Newbie here, with questions

It could be an improper bike fitting but most likely it's your form. Try to keep your back as straight as possible (this is what I hear you should do anyway). Try reading "Training Techniques for Cyclists". It's written/edited by Bicycling the magazine. It gave me some good tips for good form and riding. Hope this helped.

Sounds like the bike is too big, options:
Bring the seat forward, say 15-20mm, and up a little,
if not enough, consider a zero offset seat post.
Raise the stem by turning it over, if this is not possible try with a stem raiser. http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/stems/index.html#raisers A shorter stem, below 90mm, may reduce control of the bike.

gclark8 said:

Sounds like the bike is too big, options:
Bring the seat forward, say 15-20mm, and up a little,
if not enough, consider a zero offset seat post.
Raise the stem by turning it over, if this is not possible try with a stem raiser. sheldonbrown.comindex.htmlOpen ↗ A shorter stem, below 90mm, may reduce control of the bike.

For me it was the opposite, I needed to not lean over as much, mine was lower back.

If your not use to riding a lot your back will adapt just like your legs but if you are a frequent rider then its the bike size/adjustment or your form.

tdl123321 said:

About a month ago the local bike shop was going out of business and I rather spontaneously decided to buy a bike. I purchased a Fuji Newest at a pretty good price. Anyway, I have really enjoyed riding and have already greatly increased the distances of my rides.

However, lately I am getting a lot of lower back fatigue. Even more so than in my legs. Is this a form problem or more likely that the bike isn't the proper fit?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Might be worthwhile to ask an experienced rider you respect, or another LBS to check out your fit and position on the bike. Does the bike feel comfortable to you?

Don't worry about trying to achieve a flat-back position. Lance never did, even on his TT bikes. Every pro has an individual position that works best for them.

But even if your bike fit is perfect, it's easy to strain the lower back when you increase your mileage or work intensity. Core strength and flexibility is very important for cyclists, but doesn't seem to get much attention until a rider is in pain. In the 90's, I used to routinely strain my back on the first few hard windy rides in the spring. Riding with back pain is no fun at all.

Suggest you take it easy on the mileage and intensity for a while. Try daily stretching and some light core work like crunches, donkey kicks, good mornings. If it starts hurting on a ride, slow down, sit up, and if that doesn't work, head for home. Give your back some time and help in the healing process and you should be fine.

My first suggestion would be bike fit. This should fix your problem. Check: Seat height, Seat fore/aft (for knees & legs), Reach (for upper torso). If your are not sure about the proper seat height, etc Find a LBS and see if they would be willing to help you out with the proper fit.

Thanks for the suggestions guy. I'll take it to a shop and see if they can help fit the bike to me. I have short legs and a long torso so my lower back strains fairly easily. I'm also going to start doing some back and tummy exercises.

Hopefuly, it's just the soreness of a newbie🙂

tdl123321 said:

Thanks for the suggestions guy. I'll take it to a shop and see if they can help fit the bike to me. I have short legs and a long torso so my lower back strains fairly easily. I'm also going to start doing some back and tummy exercises.

Hopefuly, it's just the soreness of a newbie🙂

Good decision. And also keep in mind that it can take quite a while of steady riding before you get comfortable with your position. It's like getting used to gripping a golf club the way you're supposed to. It's very awkward for a while.

Bob