Sore Lower Back - Possible Causes

[Jay]

I think I mentioned in another thread about some issues I had with my lower back but as it just flared up yesterday, wanted to ask for some thoughts/opinions.  I know it's all personal, many factors at play (not just cycling), but maybe others have had a similar experience to me and identified cause(s) and changes to help.

About 2-3 times a year I get a sore lower back.  It comes out of the blue (wake up, feeling 100%, sit down at a desk, get up and ouch).  Talked to chiropractor and osteopath about it, neither knows the cause.  They recommend workouts and stretching routines which I follow religiously.  Past couple of months have been really good as the osteopath had me following some stretching routines that were really good for entire upper body.  I was surprised this happened yesterday morning.  I would really like to nip this for good.

Assuming this is cycling related, or exacerbated by cycling, I was thinking of two possible causes:

- How I sit on the saddle in terms of my lower back/pelvis (sometimes to keep my shoulders from rolling forward, I may arch my lower back inwards, I try not to, but it can happen)

- Second is riding rough terrain (if I ride gravel trails a few days in a row, maybe it beats me up, compresses the discs in lower spine)

Thanks

[Richard Rose]

Hi Jay. Back pain is the worst. Does yours ever extend into your butt or down your leg? Mine did and became unbearable. After obligatory physical therapy regimen and a desperate attempt at chiropractic I finally got an mri. I had a kind of bulging disk. I underwent a microdiskectomy. Over a year of agonizing pain the surgery lasted less than an hour. Woke up from surgery pain free. Went home the next day & was riding in 6 weeks. It was miraculous and was four years ago. These days I get a stiff back & a bike ride always makes it go away. My riding is all pretty upright but includes rough trails on rigid bikes.

My message is simple. Get an mri.

Good luck!

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 27, 2025, at 8:37 AM, Jay <jason....@gmail.com> wrote:

I think I mentioned in another thread about some issues I had with my lower back but as it just flared up yesterday, wanted to ask for some thoughts/opinions.  I know it's all personal, many factors at play (not just cycling), but maybe others have had a similar experience to me and identified cause(s) and changes to help.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/cea27494-8f62-4ab4-b2b4-c013c90ab11en%40googlegroups.com.

[Spencer Robinson]

I think sore lower back is just part of getting older….believe me, I know exactly what you are describing. I have been good most of the year but fall yard clean up, pulling out the air conditioner, a whole season of riding, it all contributes to a sore back.

If you are pretty happy with your bike setup, I would not start changing it. Rough trails, standing and grinding up the steep hills, that will put stress on my back and I will pay for it. Best to have a professional take a look at your back first, make sure it is not something going on. 

[Bill Schairer]

Several years ago I started doing 10 pushups each morning.  My parents-in-law had suffered falls where they were unable to get up on their own.  I had this notion that if I could do a pushup I would always be able to get up which may not be true but so be it.  While I never suffered from debilitating back pain, I do feel low grade lower back pain or stiffness has essentially disappeared. Coincidence? After starting this habit, I read pushups are actually a great exercise for cycling, an added bonus.  I am now 72. 

[JohnS]

Plus one on Bill's advice. I've been doing a yoga/body weight work out 2 or 3 times a week for the past 10yrs. I'm in my mid-60's and feel very good as far as strength and lack of soreness/ache pains goes. 

JohnS

[Patrick Moore]

I’ve been trying improve my consistency with my pushup routine of 2 sets per day after decades or haphazardly following it, tho’ I’m lazy when it comes to “exercises” and my long-term daily achievement record is probably no more than 1 set 60%-70% of the time or perhaps 4 days per week. But at 70 I find that “use it or lose it” applies much more quickly that at 60, so I’m trying to be more regular.

Thank God I’m not plagued by back pain, but I am plagued by being as stiff as a board, and while pushups may help, I certainly find that walking helps to loosen up my legs and torso; even walking the dog 2X per week, about 1 1/2 mile (the dog gets to run alongside the bike on other days).

Generally speaking, I rather think, tho’ without much clear evidence, that just keeping more parts of your body active is conducive to smooth functioning overall. To that end I am trying to augment my pushups with brief reps of exercises using 12 lb sledgehammers, to strengthen torso as well as arms. (Google “Shovelglove.” I follow 1 or 2 of his exercises and augment these with another of my own using 2 more 12 lb sledges with handles cut to about 10”. The nice thing about sledge hammers is that they take up just about exactly 60 square inches of floor space.)

All the above, particularly the walking, has made me much more limber than I was say 5 years ago, when picking up dog turds on the gravel was hard to do. I still can’t touch my toes, but I can pick up turds much more easily. 

Lastly, I am rather careful not to spend too much time lying on my back; I try to sleep on my sides, and I think that this has helped prevent lower back muscular pain.

FWIW.

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/28fe37a1-8fd7-40ee-8724-73a3fa869c27n%40googlegroups.com.

--

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other writing services

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When thou didst not, savage, know thine own meaning,

But wouldst gabble like a thing most brutish,

I endowed thy purposes with words that made them known.

[Spencer Robinson]

I agree Patrick…gotta keep moving! I do think Jay should make sure it is not something medical going on though…bad disc, or even worse, whatever it is, better to catch it ASAP. 

You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/lIVJm-rC2pk/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CALuTfguq2Htb_n-DmeC9PosW_%3DSKi%3D4RzcdvNcQirGezMBxb-Q%40mail.gmail.com.

[Jay]

Thanks everyone.

That lasted three days.  Was back on the bike Saturday.  Day after the ride and feeling good.  I'm pretty sure this is nothing serious, as some have experienced.  Feels like a particular muscle in the lower back is strained, usually takes 2-3 days to feel better.  That's the only area where it feels tight.  And it only happens 3 or so times a year.  In between those instances, I feel 95% or better, with good mobility, can lift heavy things.  As mentioned, I stretch and strength train frequently.

[Zachary Cannon]

I brought my RItchey Breakaway to New York and got 3 rides/70 miles of riding in while visiting our kids. My lower back was a bit sore even though this was less riding than normal for me. 

My first thought is that when I bring the bike back for Christmas, I need to check all my contact points and better align the RItchey's fit with my bikes that don't cause back pain. 

If it's a one and only bike, I do think diagnosis is complex. For most riders, my first thought is are the bars too low. With our group, I'd worry about too long of reach and proper saddle set back.

I'm glad you're feeling better. I went on a long loaded dirt ride upon return and my back was happy again.

Best, Zach in ABQ

[Brady Smith]

I had on again, off again back pain for a couple years, especially during and after long climbs. I always chalked it up to fatigue/overuse, since it was worse in summers, when I tend to ride a lot. It would get especially tight after sitting for a while post-workout, and then I'd have to hobble around a bit when standing up before it loosened up again. 

It was mostly a minor annoyance, mitigated somewhat by stretching and butterfly clicks. I was especially diligent about the latter this past summer as I was getting ready for the Triple Bypass. The ride went off great--no back pain whatsoever. Then, five days later, I threw out my back putting on pants before a wedding. That required some serious rehab, including a few trips to the chiropractor. 

Since then, I've tired to spend 10-15 minutes with kettlebells after weekday runs or trainer sessions. It's definitely a drag on running pace, especially after squats, but I've basically eliminated back pain/fatigue of the kind described above. I just do cleans/snatches/swings on repeat. An added benefit: I sleep much better than I have in years.