real pain in the neck

[ste.pearson]

hi all was just wondering if many people suffer with neck pain? when they are on there bike.anything over 30 miles and i really start to feel it,i mean am not in agony or anything but as a big guy i would kinda expect maybe legs or backside to hurt a bit but everything else is fine just the neck pain.could there be a reason for this that i am unaware of.this happens when iam riding my hybrid bike,i was planning when the weather improves to take bike on the train to york and cycle back to teesside but the route would between 60-70 miles and wondering what sort of state i might be in by the end

 

[HLaB]

I did at first but now my neck muscles have toughened up, hopefully yours will too

 

[Skipper]

Just a thought but you might want to get checked by an osteopath? I had a cycle tumble a few months ago, and suffered with a bad neck afterwards. Eventually the osteo diagnosed that several neck vertebrae were locked, i.e. jammed front/back etc. He freed them up (painlessly I add) and hey presto, no more pain.

 

[fossyant]

Could easily be you are not used to the time on the bike. Happened to me after a few years not cycling as much - anything over an hour would be murder. Soon came back once I was regularly cycling, and even though I commute mostly, 5-6 hour rides don't provide any neck problems now.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I did at first but now my neck muscles have toughened up, hopefully yours will too

This. I remember my neck hurting so much after long rides that it kept me awake at night, it did get better quite swiftly with more cycling.

This time next month you might have forgotten you even made this post, just keep putting in the miles.

 

[Scoosh]

My ha'penny worth.

• bike fit - could be your arms are too stretched (yes, even on a hybrid) - or too shortened
• is your neck warn enough ? If I don't wear a buff in the colder months, I get stiff neck/shoulder from the chill on a longer ride

HTH

 

[Kies]

This reminds me of my first couple of months on the road bike .... Keep riding and it will disappear quickly

 

[Magui]

Typing this while sitting here in severe pain in the neck. Started after my 1st 2hr+ ride of the year. Not the 1st year it's happened either. Hopefully the weather will improve so it can pass.

 

[e-rider]

yes, on long rides (4+ hours on my road bike) - hybrid and MTB are generally much better because of the more upright position. If I lower my road bike bars, it makes the pain worse. I find the more I cycle the better it gets, but it never goes completely!

 

[Biker Joe]

It should get better as the neck muscles improve.
If not then it could be a bike fit issue. May be worth making sure the bike fit adjustments are OK.
Some times these adjustments need a tweek.

 

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

Why would neck muscles need to improve? You know, the same muscles that have been holding your head up for pretty much all of your life.

Initial thought is bike fit.

 

[Biker Joe]

Why would neck muscles need to improve? You know, the same muscles that have been holding your head up for pretty much all of your life.

But not holding your head at that angle on your bike for long periods of time.
Perhaps you could try to move your head around, flex the neck muscles a bit during long rides.
Don't keep your head in the same position for long periods.

 

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

But not holding your head at that angle on your bike for long periods of time.

The angle is so different from watching tv? Looking up at planes in the sky? Pillows in bed?

 

[BrumJim]

The angle is so different from watching tv? Looking up at planes in the sky? Pillows in bed?

Yes.

 

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

Yes.

Which is largely irrelevant anyway if your bike is setup correctly.

Low bar drop will force your neck into over-extension which will cause the cervical extensors to fatigue.

Saddle tilted down will put more weight on your shoulders and traps which will fatigue.

Saddle tilted up will force your pelvis and spine to slouch which could also fatigue the neck.

The saddle can cause issues on it's own.



Don't worry OP, you'll get used to microtearing and overextension of muscle eventually (or you could look at your bike fit / visit your LBS)