NVV Cyclocross: Back pain

How to deal with back pain in cyclocross
From rec.bicycles.racing, Oct 1998

The question Okay, Adam, Brian, Andrew.... how about a little advice to a 'Cross Newbie. After a few years of helping out team mates at cross races in New England and finally not being too burned out after a long Road Season, I decided to try my hand at 'cross. I love it! well sort of.....
I have found that I suffer from EXCRUCIATING back pain. I don't mean discomfort; I mean I can't-breathe-everybody- passes-me-and-I-don't-care PAIN. Okay now the facts:
1) I'm not the thinnest guy in the pack (used too be...before my wife had two kids)
2) I'm riding a Schwinn Crosscut Frame that I turned into a 'Cross bike. It seems high in the front compared to my road bike.
3) While my technique is no Adam Myerson, it's not horrific..
Question(s):
Does everybody go through this when they first start out? I'm doing weights, stomach crunches,etc. hoping my back will get stronger. or...should I do my best to "mimic" my road positon on the bike of which I spent racing all spring / summer?
Any advice or help would be greatly apreciated...I really just want to have fun but am finding out that I'm getting frustrated...
Thanks!
Dan Callen

Responses:
Tim McNamara I'm assuming that yo can ride your road bike without discomfort. What's different about 'cross?
*picking & carrying your bike
*dismounts/running
*terrain
All three of these factors may be contributing to your back pain. You may need to examine your technique for picking up the bike (especially if it weighs more than about 20 lbs) to make sure you're not using primarily back muscles to hoist it. Bend your knees, put your right arm though the triangle to grab the down tube, and straighten your legs to lift the bike; finish the lift with your arm and shoulder muscles.
You'll also want to make sure that your dismount technique is gentle on your back; you are basically using a cantilevered joist to hold up 40+ lbs of leg muscle, bone, clothing, shoes and possibly a couple of pounds of mud. The cantilever is at your hip, supported by the muscles around your pelvis and lumbar spine. Make sure you *bend* your leg to reduce the lever arm length; bringing your foot closer gives it less leverage on your back. I see a lot of 'crossers dismount with their leg out straight, horizontal to the ground. Do that 30-40 times in an hour, even if you're not 'crossing, and your back will hurt.
Do stomach and back strengthening exercises. Do them daily throughout the season, as weak back and stomach muscles impair sprinting and climbing (and, for that matter, TT'ing). In the winter, develop a weight routine which focuses on the "core" muscles.
The last item is terrain. I find that riding off-road is more likely to make my back hurt than any road riding except possibly rolling terrain into a stiff headwind. I think it's the constant small bumps being transmitted through the bike and into the rider. Focus some practice time on riding just slightly off the saddle to let your legs act as shock dampers.
Good luck!

Dave Carr I too suffered severe back pain, specifically lower back, and still do though it's a lot better now. These things helped me:
1. Strengthening the lower back. Crunches and back extensions, both using weight machines so you can increase the resistance as you get stronger.
2. Improved dismount technique, specifically the skill of putting your weight through the right hand on the top tube and not on the pedal. As a novice I had a rather violent dismount style that contributed to back pain. Basically I would jump from the pedals and hit the ground hard and the shock would just tear up my back. Now that I have learned the top tube thing, I can step out of the pedals quite gently. It also makes for much faster dismounts too.
3. Heel cushioning in the shoes. MTB shoes tend to have very hard soles even with all the knobs. If you ran in running shoes like that your back would kill you too. Get some Spenco insoles with the gel in the heels. I haven't tried this yet but I may do so soon.
4. Other ideas that may apply to your situation: more upper back/shoulder strength...more upright position with a shorter stem...suspension saddle or seatpost (tho' I have yet to see one in 'cross)

Mark Weaver I don't know if my back pain has the same causes. mine bugs me on long rides (on or off-road) and sometimes during cyclocross. here are some things that seem to help:
1. stretch (duh.) obvious, but always the thing i forget when i'm in a hurry.
2. get in shape (duh.)
3. make sure your seat isn't too high. for me at least, running my seat just a smidge too high will make my back hurt.
4. train to carry your bike. do running hill repeats with your bike. work on the technique you use to shoulder the bike to make it smooth and efficient.
5. win. for some reason i never remember any back pain from victories. unfortunately there haven't been too many of those lately.
Good luck --MW

David LaPorte For more info, check out the following link for a lengthy discussion of back pain in cycling. From the FAQ archive of the rec.bicycles.racing Usenet group.

Go back to the NVV Cyclocross Circuit

The question	Okay, Adam, Brian, Andrew.... how about a little advice to a 'Cross Newbie. After a few years of helping out team mates at cross races in New England and finally not being too burned out after a long Road Season, I decided to try my hand at 'cross. I love it! well sort of..... I have found that I suffer from EXCRUCIATING back pain. I don't mean discomfort; I mean I can't-breathe-everybody- passes-me-and-I-don't-care PAIN. Okay now the facts: 1) I'm not the thinnest guy in the pack (used too be...before my wife had two kids) 2) I'm riding a Schwinn Crosscut Frame that I turned into a 'Cross bike. It seems high in the front compared to my road bike. 3) While my technique is no Adam Myerson, it's not horrific.. Question(s): Does everybody go through this when they first start out? I'm doing weights, stomach crunches,etc. hoping my back will get stronger. or...should I do my best to "mimic" my road positon on the bike of which I spent racing all spring / summer? Any advice or help would be greatly apreciated...I really just want to have fun but am finding out that I'm getting frustrated... Thanks! Dan Callen
Responses: Tim McNamara	I'm assuming that yo can ride your road bike without discomfort. What's different about 'cross? picking & carrying your bike dismounts/running terrain All three of these factors may be contributing to your back pain. You may need to examine your technique for picking up the bike (especially if it weighs more than about 20 lbs) to make sure you're not using primarily back muscles to hoist it. Bend your knees, put your right arm though the triangle to grab the down tube, and straighten your legs to lift the bike; finish the lift with your arm and shoulder muscles. You'll also want to make sure that your dismount technique is gentle on your back; you are basically using a cantilevered joist to hold up 40+ lbs of leg muscle, bone, clothing, shoes and possibly a couple of pounds of mud. The cantilever is at your hip, supported by the muscles around your pelvis and lumbar spine. Make sure you bend* your leg to reduce the lever arm length; bringing your foot closer gives it less leverage on your back. I see a lot of 'crossers dismount with their leg out straight, horizontal to the ground. Do that 30-40 times in an hour, even if you're not 'crossing, and your back will hurt. Do stomach and back strengthening exercises. Do them daily throughout the season, as weak back and stomach muscles impair sprinting and climbing (and, for that matter, TT'ing). In the winter, develop a weight routine which focuses on the "core" muscles. The last item is terrain. I find that riding off-road is more likely to make my back hurt than any road riding except possibly rolling terrain into a stiff headwind. I think it's the constant small bumps being transmitted through the bike and into the rider. Focus some practice time on riding just slightly off the saddle to let your legs act as shock dampers. Good luck!
Dave Carr	I too suffered severe back pain, specifically lower back, and still do though it's a lot better now. These things helped me: 1. Strengthening the lower back. Crunches and back extensions, both using weight machines so you can increase the resistance as you get stronger. 2. Improved dismount technique, specifically the skill of putting your weight through the right hand on the top tube and not on the pedal. As a novice I had a rather violent dismount style that contributed to back pain. Basically I would jump from the pedals and hit the ground hard and the shock would just tear up my back. Now that I have learned the top tube thing, I can step out of the pedals quite gently. It also makes for much faster dismounts too. 3. Heel cushioning in the shoes. MTB shoes tend to have very hard soles even with all the knobs. If you ran in running shoes like that your back would kill you too. Get some Spenco insoles with the gel in the heels. I haven't tried this yet but I may do so soon. 4. Other ideas that may apply to your situation: more upper back/shoulder strength...more upright position with a shorter stem...suspension saddle or seatpost (tho' I have yet to see one in 'cross)
Mark Weaver	I don't know if my back pain has the same causes. mine bugs me on long rides (on or off-road) and sometimes during cyclocross. here are some things that seem to help: 1. stretch (duh.) obvious, but always the thing i forget when i'm in a hurry. 2. get in shape (duh.) 3. make sure your seat isn't too high. for me at least, running my seat just a smidge too high will make my back hurt. 4. train to carry your bike. do running hill repeats with your bike. work on the technique you use to shoulder the bike to make it smooth and efficient. 5. win. for some reason i never remember any back pain from victories. unfortunately there haven't been too many of those lately. Good luck --MW
David LaPorte	For more info, check out the following link for a lengthy discussion of back pain in cycling. From the FAQ archive of the rec.bicycles.racing Usenet group.