This video is on location from the top of Van Sickle Trail and the bottom of Heavenly Ski Resort at the Boulder lift. A common question I’ve been getting is about bike riding and back pain. As biking season is in full swing this is a small change that can make a big difference. Bike setup is step number 1. You need to make sure that you have adjusted the seat, handlebars, etc. for you and your riding style. Anyways, when you are climbing uphill people tend to have the most amount of back pain, excluding the fall on the way down if that happens. People have a tendency to get a rounded back and tuck the pelvis and hips under. When I pedal and my back is rounded, my back will go into more flexion while pedaling uphill because I have to push harder. This can cause a lot of back problems because you are stretching your back ligaments and muscles and then you are loading it with a heavy pedal stroke. Similar analogy is lifting a box with your legs instead of your back and keeping a neutral spine position can prevent that stress. When we try to stretch out the body and then load it, you are more likely to injury yourself because you are at the end of the ligaments and muscles, compared to having the area neutral and then loading it. So, keep the spine neutral and you won’t lose much power, if any, but you are keeping more of that load in the hips and glutes compared to the back muscles while at the end range of motion. Again, first check your bike setup and then add this as well and just think of when you are trying to climb uphill are you in a tight ball or more opened up. If you have any questions on biking or back pain, I’d love to help. Hope that helps and enjoy the trails.
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