hand to grip higher than the other. Keeping your equipment updated and in good condition – even the little stuff you might think is unimportant – is imperative.
- Back alignment issues – Alignment issues such as Lordosis, Kyphosis or Scoliosis can also lead to excess stresses on the lower back. Understand your medical and physical situation fully in order to address any related discomfort or pain on the bike.
Coach Rick Schultz is an avid cyclist who has trained, raced, and coached in Southern California and now resides in Bend, Oregon where he works as a bike fitter and bike fit educator. Rick is an engineer by trade and a prolific cycling product reviewer. He’s the author of Stretching & Core Strengthening for the Cyclist in the RBR eBookstore. Check his coaching site, www.bikefitnesscoaching.com. Click to read Rick’s full bio.
Additional Resources:
In Stretching & Core Strengthening for the Cyclist, our new 57-page eBook, Coach Rick Schultz and Amy Schultz clear up the confusion and take the guesswork out of knowing what to do, and how to do it, to implement a stretching and core strengthening program. (Amy Schultz is completing her Doctorate in Physical Therapy, is an accomplished cyclist and has done extensive research on athletes and injury prevention. Amy demonstrates the proper form for all the stretching and core exercises in the eBook.)
Bike Fit 101: Your Toolset for a Great Bike Fit combines industry best practices and Coach Rich Schultz‘s own experiences as a GURU-certified bike fitter to create a best-of-the-best bike-fitting process in the form of a step-by-step how-to manual that you can use to do a bike fit yourself, or fine-tune your fit. It also provides a toolset for those of you who prefer to work with a professional fitter. It shows you how to find a quality fitter, and how to work with that fitter to get the best possible fit for your cycling goals and needs.
Hi Steve,
When I measure the lower back angle of the pelvis using a goniometer, most cyclists are around 80-85 degrees. After 6 weeks or so of stretching, many have increased this to 90-92 degrees.
Steve, one common thing I see is handlebars are too low. As you stated, cyclists think they are physically still the same as they were 30 years ago. An argument usually follows where I mention we need to raise the bars. They say “but I will look like a nerd.” I follow this up with a compromise saying lets raise the bars now, you do stretching then come back and when your body is ready, we will lower the bars. Usually works.
Long ago, before aero bars became popular, my bike fit me and I had no pain. As soon as I started riding aero bars, my lower back started hurting. It finally occurred to me that I was “bent over” more when using the aero bars especially since I never rode in the drops much before then.
So I raised the bars slightly and the back pain went away.
Quite a few years later after I abandoned aero bars, my Retul bike fit told me to lower my bars essentially the amount I had raised them for aero bar riding. That was the ONLY adjustment they offered which let me know my original fit was pretty good.
It also reminds me that small changes can make a big difference!
The Back Mechanic by Stuart McGill is an indispensable guide for back pain. Prof. McGill is the world’s foremost back researcher.
Here is a recent study – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5908986/
In one way I am am a bit lucky – my lower back hurts only when NOT riding…
What works for me is a “modified push-up”. Slowly push up while relaxing the back. Stop when the pelvis begins so rise. Repeat until 7 have been done. Then do three more, but let the pelvis rise. Hold for a few seconds to let the pelvis drop a bit.
After a few minutes, repeat. Then, after another rest, do 3 more.
Important to recognize that just because you don’t have back pain at lower mileage doesn’t mean that you won’t at higher mileage. I had this experience 15 years ago when I went from being a casual rider to pounding out 100+ miles per week. As I gradually increased mileage and effort the back pain soon followed. At that point, I did get a bike fit from a former racer/coach who had become a Physical Therapist. He told me that while the bike fit would solve most problems that, if I really wanted to be the best that I can be, that addressing No. 3,4&5 above would be as important. At age 67 the best that I can be isn’t anything special but, I can easily ride 50+ miles with some good climbs and, no back pain.
It could be road vibration into the back too. That’s what happened to me. I tried the bike fit, different bikes, fat tires with low pressure, positions, etc. to no avail. Sprung Brooks Flyer saddle and Selle Anatomica saddles (no springs) gave instant permanent relief.
70+ quite fit guy, works out regular, but has had severe to mild various lower back pains for decades. I had really good outcome with an exercise recommended here about a year ago. Lie flat on back with feet under knees, thrust hips up in air, hold, repeat. I do 30 twice a week as part of my regular half hour workout. So easy, doesn’t seem like doing much at all, but it really alleviated/moderated the stabbing pains I would get from sitting in a car seat too long. Thanks!
I agree with all of the above. A couple of things I have found through trial and error. 1) I live in a community of mostly seniors. Many have thought of giving up cycling due to lower back pain. I have simply raised their bars to allow them to keep riding with no or much reduced back pain (this sometimes requires a steerer tube extension – which most bike shops will not install); 2) I have found that lower back pain can be reduced via lying on one’s back and lifting (or attempting to lift) one’s butt off the floor (at the same time, pressing one’s feet and shoulders into the floor) – hold for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times twice a day.
Highly recommend the book Back Mechanic by Stuart McGill, or any podcast, Dr. McGill is on. IHe is the world’s foremost authority on back pain, and an extraordinary person. I had back pain for 25 years and with three simple exercises four or five days a week, I might think about my back three days a year now.
71 years old, back issues for 50 of those years and no surgeries (this is medical world’s offer…). Twice weekly long hilly rides (45+ miles) with handlewbars lower than seat (for more power) make for interesting back challenges. YEsterday’s soreness alleviated by good posture and core strength, as detailed by other riders. I find my daily yoga practice gives me feedback for what body alignment and muscle engagement makes a difference that day!