Neck Pain While Cycling? - 6 Causes

[@hbade]

0:06 Handlebars too wide 1:25 Excessive reach 2:37 Saddle setback 3:23 Saddle pitch 3:57 Saddle choice 4:50 Spinal posture (thoracic hypokyphosis)

[@bradford_shaun_murray]

3:15 Larger heads and well endowed ladies

[@thedownunderverse]

@@bradford_shaun_murray deadly lelz

[@diegoeleazar9154]

It's weird he never mentioned bar height 🤔

[@SirBrass]

​@@diegoeleazar9154 that's part of reach

[@DickSpencer1954]

Francis, I apologize in advance for this being so lengthy but I have to get this off my shoulders. James, Thank you so much to you and Francis for making these videos. No bike fitter in my area, so I have depended on you and Neil Standbury for tips that have worked on my personal bike fitting saga. At 69 years old, you just cannot find info that is common sense, try at home help, for people my age. For you young people out there, this guy knows his stuff!! If you hurt after a ride, then something is wrong with your bike fit. If you cannot sit up without holding the handlebars and ride like you are on a unicycle, then your saddle height and setback is wrong. Twenty percent of weight on the bars...period. Be able to let go of the bars and sit up. If you can't do that, then your fit is wrong IMO. Keep up the good work guys! I love it!!!!

[@bengt_axle]

As someone who's had this problem for decades, I'd say this is all very good advice, especially at 2:55. The one thing I'd add is that you can improve your posture by rotating your pelvis forward, so as to keep your back relatively straight, and upper back even in slight flexion. This takes a bit of practice in learning how to sit slightly differently, engaging the core. I've seen Julian Alaphillipe ride this way in a seated climb.

[@shzykh]

this. the only thing that actually fixed my neck and shoulder pain after long rides was building a stronger core

[@MikeNorthrup]

Francis, Love the new format. I still want to see some on road adventures but you’re providing a lot of great info lately (and more frequently). Thanks.

[@shrinkingshrimp]

I'm on a full sus xc mtb, but man, these videos help so much. Before I was looking at getting 100EUR+ saddles because my jewels always went numb, but after trying some of your tips I'm so happy with my current saddle. Thanks. Now I have to do something about my hands outer edge going numb, I feel like they are in a bit wierd angle and a slightly narrower bar, or more sweep would help.

[@kingnormie]

when my outer hands went numb i fixed it with a bar with less backsweep. too much backsweep and my inside hurts

[@SignorLuigi]

I do a fair amount of indoor cycling on Zwift. For me, neck discomfort comes from having the TV I use for Zwifting mounted at a height on the wall typical for normal TV viewing on a couch and not for someone in a bike. One of these days, I will move the mount holding the TV down so that it better simulates the typical, and more comfortable, head angle of a person riding IRL.

[@SignorLuigi]

@@veganpotterthevegan Sounds like a nice arrangement. 👍 I don't think my 55" TV would fit there! 🙄🤣

[@Paganizondaf650]

Oh yeah man, that really sounds painful. I also only use Tablet and smartphones which I have somewhere around handlebar height or lower so that my eyesight reaches the ground approximately 2-3 meters in front of me

[@johnhsieh8164]

Spot on with Thoracic Kyphosis. Jumped on an enduro and never looked back.

[@donwinston]

I get a sore neck when I'm in the drops and have to keep my head up to comfortably see ahead far enough for a long time.

[@MattyBrad]

A proper cyclist looks at their tire. Lol. Or computer. I don't think some of us can ever get proper aero

[@jamesofallthings3684]

​@@MattyBradOh really? So just ride around with no regard for vehicles, obstacles, or other riders? Sounds like a proper cyclist.

[@BreadValley]

Video idea suggestion: How to transfer fit from bike A to bike B , even if bike(frame) A & B have different geometries. Much appreciated because many of us have multiple bikes right ? N+1 👍

[@cb6866]

Thanks Francis...your contribution , putting the ..remote , then the sharpie on the seat ? Exquisite .....ish. sort of. in a way ...Dude..James paused for a nano-second .Oh man

[@arthurhill83]

Great informative video, also great to hear James on the Bikeradar podcast !

[@askmeaboutmattweiner]

I love Tuesday on Sunday!

[@sophwhiting7]

Happy 400th. Here’s to plenty more Lawrence

[@shogun884]

Very informative vid, I've a touch of arthritis in my neck and I changed from the road bike to a felt broam gravel bike, the more relaxed position is a great help.

[@newoldsteel]

I’ve helped my sore neck but doing weightlifting that tend to be more neck oriented. Once i did that regularly my neck doesn’t go out anymore.

[@ucdcrush]

I think James misspoke. He said heavy people and well endowed women would need LESS setback. I think he meant to say MORE, because the previous group (short torso long leg) needed LESS setback.

[@jshaw4944]

Great common sense no nonsense video and advice as always.

[@lukewalker1051]

Excellent review of underlying reasons. Cheers from America.

[@clubmate12]

I usually get a headache a couple of hours after I finish a long ride. I thought this was due to hydration, but now I start to think it's related to neck pain and to bike fit. Thanks for sharing those tips. I am curious to know what James thinks about post-ride headaches.

[@twatts4436]

I used to get headaches and it related to a pressure point from a helmet casquette interaction. Might also be worth looking at whether you've got any weird interactions or tight spots in your helmet. Last thing I found caused headaches was colder weather - Particularly for those with less hair, wind chill on the head is a very real thing! If you're not already, try wearing a cap under the helmet to keep your noggin warm. Not saying these are necessarily what's causing your specific issues, but other things you can try!

[@shrinkingshrimp]

First try to drink and eat more before/while riding. Sun, heat, exhaustion and similiar things can give you headache too. If you have neck pain then fit your bike. If you still get headaches and there seems to be no obvious reasons I would go to see a doctor. Maybe get an MRI scan. Maybe it’s migraine, maybe it’s nothing, or it can be something serious. I get headache time to time, but I have a capillar condition in my brain where it can bleed just a tiny amount, making my head ache, but it can cause serious problems too, like epilepsy. This was discovered with MRI.

[@Bikefitjames]

Nope have treated / cured headaches with bike fit, following the steps in this video ought to help, if not………….bike fit!

[@kevinismanto]

I do also got headache after finish a long ride. Every time the ride is quite intense ( Zone 3-4 on 80% of the ride), it cause headache and I think my problem is fatigue. So lately I ride mostly on zone 2-3 and I got less headache or just some small discomfort on my head, get some sleep and it's gone.

[@PhilBaker13]

I used to get a headache towards the end of a longer ride (4+ hours) which would then go about 2 hours after the end of the ride. I too put that down to hydration, but no it was bike fit. I am now riding with higher bars and with my head not tilted back I no longer get a headache.

[@CatManDoSocial]

James! Love these. Thanks so much!

[@drucejnr]

Your last comment about getting an endurance bike makes me pissed off about the bike fitter I went to. Told him SO CLEARLY that I suffer from rotator cuff/hunch back due to my line of work (tools and equipment aren’t ergo), I see a physio and Osteopath to help with a lower back injury + have a daily stretching routine to help yet his advice on a new bike was to get a Trek Edmonda because he just wanted to sell me the most expensive bike they had in the shop he worked out of. I ended up with a Tarmac SL6, and as fun and racey as it is, I cannot spend hours in it on a weekend for a cruise; it is 100% a crit king. Knew I should’ve gone with my gut and got a Roubaix… IN the smaller size I know I need too!

[@stefanberam8451]

james videos are my favourite!

[@FocusDima]

Thanks for video) tell him that power saddle also comes in 130/143/155mm versions ;)

[@tomtrenter3208]

Getting a recumbent tadpole trike solved my trouble. I have degenerative disc disease and had C7 and T1 fused.

[@martinhudobivnik5895]

For me it's just not being on the bike for 6 months :D So if you've just done your first ride this year and feel sore in your traps, stretch it out, do a few more rides and it should go away.

[@marcuzzo211]

to be honest i started liking these videos u learn so much from them we have to appriciate these knowledges ^^ Thx to this channel and creators

[@Akrapovic581]

This is to me the first and only guy who seems to know what he is talking about. All the other are only half- instead of all-inn.

[@Multistan85]

If you’re testing any modifications on your bike then it’s best to ride out on the road and go on a zone 2 effort. Bike fit problems usually appear when you’re doing a decent effort on the bike. Hardly ever appears while going 11-15 mph.

[@jaslevartri]

James! Missed him 🙌✨️

[@shikaze66]

I do use this saddle (Sorry James)but yeah, while the salesman tried to point me to the 155mm one, I was quite happy to go with the 143mm one. Didn't regret my own choice, saddle in the 150+mm range do rub my thights something fierce....

[@Sem84]

Bike fit Tuesday on a Sunday? You're messing with my week calendar before the week has even started :D

[@randyhale4181]

If I ever get to England the first place I'm going to is James the bike fitter.

[@I_MR10]

Another great video! Keep up the good work! These video's have helped me so much in the past years. Like so many others I had my saddle set up way too high, too far forward, tilted nose down, ... Because if the pro's do it, it should be good, lol. Now I no longer have numb hands and feet or the infamous 'numbnuts', no more neck pain and I really enjoy riding my bike so much more now. Thanks a lot for that! I don't know if you or James will read this and have time to reply to these very specific questions. But I do have 1 question left that I haven't really found a solution for in any of your videos. I'm sitting completely off center/ crooked on my saddle, off to the right. It's not hurting me, I didn't even know until one of my riding mates pointed it out and took a picture. I still haven't found out what the issue is. Could this also be a result from a saddle that's too wide? Or maybe too narrow? Saddle is no longer too high, my cleats should be set up identical and far enough to the back, and my legs do have the same lenght.

[@SuperOrcy]

I recently went back to 40cm bars (down from 44 stock), turned the levers inwards slightly and took 30mm out of the stem, and it literally fixed nearly everything for me on my merida 400. even at 188cm, 44cm bars are too wide.

[@davidgoon1978]

not all tall ppl have wide shoulder.. some are stocky built

[@petef15]

A cause for me is shoulder checking. I'm going to pick up a garmin varia sometime so i stop looking over my shoulder so much to see when a car might try to murder me.

[@adammillsindustries.]

Slightly related. I’m listening to Bike Radars bike fit episode just to hear James talk lol 😂

[@gclh22]

Fixed neck pain on a bike by lowering the bars. Can't understand why this isn't mentioned by many bike fitters.

[@gripitsg]

Bike fit Tuesday release on a Sunday 😁,what day of the week is it?

[@twatts4436]

Interestingly I narrowed my bars to match my shoulder width (38cm) and suddenly started experiencing elbow pain which I'd never had previously!

[@deadpool8340]

Bike Fit Tuesday on a Sunday !! 👌

[@hugog930]

When you doing a MTB bike fit or comparison what you should copy from road fit ? Thanks

[@richardworley7798]

Should maybe add some stuff about what core strength work and stretching a cyclist should be doing

[@FrapsomaticalOption]

Question to James: I'm thinking about getting the SQlab 512 road pedals. They go with Look cleats and come in various versions. SQlab recommends the +15mm extension for my height (1.95m). Any thoughts or experience on those?

[@Bikefitjames]

We sell em, they’re basic and cheap but they can solve issues for riders needing a wider stance

[@FrapsomaticalOption]

@@Bikefitjames Cheers for that quick response!

[@dusty_hoods]

Thank you very much for this video 🙌

[@gcaldwell4]

Excellent as usual!!!

[@thedownunderverse]

"We're talking about the everpresent force of gravity". LOL.

[@adhruv4291]

How short is too short for a stem? My bike came with 100 mm stem, i switched to 90 and am thinking i need even less....Multiple bike fitters say my bike is the right size too...

[@DaveCM]

I'm kind of old and have been riding 44cm bars for longer than I care to figure out. I was recently fitted and they told me I should be on a 42. Why am I now just learning this? Why has nobody ever told me before. Yes. I do prefer the 42. It wasn't a big difference but it is more comfortable. I was very skeptical at first and expected to hate it.

[@markholmes6771]

I had neck pain last year for months, got a bike in July now I hardly notice it.

[@stevekelly6544]

Love this channel!

[@dcouture79]

I want this guy to do my fit!

[@Rafskat]

I still don't have an issue with wide handlebars.. maybe it have something to do with my wide 51cm shoulders (armpits) :D Still i run 36cm bars on track, 30-40 on road and on my cross and winter bikes i run 44 And.. as much as you hate it :D i just love fizik airone with slightly nose down position, like 2° everything else i tried caused issues, so after years of trial and error i settled on this and since i never had an issue with saddle.

[@tomerlamhoot9693]

What does James think of rotating the shifters inwards? From a comfort perspective, not aero.

[@Bikefitjames]

Meh

[@willemniehorster9836]

James drinks waaaaaay too much coffee! The dude needs to relax! 🤣😂

[@alannkevin]

I though that a wider handlebar would open the chest more to facilitate breathing to a certain degree 🤔

[@foundationofsound]

You mention larger heads in the section on saddle setback. So larger head = saddle forward or saddle back?

[@aragaomrcl]

Hi guys Tks for the vídeo! Great info as usual. One question o saddle setback, if are comfortable with your setback, but the stem is too short and this is causing jeopardizing the bike maneuverability, the right way for testing a more forward position in the bike with a longer stem would be to push the saddle forward and raising it at the same time? If so, any recommendations for proportion forwardxraise? Tks from 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@zauliuz]

maybe you can talk about prescription glasses for cycling? i have sore neck, but just because i have to lean back my head more then i want in order to see what's in front of me (100meters away or more).

[@andrewcockburn7484]

This is the reason I wear contacts whenever I'm doing a fast ride where I'll be on the drops a lot.

[@khenpaulw311]

I wear contacts while riding for this reason, daily disposable contacts for minimal fuss. Also frees up my face for sunglasses.

[@zauliuz]

@@andrewcockburn7484 my eyes is really bad, I wear +7 glasses, so contacts is not an option for me. :)

[@jasonweston-cq2bd]

Yes! I got prescription cycling glasses from RX sport specifically to address my neck extension. Not cheap, but strongly recommend.

[@crankgreenwatts]

Great video and James is so knowledgeable 💯 Am looking for a new saddle that has a pressure relief channel and know one has been mentioned before by James but cannot find it. Anyone have the details please?

[@Cade_Media]

Selle italia Boost SLR

[@crankgreenwatts]

Thank you so much 🙏

[@reecedawson6113]

I went from a 42cm to a 38cm handlebars and changed my stem and haven't looked back since

[@shamanand]

James is arguably the best bike fitter out there

[@lomicwind]

How do you measure shoulder width ?

[@RiseDZR]

Could you give recommendations for bikefit to people with hyperlordosis? Thx!

[@chrisridesbicycles]

Hello rental bike from last holiday. 44 cm handlebars + saddle slipping back in the rail = horrible neck pain. When do bike companies learn that virtually nobody needs 44 cm handlebars and when does somebody develop a clever system to make handlebars easily exchangeable on rental bikes?

[@KOL630]

A trait I see on a lot of hipster bike builds is the saddle pitched way back too. My pals bike is like this and I told him it should be level. Oui ou non? To me any pitch seems idiotic, am I wrong?

[@robertoe.germanjr.2631]

Sir. James tnx for the lecture, good thingI bought the right size handle bar for my bike.... 👍👍👍 I'm learning 😃😃😃

[@k473r]

The spinal posture can be fixed? Or you need to addapt the bike to it?

[@industryrule-4080]

@bikefitjames5579 Would have slight soreness in the trapezius and rhomboid muscles after a long ride (but not during a ride) be considered a bike fit issue? The soreness is equivalent to my legs after a day of going up climbs.

[@shadyss96]

Welp.. All I am learning here is I am not properly fitted on my bike and have no idea where to begin!

[@thenicoalfonso]

Does less setback mean more forward, or more to the rear.

[@fcuenco]

Okay my problem is I purchased a 2014 Cannondale synapse size 51 because the website says size 51 is for 5'5"-5'11"... I told the bike shop i think i should be getting the size 48 because the webpage shows 5'2"-5'6". The bike shop insisted i am a size 51. I have neck and back problems even after adusting saddle height and reducing handlebar width from 42cm to 38cm and stem from 90mm to 80mm. Am i doing something wrong or is the bike totally too big for me.... Thank you for your time.

[@anca3028]

I am 5'8 and I really would love to get a large bike is there a way so I can adjust it so I can write comfortably

[@stevendembo2389]

My helmet did not fit correctly. It came too low on my forehead, causing me to look up too much & strain my neck. Does this sound like a legitimate problem?

[@yuckz0ne]

My girlfriend gets neck pain 30 minutes after maximum effort rides. Could this be because she tenses up a lot in the upper body and is therefore putting to much stress on her neck?

[@CanTURKeyed]

wtf. the saddle is the one I attend TCR and ended up with shermers neck at 1250th km

[@JayLato]

5:54 taller sacks?

[@breathestrongcycling3672]

100% on wide bars. On one Midge bars...never again!

[@jugaloo5873]

Lets not forget BRITISH CYCLING are sponsered by SHELL OIL

[@EM-wd2vg]

Flared handlebars, where on earth did they come from???

[@Dimashoey]

That studio needs acoustics panels

[@bradford_shaun_murray]

5:32 Notre Dame style

[@jameswatson5380]

Reminds me of my wife having a headache, googling it.. and deciding she has Ebola

[@fergsc]

Does a 2cm reduction of handlebar width make a big difference? If you do the trigonometry it's a small change of angle.

[@jasonweston-cq2bd]

Yes! It really does! I went from a 42cm to a 40cm and it made a huge difference.

[@danialharris2730]

what about numb hands?

[@emdgfx]

Check out Francis' video he did about 6 months ago kzbin.info/www/bejne/lau2lWSqn9KniKs

[@dainiusvysniauskas2049]

They've already done video on numb hands and quite of few points were the same - handlebars that are too wide, saddle that is too forward, etc. It all comes down to excessive weight on the hands.

[@_________4292]

Hellooo

[@jasonxiong8259]

Is it just me or somebody else may be the same that I am 173cm tall and my bike is size s but I have to use a 440mm handlebar😂

[@milanb.6022]

I thought "gents with larger heads and well endowed ladies" would need more setback, not less?

[@TheBClark88]

Long legs, short back, curved upper back, big head. No wonder I get neck pain…

[@nibbs15]

Oh cool neck pain

[@DISCOhooch]

3:11 long legs less setback (c) short legs - less setback (c)

[@YuriThorpe]

Long legs need less setback. Those with short torsos already have issues with being stretched out, but also have very little weight over the front of the bike.

[@DISCOhooch]

@@YuriThorpe Thanks

[@derekhobbs1102]

Not enough ums and ahs from James this episode, is he ok?

[@ozgurinsan]

cycling is so uncomfortable , you will always have some kind of pain somewhere.

[@WillPower46]

7th cause of neck pain, a wife.

[@edalbagem]

If that is the case its the wrong wife.

[@77hodag]

*rim shot*😂

[@emilolinsson7980]

What about lower back pain?

[@jamesofallthings3684]

That's all well and good, but the reality is you're hunched over and you have to constantly look up. So how do you fix stiffness caused by this? Massages? Muscle relaxers? Beer? I dunno.

[@daveanolik8837]

Watching these I’ve learned what saddles the fitter hates - specialized power and fizik arione- how about what saddles are good? Was that a Selle on the bike in the vid? Thx a ton - I’m trying to solve my own saddle issues… not fun 🫠

[@xssae80]

It should be a Selle Italia SLR Boost Superflow in size S3.

[@bengt_axle]

I've had good results with a Selle Italia Turbomatic Gel Flow, for the reasons mentioned by James (this saddle is long with a wide back to support pelvis but not hinder leg movement), but I think it is no longer manufactured. There has to be a newer model that replaces it.

[@daveanolik8837]

@@bengt_axle thx a ton - highly appreciated

[@daveanolik8837]

@@xssae80 thx a ton - highly appreciated