Biking!

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PricillaKorea
PricillaKorea Posts: 48 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am a relatively new biker, but I have fallen in love with it and invested in a good road bike. I would love to have some friends on here that are bikers too! However my hands often feel numb and my lower back gets sore on rides. Is the way I ride the problem or do I just have to build up a tolerance some how? And what is a good distance and pace to be going. I finished a 30 mile ride today with about a 16 mph speed. I don't know if this is considered bad or not haha!
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  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
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    If you are still somewhat new to cycling, you may find that some of the soreness goes away as you build muscle endurance through more time in the saddle.

    Relief from numbness may be addressed by a change in hand position. If a simple hand position change doesn't provide relief, a trip to your local bike shop for a fitting may be in order. Have you had a bike fitting done by your local bike shop? That is a good investment, since a good fitter will adjust the bike based on your measurements and riding position preferences. You will end up with a bike that fits you well and is comfortable to ride.

    I'm just an aging triathlete who likes to ride, but there are quite a few accomplished cyclists on MFP who can provide more specific guidance regarding bike fit, etc. What I CAN tell you is there's nothing wrong with a 16mph moving average over 30 miles as a starting point. That's a very solid start. Good luck.



  • socalrunner59
    socalrunner59 Posts: 149 Member
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    Most likely a fit problem. The height and angle of the saddle in relation to the handle bars. I'm long in the toro, short in the legs so I need my saddle back, a slight forward tip, and handlebars up a bit and out. On my last bike I used an extended stem to get the handle bars where I wanted them.

    All this is to say you'll need to tweet your saddle and handlebars until you find that sweet spot.

    When you find the sweet spot, mark your settings. I use a sharpie at tape to mark my settings

    Also check your shifter placement. They may be forcing your hand placement too far outside. I had to readjust my mountain shifters several times before I found the right spot.
  • socalrunner59
    socalrunner59 Posts: 149 Member
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    BWT 16 mph is a very decent speed

    One other thing I forgot to mention. If you have clips, it's very important to get the saddle fit right for a number of reasons. Proper pedaling, adjusting play so your Knees won't take a beating and ability to release when you have to get out of the clips
  • spring913
    spring913 Posts: 158 Member
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    I'm still very new to biking too. I plan on having my bike fitted at the beginning of next season. When I first started riding I had those problems too. I found I kept tweaking the seat height until suddenly it was easier to pedal (it's now A LOT higher than when I started), then an adjustment to the tilt of the seat and moving it forward a bit changed how I was sitting and buh-bye lower back pain and hand numbness. I also found after I started calisthenics and working on my core that my posture got better and riding was easier.

    16 mph is waaay faster than I can go! lol So, imo, that's awesome!
  • WordWhisperer
    WordWhisperer Posts: 33 Member
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    My new bike arrived Thursday and I fell in love with cycling on the very first ride.

    I find that learning to ride a bike is not, in fact, like learning to ride a bike. :)

    I wobble a lot and goodness help me if I take my eyes off the spot right in front of me or lift just one hand to get my hair out of my face! I saw another cyclist pass me drinking from her water bottle and decided she is the most amazing human I have ever seen. I would be upside down in the ditch if I tried that!

    Oh. And for comparison, I'm hovering around 7 mph. I cannot imagine going twice that... So hats off to you!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,894 Member
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    Have you checked the fit of your bicycle ... or have you had someone help you with that? That's the first step. Set the bicycle up properly. You and the bicycle are a machine. In order for the machine to operate properly, everything has to be in the right place ... otherwise there will be wear and tear and lack of efficiency.

  • sijaeabc
    sijaeabc Posts: 43 Member
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    I love cycling and have hand numbness too. For me it is due to preexisting nerve issues as I have numbness from other activities too. I have not been riding a lot lately, but I have found in the past that numbness does get better as I ride more. I think this is because I get better at body mechanics - keeping my shoulders from being tense and up, putting less weight on my hands, etc. Also I think it's just an adjustment for the body. I do agree it is good for you to make sure you have the right fit, seat height etc. of course. I think the right fit is even more important for the back pain.

    One thing to consider is doing hamstring exercises - that's my go-to for lower back pain and my physical therapist told me that tight hamstrings are the culprit of a lot of lower back pain. 30 miles at 16 mph is way further and faster than I think most people go and certainly most newbies, which tells me you're in pretty good shape. When I was riding a lot I was happy with 20 miles at a time averaging 14 mph.
  • lapierrecyclist
    lapierrecyclist Posts: 153 Member
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    Agree with the suggestions to get a fitting at your local bike shop. Well worth it. Tell them the symptoms you are experiencing. The hand numbness may be from putting too much weight on your hands as you ride. By adjusting the height of the handlebar stem, so that it's higher, you'll be riding in less of a tuck and more upright, and holding the handlebars rather than leaning on them. Also, try getting padded cycling gloves.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    a good local bike shop will be your friend for life. Definitely get fitted by them if you haven't already - I am short in the torso and proportionately longer in the leg, so I needed the shortest stem they could find so as not to stress my back - sounds like your seat and/or stem positioning may be an issue if you have back issues. My shop used a video analysis to assess how my legs moved and to get the right angle for my legs when fitting me.

    Hand problems may just need more frequent adjustment of your hands during the ride. I love drop bars for their versatility, and find myself set back from the hoods slightly or even just resting the base of my palm on the bars. Depending on where you are going with your riding you may want to look into different types of handlebars - touring bars also offer a good range of hand positioning.

    Oh and 16 mph average? That's pretty good indeed!!!
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,388 Member
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    PricillaKorea wrote: »
    I am a relatively new biker, but I have fallen in love with it and invested in a good road bike. I would love to have some friends on here that are bikers too! However my hands often feel numb and my lower back gets sore on rides. Is the way I ride the problem or do I just have to build up a tolerance some how? And what is a good distance and pace to be going. I finished a 30 mile ride today with about a 16 mph speed. I don't know if this is considered bad or not haha!

    If you are actually fairly new, both the fit that has been mentioned and the time might be factors in the numb hands. Two hours is a decent amount of time unless you build up to it, so even with proper fit the riding position might just have a bit too much weight on your hands.

    And I'd say 16 MPH for almost two hours is really solid pace for someone fairly new to biking.
  • CincyNeid
    CincyNeid Posts: 1,249 Member
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    I would suggest going to a LBS and getting a proper bike fit as the others have mentioned. 30 mile at a pace of 16MPH is a good pace, depending on the elevation gained. I would also try a pair of padded riding gloves, that might be enough just to take the edge off.

    And welcome to the sport of Cycling, It's more expensive that cocaine and just as additive.
  • PricillaKorea
    PricillaKorea Posts: 48 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice! I bought my bike at a local shop and was fitted for it then. I'm guessing I just need to adjust my riding form and positioning! And thanks to all for the reassurance that my pace is pretty steady!
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Cycling is great for you and so much fun. I hope you get a lot of joy from it. :smile:
  • berolcolour
    berolcolour Posts: 140 Member
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    I had a full bike fit and I had pain in my arms, shoulders and back at first. I have poor lower back flexibility that is improving. I would recommend the fit, it's so much better than the standard bike set up.

    I have a turbo trainer and found that has helped a lot (with comfort as well as stamina!)
    WordWhisperer wrote: »
    I wobble a lot and goodness help me if I take my eyes off the spot right in front of me or lift just one hand to get my hair out of my face! I saw another cyclist pass me drinking from her water bottle and decided she is the most amazing human I have ever seen. I would be upside down in the ditch if I tried that!

    It has taken me a full year to be able to swig water while riding. The bottle has to be open (it has a twisty thing), and I can just about do it on the flat, straight section on a traffic free road track. My greatest achievement was getting my phone out my pocket, checking the time and putting it back.

    (I'm not commenting on 16mph. I'm going to sulk over here with my greatest effort of 14.8mph)
  • kcjchang
    kcjchang Posts: 709 Member
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    PricillaKorea wrote: »
    I am a relatively new biker, but I have fallen in love with it and invested in a good road bike.
    Congratulations.
    PricillaKorea wrote: »
    However my hands often feel numb and my lower back gets sore on rides. Is the way I ride the problem or do I just have to build up a tolerance some how?
    Like other has mentioned, get a bike fit. Keep in mind that the fit is for your current conditions and might change in the future depending on your fitness level, flexibility, and goals. A good fitter should also share the nature of the craft so that one can make minor adjustments depending on the progression as the fit is a range of options (abet narrow) to balance comfort and economy. It's an art as well as science. Check with your local bike club for reference. Not all LBS (and employees) can do the job properly and most is a waste of time and money.

    From general observations, numb hands usually implies that your weight is too far forward. Back soreness could be a number of things but the biggie is not keeping your back flat and/or need more time to develop core conditioning/flexibility. Your center of gravity should be just forward of the bottom bracket which means the weight distribution on the bike is slightly toward the rear. You should not be "resting" your weight on your hands.
    PricillaKorea wrote: »
    And what is a good distance and pace to be going. I finished a 30 mile ride today with about a 16 mph speed. I don't know if this is considered bad or not haha!
    Just ride and you'll find that balance. Join a local club and be exposed to the cycling world around you.
  • CarolPre
    CarolPre Posts: 1,845 Member
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    This is a great thread. I'm also wanting to get into biking. It's been since college years and years ago since I rode. I know they say don't buy a bike from Walmart, but because its been so long, I don't want to invest a lot into a bike just in case things don't work out. I would likely be riding on paved trails, or if around my house, a gravel road. Any suggestions?
  • dafoe88
    dafoe88 Posts: 38 Member
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    LOVE road biking. Got into it last year and did the MS Society tour this year and last. Really tough because of distance but mostly terrible weather.

    As the thread reads it could be due to fit but also takes saddle time too.last year I had terrible lower back pain and seemed to have fixed it with a new stem. No pain this year.

    Any cyclists looking for more friends please do add me!!
  • berolcolour
    berolcolour Posts: 140 Member
    edited August 2016
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    Forgot to say - I get sore hands when I don't wear gloves. I have cycling gloves with padded bits and cut off fingers for warm weather. They make a big difference to me.

    How are any new(ish) cyclists getting on with clip in pedals? I'm still a bit nervous clipping in and out. Which is why my road cycling is more off road (traffic free track or indoor)
  • kcjchang
    kcjchang Posts: 709 Member
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    WordWhisperer wrote: »
    I wobble a lot and goodness help me if I take my eyes off the spot right in front of me or lift just one hand to get my hair out of my face! I saw another cyclist pass me drinking from her water bottle and decided she is the most amazing human I have ever seen. I would be upside down in the ditch if I tried that!
    berolcolour wrote: »
    It has taken me a full year to be able to swig water while riding. The bottle has to be open (it has a twisty thing), and I can just about do it on the flat, straight section on a traffic free road track. My greatest achievement was getting my phone out my pocket, checking the time and putting it back.

    Find a isolated piece of road with stripping (straight preferably). Go as slow as you can, almost failing off the bike following the stripping, to develop/improve your balance and handling. Slowly increase speed as you become more comfortable.
  • kcjchang
    kcjchang Posts: 709 Member
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    CarolPre wrote: »
    This is a great thread. I'm also wanting to get into biking. It's been since college years and years ago since I rode. I know they say don't buy a bike from Walmart, but because its been so long, I don't want to invest a lot into a bike just in case things don't work out. I would likely be riding on paved trails, or if around my house, a gravel road. Any suggestions?

    Buy used. Try a hybrid.

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