Upper back/shoulder pain when cycling

dxp232

I am working on increasing my cycling distances but am running into cases of pain in the upper back/shoulder area on longer rides. I have a properly fitted bike as far as I can tell (road bike that was professionally fitted for me) so I think this is just from being in that position too long. Is this more of a posture issue or do i need to strengthen those muscles (and if so what kind of workouts should I add to my gym time?). Thanks in advance!

jacksonpt

Hard to say without seeing you on the bike.

Does it happen regardless of your position on the bike (hoods vs drops)? Might be something as simple as consciously relaxing your upper body - grip, shoulders, back... or getting out of the saddle periodically to change position and allow yourself to relax/stretch out a bit.

How long are your rides when this happens?

dxp232

Ive just started increasing my distance so at this point ill start feeling sore 25-30mi in or so. I honestly think I am just tense when i ride still but was wondering if I can do anything at the gym to strengthen the area short of just riding more (definitely doing that though). I have a century coming up at the end of June so want to make sure I do what i can...

Camo_xxx

sounds like it could be a flexibility issue as you are not yet adapted to the position and If it is causing pain I would go back to your bike fitter and have the issue addressed. They can raise your bars by either using spacers under the stem, flipping the stem or using a diffrent stem. As you gain flexibility and adapt you can move the bars down a little bit at a time to get in a more aero position.

if it is a posture issue they can also advise you after watching you spin on the trainer for awhile.