Topic: What's wrong with my riding posture?

[gratznic]

There must be something wrong, because I'm getting seriously sore on my left shoulder muscle and the back of my neck.

Granted, I've been on a stretch of long rides - going from Nevada City, CA to Seattle, WA and then back again. I'm on a '78 550K, with a partner sitting behind me, and about 20 pounds of gear (we ride pretty light). The weight is balanced fairly evenly on the left and right side. But it's not perfect.

I'm not riding for obscenely long stretches - I rest at least every hour and a half. And I ride for a max of five or six hours a day. It doesn't take long, however, for my shoulder to be extremely sore. I've tried many different postures (relaxed, tense, neck in various positions, elbows in various positions), but nothing seems to get me away from it.

I'm guessing that it has to do with the weight I'm lugging around. But I wish there was some way around it. The pain is very acute, especially right where the neck connects with the back.

Bengay eases some of the pain, but it's no fix. Any one had similar problems?

-Ryan

[DammitDan]

Might be a bad angle on your handlebars...  Have you thought about a different style maybe?

[BobL2]

If you have a full motorcycle seat, and your wallet is too thick and is in your back pocket, it my be pinching a nerve in your butt.
It can cause pain in your back & neck.

[Kevin400F]

Find a good chiropractor or masseusse, make an appointment, then go out and ride just before the appointment so you reproduce the pain.   Go to you appointment with it hurting, and let them diagnose.  I'm not a huge fan of chiropractors, but I had a situation similar to what you describe and the "bone cracker" was able to resolve it.  Similarly, I tweaked my shoulder a few weeks ago and thought maybe I had a rotator cuff tear.  I was signed up for a motorcycle roadrace track day, and wanted to 1) make sure I could go and 2) not do any further damage.  I went to a masseusse and she fixed my shoulder....it hurt like heck while she was manipulating it but was immediately better afterwards, and the problem was completely resolved within a few days.

Kevin

[KB02]

If you have a full motorcycle seat, and your wallet is too thick and is in your back pocket, it my be pinching a nerve in your butt.
It can cause pain in your back & neck.

As odd as that sounds, he's right. It's something to check out.

You didn't mention the way the bike is set up. Is it pretty standard? Do you have lower bars? Do you have a windshield? How is your suspension? (if the suspension is bad, it might be sending shockwave right up into your body from little bumos and what not... just something to consider)

[Bob Wessner]

Did you do anything unusual in the period before setting out on the ride? Sometimes you strain something but it doesn't manifest itself until later or you put some sort of unusual stress on the injury.

[Uncle Ernie]

Maybe when you start riding solo again, that pain in the neck will go away...

A lot of times, I find these things are cumulative and come to the fore when suddenly exacerbated by a situation like riding in one position for a long period- esp when you haven't been conditioned for it. Things like sitting all day at your desk crooked ie, half typing/half reaching for the phone while sorting through papers, sleeping on a too fat pillow that is essentially trying to pry your head off, yes-sitting on a fat wallet that throws your back out of alignment. It can be a chicken/egg thing; a twisted spine can tighten muscles and cause pain and/or pinch a nerve, but twisted muscles can also tug your spine out and have the same effect.
I would look at lifestyle things as mentioned above. If you've been sleeping on the wrong pillow, try rolling up a towel and putting that under your neck at night. If you have trouble sleeping on your back, do it while watching TV in bed. Weight distribution IS another factor in several ways; more weight behind you creates bad handling and makes you nervous which tenses you up. Your passenger/relationship may be causing you to tense up. I think tank panniers or a tank bag helps distribute weight better.
Do some light stretches in the AM and sometime during the day. Put your flat hands palms forward on your forehead, pull your elbows far back, and rotate your torso. Then go from side to side.
Do some relaxation head rolls keeping you back straight.
Feet apart, arms out, bend over and try to reach around your left knee with your right hand. Stretch- you'll feel those shoulder muscles falling in love again. Stand up and do the opposite.
Find a table/counter top and put the heeels of your hands on the top. Bend your knees until your weight is on your arms/hands. You should feel your spine stretching.
A GOOD chiroprator is well worth the effort to go.
Have a shot of your favorite adult beverage and let us know how it goes

[CB750R]

As a 26 year old mountian biker/snowboarder/road cyclist/motorcyclist, I highly recomend the bone cracker!!! They will diagnose the problem and suggest stretches and excorcises to help strengthen the areas needed to support the shoulder.  My right side neck and shoulder sorta near the shoulder blade gets sore on long rides, or even long car drives due to a few tweaks I did 5 years ago as a ski bum, on the mountain, I didn't take care of it then cuz I was 22 broke as a joke and figured a bit of time will heal it..... Well 1000 in Chiro and massage in the lasst two years is really making some progress, that could have been fixed in a couple of months back in 2000!! 

In the short term look up some stretches for your pecks, often the cause of shoulder and neck pain on a bike, is that your not only reaching forward with your arms but your shoulders as well, when in fact you should try to maintain shoulders back and straight. This will cause the pecks to tighten up over time, and distend the weaker muscles in your back and tire them out.  one stretch I find super usefull is extend your arm straight out to the side, with arm bent at 90 degrees up (like turning left motorcycle hand signal,) put the forarm on the edge of a door way, and then step forward, leaning against the arm, you should feel a good stretch in the shoulder pectoral area, try varing this stretch with arm up at 45 degree...  I do this regularly on long rides, and has helped imensly in my shoulder recovery.  Sorry if this is a little long winded, but its something I've had to really deal with, because I love long rides, and it really sucks being a "young fit guy" who has trouble riding a motorcycle due to shoulder and neck pain!!!

I'm not a Doctor nor pretend to be an expert, just thought your issues sounded very similar.

G

Grant.

[jotor]

Maybe when you start riding solo again, that pain in the neck will go away...

1)  I ride with someone who sits at about a 10 dgree angle instead of straight ahead.  Says it doesn't bother him but it hurts just to follow him.  Have someone follow you and see what you look like

2)  I always take my wallet out for longish trips--bike and car. 

3)  No medical advice here but I find that three Ibuprofin tablets at the start of a long ride keeps the aches away.  After six hours I take three more.  Not as much fun as a massage, but cheaper.

4)  If you fall off plan on buying the LARGE jar of Ibuprofin.  ;-)

[littlebronco]

Are you constantly turning your head over your left shoulder to talk to your passenger?

[Quail "Owner of the comfortable k8"]

we need a new Category for this!  Medical advice from about 900 old farts will fill a hard drive.


Maybe you all can help me.  The scales on my legs a flaking and my 4th toe (the one that goes to the rear) is tender. I molted twice this year.  Plus I am hen pecked.  I used to fall down but Viagra keeps me up now.

Quail











9

[Bob Wessner]

Medical advice from about 900 old farts

Scary thought indeed. 

[Uncle Ernie]

Holy cow!! You must be double jointed. If I had ANY of my toes in my rear, I'm sure worse things would be happening to me.

[kghost]

Holy cow!! You must be double jointed. If I had ANY of my toes in my rear, I'm sure worse things would be happening to me.

The Bird ernie the bird..........

[Uncle Ernie]

Well...! Be that way.


                                       

[gratznic]

Did you do anything unusual in the period before setting out on the ride? Sometimes you strain something but it doesn't manifest itself until later or you put some sort of unusual stress on the injury.

Yes, actually. I had a little water-skiiing accident a few weeks before the trip. I strained the muscles around my ribs and left peck. So the new injury is in the same general area.

As for wallets, I always keep mine in a front pocket. I'm skinny and my butt doesn't have much padding. Years of sitting in classrooms have taught me that the back pocket is a bad place for a wallet.

As for turning around and talking, I don't think that was adding to it. I only wish that I could have moved my head around more (to check out the scenery and stuff), but the pain would emerge just from long enduring rides. I noticed that it would, however, become a little more pointed as I was moving at slower speeds. At slower speeds I would have to exert more strength to keep the bike steady.

As for the set-up of the bike, it's standard. Original handlebars. And I put my windshield back on for the trip.

I have some ibuprofen - I should have been popping them on a daily basis. I just finished the ride today - 1,960 miles, and bike ran awesome. I'd like to thank this website for helping me keep it in good shape. I'll see if the pain persists, but I have a feeling it will fade away now.

Thanks for the replies.

[dusterdude]

i know my posture sucks,im so damn short i have to lean over to reach the bars and i can feel it in my back and neck.im definetly going to buy some longer bars this winter.