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Click to view fsubigballa's profile Amateur 7 posts since
Jul 9, 2007

Nov 24, 2006 4:21 AM

Neck Pain on long rides

I just completed my first metric century yesterday, and by the end of the ride I had almost debilitating neck pain. I tried stretching through-out the ride, moving my neck back and forth, but it didn't help. I am normally a 15-30 mile rider, and this has never bothered me before. It was a shooting pain in the small of my neck. Does this happen to anyone else on long rides? Any suggestions?
Click to view twosport's profile Amateur 28 posts since
Jul 9, 2007
1. Nov 25, 2006 5:40 AM in response to: fsubigballa
Neck pain is not at all uncommon on long rides. Especially if you suddenly increase your distance. Obviously, your neck is supporting a lot of weight during the ride and you have not given your neck muscels enough time to adapt to the longer time in the saddle. You might get your bike fit checked at a local bike shop also.
Click to view Wonatriver's profile Pro 80 posts since
Jul 9, 2007
2. Dec 3, 2006 5:03 AM in response to: fsubigballa
In addition to the conditioning, it sounds like you are too stretched out. You probably need to address the stem length/angle, and a proper fitting is the only way to get the correct one. The fitting is worth the money, and may also get other potential fitting issues addressed that you may not know about yet.
Click to view omabikeryder's profile Pro 175 posts since
Jul 9, 2007
3. Dec 5, 2006 7:52 AM in response to: fsubigballa
All good advice. The more you ride, the easier it gets. You should absolutely get your bike fit checked. You might want to check on your posture when riding. It is common to tense the shoulder muscles when riding. If your shoulders are relaxed you will have less fatigue in your upper body.
Click to view MotiveForcer's profile Legend 195 posts since
Jul 9, 2007
4. Dec 21, 2006 10:17 PM in response to: fsubigballa
That was a big jump for you and you stressed yourself. Do push-ups. Get your bike fitted as suggested. You may be too stretched out for now as your mileage is relatively low but you can build up. While many may suggest a shorter stem, I'd say consider moving your saddle forward a tad, perhaps up to a centimeter. That's easy and you may even prefer the pedaling position. Are your bars the right width? Too narrow or too wide? See the pro.