Pain in neck

[BrynCP]

I started cycling a couple of months ago on a flat bar hybrid, Giant Escape 2.

I was typically doing 10mile daily with 15 mile on a weekend. After the weekend ride, I had a little neck pain that lingered for a day or two, but nothing major.

Now I am doing 25-35 mile rides on a weekend. While on the bike, I am as comfortable as I can be, but when I get off, and stand up, an area just to the right of my neck/shoulder is in agony! Any movement can trigger sharp pains and I can't move my head, and it's like this for about 10 minutes, after which it lingers for a long time (days) but only if I make larger movements, like trying to look right over my shoulder.

Could this just be I am still not used to it (I have ridden about 500 miles now) or something else? I am comfortable during the ride, and my posture to my knowledge seems fine? I went with the Large size bike, and I don't lock my arms or seem to stretch too far / nor am I hunched up.

 

[vickster]

If you are happy the bike is the right size, perhaps pay to see a sports physio to get examined, manipulated and an exercise programme. Could be nothing to do with cycling, just triggered by it. The bike is quite an upright model, normally aches and pains appear when starting on a nose down roadbike. Do you get neck pain at any other time?

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Sounds like you have a fit issue to me. Particularly reach.
Did the bike shop not advise regarding fit?

 

[BrynCP]

Do they need to do a detailed fit for a hybrid? All we really did was adjust the saddle. I stood over the tube to check for clearance then sat on the saddle and they were happy it was correct (as was I from some of the research on here/elsewhere).

I have had this type of pain come and go very rarely, i.e. it's not a pain I have never had, but it's not something I get all the time.

Interestingly the day after a ride at the end of a workday the pain is worse than say 30 minutes after the ride or the morning after. I work at a desk all day, my workstation is setup correctly though.

I did 22 miles today, and on the bike I was checking to see if my neck, back or arms felt tense and none did. After about 10 miles though, I felt like a knot in my neck come from nowhere. I am wondering if it is cold related, all I wear is a base layer and a jacket because most of my body feels warm enough - perhaps I should wear something around my upper neck/back.

 

[vickster]

I'd see a physio for sure. Costs about £40-50 for a full assessment

 

[cyberknight]

I used to get pains in the middle of the shoulder blade/ neck area on longer rides although the bike flet ok turned out my stem was too long, went samller by 10 mm and it cleared up.
Although as others have siad a check up might be in order as these pains tend to stop soon after you get off the bike.

 

[JayMac]

If you have any cycling friends have them check your position...as cyberknight said, even a 10mm adjustment can
Completely change how comfortable you are and reduce pains

 

[ayceejay]

Flat bars afford only one position for your hands, could this be the problem?
Maybe a bit of stretching at the end of your ride.

 

[BrynCP]

Flat bars afford only one position for your hands, could this be the problem?
Maybe a bit of stretching at the end of your ride.

I do find after a while I wish I had somewhere else to put my hands! Today the neck pain was present, but far from "agony", I was paying more attention to making sure my arms were bent though and moving around a bit more. I will keep an eye on this, making sure to move a bit more on the bike rather than locking myself into one position. If I don't have any luck, perhaps a visit to a specialist like vickster recommended just to get their view. I have also bought something to act as a scarf as my jacket does permit the wind to hit my lower head and neck a bit.

Maybe I should just buy a road bike. My 2 month old bike has now given me another type of "pain in the neck" as it appears the rear derailleur cage has snapped!

 

[JayMac]

Throw the hybrid in a lake and go buy a roadie?

 

[Schmilliemoo]

I've a friend who's a bike fit specialist and he's always telling me how minute adjustments make huge differences along with posture etc. Might be worth shelling out to be comfortable.

 

[BrynCP]

Throw the hybrid in a lake and go buy a roadie?

In all honesty I bought the hybrid flat bar never thinking I would ride for as long as I do now; I never expected to just give up riding, but if you had told me 2 months ago that in 2 months I would be riding 25-35 miles I would have laughed. My first ride was 1 mile. I have already been considering if I should buy a road bike for the summer, and keep an eye out now before the prices go up. I think the hybrid is pretty good for winter with the wider tyres, plus it can take my 16 stone weight.

However, like vickster says, this might not be cycling related, it's just triggering it, and a road bike might cause me more issues!

It's a good job I really want to do this, with the pain, punctures and snapping bits of metal, I can see why some might give up!

 

[vickster]

Add bar ends

 

[vickster]

Throw the hybrid in a lake and go buy a roadie?

The rapid is essentially a road bike, just with flat bars

 

[BrynCP]

The rapid is essentially a road bike, just with flat bars

I have an Escape.