Pain in the Neck?

I Use To Get The Same Pain In The Neck. Hated It Because It Just Spoils The Whole Ride. I Found Swimming Works Really Well For It, And Also Streching Before, After And Even On The Ride. Another Problem I Found Was The Fact That I Wear Glasses And Needed To Tilt My Head Further Backwards To See Further Up Ahead. Otherwise I Stare Over The Frame Of The Glasses(small) And Can't See Anything. Contacts Better, But Dust, Wind Etc Does Dry Them Out Quite A Lot. Position On Bike Is Very Important As Well. Play Around With Your Position. Maybe Even Rise The Handlebar 5mm Or So. How And Where You Look In The Road Plays Just As Big A Role. I Found That Staring Bout 2-5 M Up Ahead Works And Can Put You Into A Nice Trance. Just Keep In Mind To Look Up Quite Often To Make Sure You Are Not Heading Into The Back Of A Bus, Huge Pothole Or Another Cyclist. Just Think It Through And Try Your Best To Get Comfy. Try To Relax The Shoulders And Neck A Bit Too. If You Are All Tensed Up It Is Only Going To Make Matters Worse.

Good Luck And Keep The Wheels Rolling

ORIONBLUE said:

Just a question to you experienced bikers. I started biking seriously (for me 4-5 times a week 25-35 miles per day), After about 20 minutes I start getting pain and stiffness in my neck near my shoulders. Is there anything I can do different with the position of my head, am I doing something incorrectly? Thanks for your help.

Riding in pain is no fun and biking is supposed to be fun. I've been there with the pain. You might want to try various riding positions and different bike setups to see if that helps. Maybe raising the bars a tad? Make sure the bike fits you correctly too. Not too big or small. If all else fails RIDE A RECUMBENT. They are fun, fast, and pain free. It did the job for me. Ever since getting my new 'bent the road bike hasn't left the garage.

'bent Brian

bentbrian said:

Riding in pain is no fun and biking is supposed to be fun. I've been there with the pain. You might want to try various riding positions and different bike setups to see if that helps. Maybe raising the bars a tad? Make sure the bike fits you correctly too. Not too big or small. If all else fails RIDE A RECUMBENT. They are fun, fast, and pain free. It did the job for me. Ever since getting my new 'bent the road bike hasn't left the garage.

'bent Brian

I used to get all tense in my neck and shoulders when I rode...I finaly figured out it was cause I was GRABBING onto the handle bars.....really hard and putting too much weight on my arms.

tinajoy said:

I used to get all tense in my neck and shoulders when I rode...I finaly figured out it was cause I was GRABBING onto the handle bars.....really hard and putting too much weight on my arms.

Yeah, and all of that goes away when you ride a 'bent. Each to his/her own I guess. I'm sure everything will be all sorted out. But then there is always the 'bent. He, He. Just teasing you!

'bent Brian

bentbrian said:

Yeah, and all of that goes away when you ride a 'bent. Each to his/her own I guess. I'm sure everything will be all sorted out. But then there is always the 'bent. He, He. Just teasing you!

'bent Brian

A bent is a recumbemt????

tinajoy said:

A bent is a recumbemt????

i mean a recumbent...sorry... 🙂

tinajoy said:

i mean a recumbent...sorry... 🙂

Yup, 'bent is the slang or short form of recumbent. Try this for a tongue twister! "I've got bent 'bent wheels on my bent 'bent." Awesome bikes. Try one sometime. Ever hear of the "recumbent grin?" It is a permanent contortion (big smile) of the face that occurs when you ride a 'bent.

'bent Brian

bentbrian said:

Yup, 'bent is the slang or short form of recumbent. Try this for a tongue twister! "I've got bent 'bent wheels on my bent 'bent." Awesome bikes. Try one sometime. Ever hear of the "recumbent grin?" It is a permanent contortion (big smile) of the face that occurs when you ride a 'bent.

'bent Brian

Gee, do you have one of those cool orange flags on your "bent" too. Sounds like something for the over 80 crowd IMO.

For me, as a rider with a few years experience and increasing my ride mileage gradually I do experience various pains in my body. Neck pain, for me, is helped by doing stretching excercises and time in the saddle. I find that as my upper body gets stronger from riding, I can go longer distances without feeling any pain during the ride nor after the ride.

It does take reading a lot to learn about the pains we have and how to deal with them. Bike fit is one important aspect. Correct placement of cleats, proper posture on the bik and proper seat placement all have affects on whether we get stronger as we ride or just become more sore.

I suggest anyone with a specific bicycling-related pain, continue to ask questions, go to bike shops and ask people there and pick up excercise books. I am just learning how important stretching excercise are for eliminating chronic joint pain that I experience in daily life, let alone while cycling.

I'm no cycling animal, either. My average ride now is just hitting around 35 miles or so. I don't have much opportunity to ride during the week, so I ride on weekends. I find that I still get stronger with this type of regimen. Of course, I'm not going to become a competitive cyclist, nor do I want to be. I do enjoy cycling passionately, though. 😉