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Bike fit pain

mgraffeomgraffeo
in General Training Discussions

Team,

I could use a few suggestions on a pain I'm having, while riding the tri bike.

I got my bike fit pretty dialed in by a decent fitter when I bought the bike 2 years ago.  For the first season, I really didn't have any problems ( and was smoking my old times).  I did 2 HIM's, and was very comfortable.

Last year, I replaced the saddle.  Got most of the measurements dialed back to the exact same spot, and then tweaked a few by a couple of mm's as I found a bit more comfort/power.  Never had any problems riding the tri bike on the trainer.  But on long rides, I'd start to develop a sharp pain on my right side, between the shoulder blade and the base of the neck (probably more like towards the top of the shoulder blad), about 2 inches out from the middle of the spine.  It's not totally superficial, but I wouldn't say it's very deep, either. 

It would start dull, then get progressively worse during the course of the ride.  I can massage the spot if I get on a foam roller and put my hands behind my head, elbows up towards the sky.  I dealt with it last year, and it was annoying, but not debilitating.  I also found that if I was stopped at a red light, and I pulled my head down, chin to chest and to the side a bit, it would stretch it out and buy me some more time before the pain came back.

This year, another new saddle, same problem.  Only, it seems to be sharper, and starting a little earlier in the ride.  And, I'm doubling my distance, so I'd really like to get it taken care of.

I'll hopefully be able to take a few pics / video of the position in the next couple of days, but I was wondering if anybody has dealt with any similar pain and found a root cause.

Thanks!

Mike

Comments

  • manconamancona
    One thing that I have noticed is getting a new saddle in the same position as an old one can be challenging. I used to just measure the wear the nose of the saddle was in comparision to the BB and the height of the saddle from the BB, but I learned the hard way that I don't sit in the same position on all saddles due to different shapes.

    Do you still have the 2 year old saddle that worked well? If so, I would put it on in the position it was in and video tape your position, then put the new saddle on and video as well and see if you really are in the same position or not as you may be a few cm further forward or back if the saddles are different. A few cm doesn't seem like much, but it will make a big difference over 3+ hours.

    If that doesn't help, I would say it is time to visit a fitter again as your fit can change over time as well.

    Sorry, I can't be any help with the actual pain you are having.
  • Michele CellaiMichele Cellai
    Mike- I get pain in the exact spot. No problems on the trainer, but get me outdoors and it spikes. I get massage every 2 weeks and my neck is always tight, despite regular stretching. I also have several self massage tools (Accu massager). I have purchased a neck traction device and use it after long rides, this has helped. This year I am having more pain on the left, but I am also having rotator cuff flare-ups. I know that the entire regional complex is unhappy and I work on it regularly.

    All that being said, I am light years better than where I was before I had a proper fitting bike. As the LBS makes minor tweaks based on my feedback, things are getting better. but it is a slow process.
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott
    Just a thought, since the pain is on one side only, in the area of your back where you would be stabilizing your arm position: could the aerobars and/or stem be slightly off center, say, when the bike was rebuilt after a plane trip?
  • DocHoffartDocHoffart
    Mike,

    I always find playing internet Doc challenging because there are variables that are hard to rule out without hands on...

    Sharp pain can be muscular but that usually is described more as burning, achey, tight... The area that you are stressing in the TT position is the posterior cervical-thoracic area. If you aren't having any numbness/tingling or weakness into your shoulders/upper extremities then it is likely muscular: Spinalis, levator scapula, rhomboid, trapezius, supraspinatus are all in the region that I think you are describing. For the life of me I cannot self-treat and have to see a buddy that does ART to work that area out.

    If it is cervical or upper thoracic facet or upper rib to spine dysfunction (usually more described as sharp) then often (outside of a clinician's office: DC or PT) cervical traction and foam rolling will help.

    Try raising your aerobars 1-2 cm and see if it helps. Also, using the Ancona visual method while riding helps BUT it can be dangerous as you need to look up frequently to see if any cars, dogs, debris might be yonder.

    Keep is unformed MIke. Glad to see you are out of the cave.

    Vince
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