Absorbing energy in your body

[Twilkes]

No idea if this link/idea has come up before, but I've been cycling for years without ever really cottoning on to this:

http://www.cptips.com/exabs.htm

I used to hate using exercise bikes in the gym because the saddles would never move side to side, but now I realise that was my poor technique - basically any movement you make that isn't making the pedals go round is wasting/absorbing energy. On steep hills now I try to keep everything stock still apart from my legs, and that makes the spinning/circular pedalling motion much easier to maintain, and I get up the hill quicker and using less energy.

I guess getting up on the pedals/rocking side to side helps with fast accelerating/sprinting, but there's little real need for that most of the time. So for me, Zen body is the way to go.

 

[MattHB]

if you watch the likes of Wiggins and Froome, they are absolutely rock solid from the waist up. You need a very strong core to do that though.

training on rollers can really help your technique in this respect. And something like pilates can help strengthen your core if thats a problem (its mine).

 

[Banjo]

I suffer from lower back pain now and then since a car crash nearly 20 years ago .

Oddly even when the back is playing up I am fine on the bike in fact cycling seems to help it .

I find it interesting to see the different styles of people riding in a group.Some people seem to be very rigid above the waste others are flexing side to side a lot. It makes sense that any upper body movement is wasted energy when cycling.

 

[Globalti]

Cycling will strengthen the muscles each side of your spine because that's where the forces from the pelvis are transmitted through to the shoulders and arms.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I suffer from lower back pain now and then since a car crash nearly 20 years ago .

Oddly even when the back is playing up I am fine on the bike in fact cycling seems to help it .

I find it interesting to see the different styles of people riding in a group.Some people seem to be very rigid above the waste others are flexing side to side a lot. It makes sense that any upper body movement is wasted energy when cycling.

I'm the same (although I fell out of a car 20 years go!); if I go on a very long or hard ride my bike is damn near crippling once I'm off the bike, but I can happily get back on and carry on cycling to loosen it up. When I did my first hundred miles I made the mistake of laying on the ground to ease my back, and I very nearly couldn't get back up. I don't mean 'ooh ahhh what a wrongun' type not being able to get up, I mean literally not being able to get up. With a lot of agony and a lot of help I was able to get back on the bike and within a couple of miles the back pain had gone entirely.

That article is interesting though - I've been doing leg lifts every morning and night for a few weeks and it does appear to have made some difference to my core strength.

 

[black'n'yellow]

How many times have you heard of elite riders having to pull out of competition because of back problems?

Strangely, I have never heard of anyone pulling out of a race because of back problems. I can't remember this ever happening. Unless you have a diagnosed weak core, then you don't really need to 'train' it any more than you do while cycling.

 

[Arsen Gere]

Strangely, I have never heard of anyone pulling out of a race because of back problems. I can't remember this ever happening. Unless you have a diagnosed weak core, then you don't really need to 'train' it any more than you do while cycling.

I think what they mean is a stage race rather than a one day jobby.

There is also a point on the top of the pelvis at the back where there is a nerve you can press on and people jump with the pain. I showed this point to Mrs Gere with a very short demo and found I was not being spoken to for a bit.
A good massage round the pelvis can relieve some of the symptoms. People neglect this focusing on the main muscle groups but a lot of the supporting structure for the legs is attached to the pelvis. Stiffness puts pressure on these nerves and creates pain mistaken for sciatica.

 

[black'n'yellow]

I think what they mean is a stage race rather than a one day jobby..

Even so - I'm still not aware of any instances where riders have withdrawn due to back problems...

 

[Arsen Gere]

Random selection from Google....

Ironman
Sofie Goos was disappointed: "I biked so poorly. After back pain forced me to retire from the race in the two previous years"

Grio
Ullrich dropped out of the Giro during stage 19, with back pain

Amateur
And your 2012 100 mile champion is...

Submitted by Jorj James on 27 May 2012 - 10:39pm

• Rides and Races

At 25 miles, Andrew was in control, already 47s up on Simon At 50 miles, it was getting close, with Simon just 12s behind At 100 miles, there was only one man it it: Gurpal Panesar, showing that to finish first, first you have to finish. Well done Gurpal.
Mod.edit: Andrew lost interest after the 50 just when the going starts to get tough and Simon paused at 80miles with a back problem and after a few mins also retired.

TDF
Schleck continued, but complained of leg and back pain and despite beginning Saturday’s sixth and penultimate stage he pulled out after 63km.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Excellent - so the answer to the question "How many times have you heard of elite riders having to pull out of competition because of back problems?" is 'twice'. Not exactly an epidemic..? Which is kind of the point I was making...

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Random selection from Google....

Ironman
Sofie Goos was disappointed: "I biked so poorly. After back pain forced me to retire from the race in the two previous years"

Was Sofies back problem directly related to the bike? Or perhaps one of the other two sports undertaken in her profession?

 

[Arsen Gere]

Was Sofies back problem directly related to the bike? Or perhaps one of the other two sports undertaken in her profession?

I am not sure of the origin of her problems. But it was the bike section she pulled out of.

 

[dan_bo]

Did Fignon not have problems with his back which led to him withdrawing from his last tour?

 

[amaferanga]

There're probably as many pro cyclists with poor technique as there are with perfect technique (whatever that is). Looking good on a bike doesn't make you good on a bike.

 

[RiflemanSmith]

Planking, side and normal.