Lumbar back pain - specific bike??

[tonycollinet]

Currently suffering from lumbar pain - which I've had on an on/off basis since early 20's. Not so much since regular cycling.

I'm thinking this bout may be to do with riding a specific bike (MTB), which I've not been on regularly for at least 4 years, but rode every day last week due to others being out of commission.

Any ideas what aspect of geometry might influence this? It is a slightly larger frame than my normal commuter. When I ride it, I can tell that my lumbar region naturally bows, rather than arches - although I've not been on my other bike since to check if this is the same.


Thanks.

[Kim]

Related rant: I've *still* got lumbar pain after spending several hours on barakta's ICE trike (with the standard evil mesh seat) on Saturday.  Not had it like that since driving the Fiat Of The Apocalypse several years ago.

I've always found riding a DF bike has been pretty good for my lower back.  It's the neck and shoulders that ache.   

[Butterfly]

I get lumbar pain if my saddle is too low. It doesn't have to be much to start it off.

[Kim]

I get lumbar pain if my saddle is too low. It doesn't have to be much to start it off.

Ah, my knee explodes way before anything else gets a chance to happen if I do that.

[mzjo]

From having spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to get a very nice race frame set up I would say seat tube angle. You have to know whether it is the front or the back of the saddle that is the more important for you (for me it is the back). Then measure the horizontal distance between this point and the vertical through the bb axle. Compare with your preferred bike. You may have a surprise. You can change the stem how you like, for some of us (like me!) if this dimension isn't right nothing is! 

[tonycollinet]

Thanks for the ideas - I'll do some experimentation - when the ice dissappears. Until then I'm on the trike.

Related rant: I've *still* got lumbar pain after spending several hours on barakta's ICE trike (with the standard evil mesh seat) on Saturday.  Not had it like that since driving the Fiat Of The Apocalypse several years ago.

I've always found riding a DF bike has been pretty good for my lower back.  It's the neck and shoulders that ache.   

Lumbar support on evil mesh seat can be improved by tightening straps in lumbar area and loosening the others - inlcuding lowest of the back straps. I'm also going to be looking at added foam (closed cell for non water absorbance) lumbar support.

[Kim]

Lumbar support on evil mesh seat can be improved by tightening straps in lumbar area and loosening the others - inlcuding lowest of the back straps. I'm also going to be looking at added foam (closed cell for non water absorbance) lumbar support.

Indeed.  I wasn't going to get into advanced seat-tweaking on someone else's machine, though.  While we both have excessively curvy spines, I'm a fair bit longer in the body than barakta is, so what works for me isn't going to work for her.

[CJBrewer]

I've had a very sore lower back after a long-ish Sunday road ride last weekend... Feels like a recurrence of another injury I had about a year ago (not bike related)...

but -- when I get off my road bike I find I have trouble straightening my back. This can't be good!
 I'm guessing that my position on the bike is leading to a bent lower back rather than bending at the hips... I can move the saddle back a further 1cm or so, and maybe lower it, and bring the bars up a spacer or two -- once this pain goes away!

[mike]

do you wear a backpack on the MTB and not on the normal bike?  that always gets me.

[CJBrewer]

do you wear a backpack on the MTB and not on the normal bike?  that always gets me.

I usually have a backpack when on my commuting folder, but the riding position is a lot more relaxed than the road bike.
I don't wear a backpack on the road bike...

[tonycollinet]

All my bikes have racks - only ever use panniers

Situation is much improved after a week off the MTB - however, as hinted above, trike also not ideal. More tweaking needed.

[Kim]

Situation is much improved after a week off the MTB - however, as hinted above, trike also not ideal. More tweaking needed.

It's probably true to say that while hardshell seats can be horribly uncomfortable unless pretty much spot-on, mesh seats are relatively forgiving (except of sturdy thighs), but a lot harder to get adjusted right.  Every time you adjust a strap, it affects the tension on the adjacent ones...

I'd avoid closed cell foam, though, at least as an upper layer.  While it doesn't absorb water, it doesn't allow it through either.  Mesh seats breathe pretty well, and you really want to preserve that property if possible.  Closed cell foam means all the clothing on your back gets soaking wet as you ride along, regardless of temperature.  It's also an insulator, so you tend to need fewer layers.  If the ambient temperature is anything other than 'hot', this means rapid cooling as soon as you stop riding.