What Causes Lower Back Pain for Cyclists (& the solutions)

[@edsassler]

This bike fitting series is the best thing on the Internet. I work with a lot of clients who have had hip or knee replacements, range of motion at the top of the pedal stroke is a major concern when it comes to lower back pain. As a fitter, one thing that frustrates me to no end is how the bike industry offers one Q-factor for everybody. Every Ultegra crank has the same Q-factor, same with every Look pedal. Yeh, Speedplay offers more lateral adjustment and different spindle lengths, but so few bike fitters have studied FAI, so nobody stocks them.

[@jackheberton]

I've been adjusting my handle bar and seat position with no relief, as this is what most people suggest. Even going through an expensive bike fitting didn't help. I've never heard the Q-factor being a cause of back pain, but I looked at my cleats and they were set to the minimum Q-factor (which was actually set by the fitter). I moved them out and immediately could feel that my back is much more relaxed when riding. Thank you so much for this solution!

[@frederik4515]

have you noticed anything in the long run? i have also been to multiple bike fits and i still get back pain. never tried a wider q-factor

[@harshaann775]

It has only been 2 days since I started cycling and I cant even do 30 minutes straight because of this sharp stabbing back pain only on one side and it goes away when I get off the cycle. I'm so glad I found an explanation! This video helps a lot! Thank you! Might need to tilt the seat a bit to help with fixing my posture too.

[@markwilliams-fb8nh]

I’ve watched all his videos with Neil featured . I feel like I should send him money for having Neil explaining bike fit information. I’ve tried everything thing he has recommended and it has helped tremendously.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Awesome feedback, thanks for sharing Mark.

[@davidparker8475]

By far my favorite online bike fitter!

[@faisal0280]

Thank you- Used some pedal washers to resolve my back pain. Couldn’t ride more than 2 hrs and suffered for almost a year. Already had footbeds and cleats all the way back so it was a process of elimination.

[@danial_amini]

wow Neil really knows his stuff! I put my seat too high so this is a good reminder for me to lower it, the bottom of the stroke is I think a bit too low so I will be rocking side to side to accomodate for that. But also I don't have a strong core so that's also contributing to my lower back pain.

[@gavinbutler1109]

Another great video and awesome content from Neil.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Cheers Gavin

[@Stooch]

so good to know, just got back from a ride rocking back and forth, i do it when i'm tired

[@indonesiaukulele]

My SI joint jammed for a year and I've been doing Postural Restoration Institute drills. Hopefully this will solve your asymmetry issues as well.

[@sergy5337]

Exceptionally useful ... but overwhelming. So, many possible causes - hard to find major contributing ones without pro-help!

[@Lemond75]

Another excellent video gents - Neill’s bike fitting videos are the best thing on KZbin 👍👍👍

[@frankmallard845]

Thank you for that, you mentioned a few points that are things I do, now I know I'll try and be more conscious of my form

[@cyclingjoey]

Hello , I have been riding for years in the same position and have made no changes to Bicycle Tom but now I’m riding more miles and I started having lower back pain

[@mehmd1913]

My problem is what you described in the first minute. I have either QL or Glute issue. I have shimmed my left leg due to right LBP. It helped but then my knee hurt just a little bit as though i was too shimmed. Only 2-3 mm. I took out 2 mm. Will see how this works...

[@patrickparisienne1917]

You guys are killing it! Awesome content!

[@amazinglo1]

great content. Thanks for the info...will try some of your ideas out.

[@scottwelfare7311]

Good video and interesting comments from Neil as always. He mentioned moving both your saddle height down and your cleats further back, is something i did a while ago. Did gradual small changes over a period of time. I found it had a positive effect and did make a difference. But something i've been doing for a long time also, is stretching my hamstrings as well. This for me has had a positive effect on eliminating lower back discomfort too.

[@tgoods5049]

Your PE teacher would be proud

[@Zeppec]

Tilting the seat helped me, thanks a lot man

[@yusufning8402]

Wow this actually explains it all. I have dominant right leg but its shorter. And I always have pain in the back of my right leg and left lower back.

[@trabink2]

Thx for sharing your wisdom!!! This channel should have a lot more viewers!!!

[@RiffRaff707]

Great video, finding a saddle that suits also is key. Fizik bull rotates your pelvis due to poor flexibility. I had a serious back injury 36 years ago and that saddle saved me. Massive game changer.

[@edsassler]

Not many people get that. Most saddles (and their marketing) are based on sit bone location, assuming good flexibility starting at L4/L5. Those who lack that never get their sit bones to the back of the saddle, they use the surface area on the sides of the saddle to locate themselves. Good to hear that you figured it out and are still on the bike!

[@stevedeblaere]

Once more the importance of a propper bikefit !! Cheers for the interesting topics !!

[@andyjack37]

Loved all of these videos with Neill; very informative. My lower back pain seems to be in reverse. When riding there is no pain but when finished, not long after, then there is back pain

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Hey Andrew, thanks for the comment. Having back pain after cycling can definitely be triggered from the exercise you are doing previously. Making sure your bike is setup correctly for you would be a great start as this will limit and triggers your body puts in place to stop it from hurting itself! -RCA Team

[@andyjack37]

@@roadcyclingacademy Thanks for the tips. Haven't had a bike fit yet. New to road cycling, always been a mountain biker. Only used the road bike on a smart trainer with Zwift so far. I want to upgrade my shoes and get cleats before I pay out for a bike fit. In the mean time, I've been experimenting with my riding position; saddle fore/aft, handlebar height, and it feels more comfortable if not perfect. Also been keeping a mental note of the way I am sitting when working or relaxing, or certain weight exercises that may be triggering the pain.

[@johngilman1500]

Hi Neil, I struggled with lower back pain for the last several years when riding at high outputs mainly due do the a severely compressed/herniated disc at L5S1. I watched this video and your review of of the SQLab saddle. I went with both the SQLab 512 XL pedal and the 612 saddle and my pain is essentially gone. I’m 6’6”, size 49 shoe, btw, and ride a Specialized Roubaix. Both changes are contributed to increased comfort. Since I did them both at the same time, hard to tell which contributed more. Anyway thanks for the insights, I’m a big fan.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

We're glad you got more comfortable on the bike from learning from us! -RCA Team

[@drucejnr]

This gives me confidence! I’m 29 (6’0, 72kg) and herniated L4L5S1 and severely compressed L5 and visit an osteopath frequently but lately have been getting lingering lower back pain after high output efforts. Gonna drop the saddle a few mm’s

[@trev7919]

Very good video. Seems like my muscles are not strong enough yet. Pretty much get lower back pain after 20-25km and once i stop and get off the bike they are gone after like 20 seconds.

[@gsx6757]

Any ideas for back pain that comes on a few hours after a long ride and stays bad for a good week or so? No pain whilst riding, but more a few hours after?

[@smefour]

This might heresy for most roadies, but wouldn't a flat pedal alleviate most of this because you naturally adjust on a flat pedal for comfort in real time

[@jonathancornwall2746]

Theoretically interesting however a lack of applied anatomical knowledge limits validity in some areas (as an example, QL is not a spinal stabliser; the CSA is minimal and it has little force generating moment on the lumbar spine). A good point to start though, and some nice practical tips.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

I only get back pain (upper) sitting at my dining room table for long periods .

[@spruceguitar]

In my case the cause of pain is clear: I only have a bike stand for the back wheel. So when I use it as stationary the front is not firm enough like a real stationary bike is. 1. I do not have back pain with a real metal stationary bike 2. I do not want to have to buy an additional stationary bike because of lack of front bike stand to immobilize it completely. 3. Any solutions to this? …

[@breach_x2178]

Really appreciate all the great content! Keep it going 😊

[@roymendez6615]

Thank you for confirming my bike fitter solution to my chopping pedal stroke while climbing 👍

[@roadcyclingacademy]

No worries Roy, all the best getting ontop of it. Cheers, Cam

[@mirceaandreighinea]

7:41 - any any idea about disc bulging-herniation problem? i have that, right now, and i wonder if i'll ever get back to cycling... i really hope so, since cycling makes me profoundly happy... (last year i managed my personal bests, 15500 kms & 31.2 kph over 200 k solo) best regards, Mircea

[@stephenroberts1369]

Mircea I had a l4l5 bugling disc that was operated on after 3 months of sciatic pain on left side. Really bad pain. Off the bike for 120 days in total. Get an mri and a good back surgeon on the job. Mine was big 9mm bugle. It was never going to go away. Good luck

[@darrenyyy]

thanks for this video - will a wider seat like 155mm help to minimize the pelvic rocking?

[@io8787]

what about hamstring fatigue?! Neil mentioned this in the beginning of the video as co-dependent to lower back pain, but would like to know what's his take on the subject....seat too low?!

[@branm5459]

I biked/walked around my campus a lot, and I never thought that my bike seat positioning could be the cause. First I thought it was my backpack, but it seems like a combination of both

[@onehourmusicbc]

Now I can assume my seatpost is too high and will look forward to adjust it in the next ride. I mainly experience lower back pain on ascents, and prefer using higher cadence, I guess seat height is the reason eh?

[@brandonbugtai8346]

Im a licensed physio from the philippines and im trying to study up about bike fitting to make it a sideline job, any good sources for discussions like this where kinematics and theory is really used rather than just random rules of thumb? Great vid btw, learned alot

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Check out Steve Hoggs website also.

[@madaboutgolfs]

Hi so if I get right sided pain in my lower back it may be a case that it's my left leg causing the issue. I have spaced out my right cleat by 3mm with no improvement. Am I doing it to the wrong shoe?

[@batuhanaksu7787]

This video really helps me! Thank you so much

[@bos621]

Hello, I have LBP (more like fatigue feel rather than sharp pain feel) when i stand and dance. And that carries into when i sit on the saddle after that. What is the problem and how do i fix it? Thank you!

[@darinsteele7091]

I need help. If I do a hard effort on Zwift I get no back pain, if I do the same hard effort outside I get low back pain for that day and usually into the next day. After an hours ride outside I always get lower back pain. I do know my core is very week also... I also rock a bit when I walk...been like this for a long time. And also feels like I have a hip-drop. If being on the trainer is fine, but outside is not...what is going on???

[@ShadowzKiller]

Maybe the tilt of the saddle is different when inside on the trainer than outside. If you get dehydrated, you can also get back pain, which is harder to realize when riding a long time outside. I learned this while cycling in the summers in Japan. Had to drink pure salt water to stay hydrated.

[@darinsteele7091]

@@ShadowzKiller Tilt seems to be ok though outside I'm not slipping on the saddle. I think it's bad core strength to keep my spine stable, I can barely do a side bridge on the floor, core is very week. So when doing hard efforts my muscles get too tired to stabilise my spine :(

[@JDPhader]

@@darinsteele7091 I have a similar problem. Really hard efforts on trainer are fine, but outside I get back pain. No back pain on long sustained rides though. Sometimes the pain persists for longer and sometimes after I ease off, there is not pain after a few minutes anymore. I don't have such weak core though, even though it's certainly not the strongest. I can hold plant for 90 seconds or more (haven't tried what my limit is).

[@SimonCarlin-jq2gq]

Very informative, thank you

[@aragaomrcl]

Hi Neill, really nice video and info. One question, is it possible that low back pain is being caused by excessive saddle tilt? I am using a -3degre nose down angle. Tks in advance.

[@MrYetibaby]

Awsome as always , hands down to both of yaa

[@mauricewal]

Thanks for this video. I have lots of lower backpain when mountainbiking. I really noticed a wobble in my hip when riding probably caused by my thud buster (seat suspension) so maybe I have to get rid of it. But in the end you mention a hip impingement. I recently been diagnosed with a fairy large labrum tear. And although it won't hurt when riding a bike it can cause stability issues. Now I am really working on my core but what are the best options when riding with an impingement?

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Hey Maurice, I would look into some of the other bike fitting videos we have done as you will get some great tips from them. Especially the saddle setback and crank length videos as these are two of the best changes you can make for hip impingement. -RCA Team

[@Carlitoboyhey]

Nice. A new started and academic bile channel. Subbed

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Thanks for the support Carl

[@Lemond75]

Neill, can I ask a back related question? I’ve just had a bike fit, which showed that my pelvis doesn’t rotate forwards more than 10-15 degrees from vertical, despite having good hamstring flexibility (I’m able to raise my leg to 80 degrees when lying on my back), and use SQ Lab and SMP saddles on my bikes. I’ve been switched to a more curved saddle to support this more upright pelvic position, but recognise that it’s not an ideal posture for my spine. In your experience, are there reasons why this might be, and can you recommend anything I can do, our any muscles I can target which will enable me to rotate my pelvis further forwards please? Thanks

[@Kelso66]

I have the issue that my left knee turns inwards at the top of the stroke because my pelvis is rotated to the front a bit on the left side. Should I try to move the left cleat more backwards? But wouldn't that increase the reach for my left leg? Or move the left cleat to the inside of the shoe to get a slightly wider stance on that side?

[@roadcyclingacademy]

One for Neill, hopefully he can get to it... Cam

[@peterparahuz7094]

I get lower back pain all the time when riding. I suspect that the cause is the position of my pelvis on the saddle. I typically end up rotating it backward, as rotating it forward causes the seat to dig into the 'sensitive soft tissues'. With the pelvis rotated back, I'm sitting more comfortably, however, this causes an increased bend in the spine in order to still reach the handlebars. And in consequence, the discs are under additional pressure, as well as the erector spinae muscles are working harder, leading to fatigue. After about an hour or riding, I have to periodically stand in the pedals and push my hips forward, to sort of bend the spine in the opposite direction. Or better yet, stop for a minute to straighten out. (My neck and upper traps typically also feel strained, so stopping helps with that also). I have a stock specialized saddle, which does have that grove down the middle. But perhaps its too small. Maybe a different seat will allow me to rotate my pelvis forward and keep my back straighter. Of course, it could also be the issues mentioned here, so I'll have to check for those. Thanks for your informative videos.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Good thinking Peter and you're on the right track. If you're getting perineum pressure with anterior pelvic rotation, the central nervous system will posteriorly rotate your pelvis to save your gentleman's region from trouble. The muscular cost of this is borne by the spinal extensors in part. Switching to a saddle which allows better anterior rotation will most likely help. Bear in mind you may need to drop the bars and extend the reach if the seat helps a lot as your torso will effectively be a lot longer once the change is made! - Neill

[@BlackTigerSVK]

So,...theoretically, if my lower back is hurting AND I also get numb toes, is it more probable that the cause is in the cleat position?

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Potentially, try and alter it and ride it for a week. See how you feel. Cam

[@R_Polly]

Great information 👌🏻

[@blahqwe]

This is brilliant! Thanks.

[@themasculinismmovement]

What if you have all of them? Should you just stop riding?

[@diogofernandes9048]

This series is amazing! Thanks for sharing all your knowledge Neil! I have a question: Can low cadence (due to low gearing) impact on this? I suffer from back pain when climbing, but i feel it's because I'm doing it on 36(front) 28 (back) and sometimes 60rpm cadence or even low, for long periods (but for me, 10min are enough to start suffering) Can this be related? Thanks! Regards from Portugal!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Hey Diogo, definitely lower cadence will cause more muscular fatigue, including the lower back. But over time this should minimise with conditioning. So if you experience the issue longer term I would say it’s a fit related problem. Cam

[@diogofernandes9048]

@@roadcyclingacademy thank you for the response! 👌👏

[@rahulkota1]

Brilliant one :) thanks a lot

[@cdcaterham]

Great video thanks.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

We're glad you are enjoying the content! -RCA Team

[@zacharypeattie]

Old school video! Look at that winspace lol

[@roadcyclingacademy]

hahaha

[@zacharypeattie]

@@roadcyclingacademy love the videos! Keep it up brotha(s)!

[@johnstonewall917]

Front wheel drive recumbents are vitually painless.

[@natonato8036]

Did he say core strength is rubbish 🗑 😐I felt this

[@juliacoenen4564]

Thanks so much for the great content!!

[@crailwah]

Good stuff

[@srboor]

What accent is this? I dont understand certain words.

[@Dawnofthedead001]

Just about everything then.

[@Nige.]

Normally its hamstring flexibility

[@earthenscience]

Its the seats. I bike for 1 minute and my back hurts, can't be muscular overload then. I bought the most comfy seat in my bike shop and it rides on my pelvis. Every bike seat in existence seems too uncomfortable. And none have proper lumbar or neck support. Bike seats are in the stone age

[@tblakemusic]

I think rubbish core strength is the one for me... 😅

[@fararrarara6769]

on -off saddle in a climb get rid of this problem

[@leebridgwater]

The dreaded L5

[@robertwaldron5762]

With me I think that it's older age lol

[@lubabalobongweni2337]

"their core strength is rubbish.." hayi Neil.

[@rohan.1504]

I find the whole concept of leaning so forward extremely stupid! Watching in movies, professional competitions, etc. I always wondered how they can maintain the same posture without any pain in their back! I would get pain in my back just by looking at them LMFAO!!

[@vr4966]

To much hip flexion

[@Caedo01]

My core strength is rubbish, end of story 😂

[@anthonyrebock5351]

That's A guede question.....because they got rubbish Rubbish RUBBISH Mate!

[@falluj]

You speak too fast its hard to follow the lecture. Slow down

[@adellng4169]

God.. switch on the air conditioning... he is sweating...

[@sudo936]

that bike looks too small for him

[@tonypowers123]

Let me help you Mr Pro! Why do you always go beating around the bush, and don’t just nail it straight on the head !? WTF is this ? Back pain-is 99.99% caused by the seat being too high! Everything else could be contributing, but, is that 0.1% So annoying when you get “experts” like a F doctor, that either has no idea where the problem is coming from, or they do know, but won’t tell you straight up-God forbid they’ll be wrong.