Back fatigue

[story of back pain, and daily rides]

I'm curious about this story because it (and other threads) talk about
riding every day. I'm not in shape for that now (I know my back and
neck couldn't take it, among other things), and I'm not sure I ever
have been. Even when I was riding a lot (for me), it was a couple 2
or 3 hour rides during the week, and a 3-4 hour ride on the weekend.
I felt like I needed those off days in-between, and maybe should have
taken more to keep from tearing down my legs (I'm a skinny guy).

Right now I do a ride, 2 off days, another ride .. repeat. I'm thinking
that I should make the rides harder (go faster, push toward failure),
rather than more frequent. I'm thinking that will help me bulk up
my legs.

(Right now I do about 1:30 moving time on a loop, and 0:05 stopped time.)

I'm curious to hear other people's strategies. I know every "body"
is different, but I'd like to hear what kind of rides you do when you
go to a daily schedule, and what it does for you.

Thanks.

"higb" wrote in message
.. .
[story of back pain, and daily rides]

I'm curious about this story because it (and other threads) talk about
riding every day. I'm not in shape for that now (I know my back and
neck couldn't take it, among other things), and I'm not sure I ever
have been. Even when I was riding a lot (for me), it was a couple 2
or 3 hour rides during the week, and a 3-4 hour ride on the weekend.
I felt like I needed those off days in-between, and maybe should have
taken more to keep from tearing down my legs (I'm a skinny guy).

Right now I do a ride, 2 off days, another ride .. repeat. I'm thinking
that I should make the rides harder (go faster, push toward failure),
rather than more frequent. I'm thinking that will help me bulk up
my legs.

(Right now I do about 1:30 moving time on a loop, and 0:05 stopped time.)

I'm curious to hear other people's strategies. I know every "body"
is different, but I'd like to hear what kind of rides you do when you
go to a daily schedule, and what it does for you.

Thanks.

That is a good question that I have been thinking about(other peoples ride
schedules). Maybe you should repost this thread as a new thread. I think
it'll get buried here where no one can see it. But, as an addition, today
after and hour and twenty minutes, I had no back fatigue at all. So, I'm
feeling pretty good, and this is after pushing myself pretty hard too. The
thing about daily riding for me is trying to lose weight. I try to get in
at least 1-2 hours of riding daily and this is to knock off the 15 pounds
I've gained over the past year. I would probably ride longer every other
day if I wasn't as concerned with getting that exercise every day. Anyway,
as a bonus, I'm getting a lot better technically, etc, so things are working
out. However, I did notice that after a three day break when I was sick, I
felt absolutely amazing, so rest is obviously important in terms of recovery
and performance.

A.

higb wrote:
[story of back pain, and daily rides]

I'm curious about this story because it (and other threads) talk about
riding every day. I'm not in shape for that now (I know my back and
neck couldn't take it, among other things), and I'm not sure I ever
have been. Even when I was riding a lot (for me), it was a couple 2
or 3 hour rides during the week, and a 3-4 hour ride on the weekend.
I felt like I needed those off days in-between, and maybe should have
taken more to keep from tearing down my legs (I'm a skinny guy).

Right now I do a ride, 2 off days, another ride .. repeat. I'm thinking
that I should make the rides harder (go faster, push toward failure),
rather than more frequent. I'm thinking that will help me bulk up
my legs.

(Right now I do about 1:30 moving time on a loop, and 0:05 stopped time.)

I'm curious to hear other people's strategies. I know every "body"
is different, but I'd like to hear what kind of rides you do when you
go to a daily schedule, and what it does for you.

Thanks.

I've decided to take it easier on myself lately than I have in the past.
Thus, I don't try to ride every day. I'd like to build up to that
condition eventually, but it's hard to balance work and recovery. Those
who do ride every day generally intersperse easy days with hard ones.
My goal is to reach a point where a 3 hour ride isn't all that much, and
I can choose to ride hard or easy the following day. I'm almost there,
but saddle sores have caused me to take a few days off. I hope they go
away in that time, because the alternatives to riding are limited. I
don't want to hike much because my legs are definitely in cycling mode
and hiking beats the hell out of them.

Since I live close to the Olympic speed skating oval, and its ice is
back in, I'll be doing some speed skating now. I went last night and it
was deceptively hard. The place is so cold you don't sweat, but my legs
sure felt it. Going back outside into the 99-degree heat felt great.
Now, I just need to learn how to skate. :-)

If we count just riding, I exercise roughly five days per week, and I
work in a gym as an instructor. Cross-training is valuable even for a
racer.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall
"I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we could to protect
our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security."
--Microsoft VP in charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.

"Kathleen" wrote in message
...
higb wrote:
[story of back pain, and daily rides]

I'm curious about this story because it (and other threads) talk about
riding every day. I'm not in shape for that now (I know my back and
neck couldn't take it, among other things), and I'm not sure I ever
have been. Even when I was riding a lot (for me), it was a couple 2
or 3 hour rides during the week, and a 3-4 hour ride on the weekend.
I felt like I needed those off days in-between, and maybe should have
taken more to keep from tearing down my legs (I'm a skinny guy).

Right now I do a ride, 2 off days, another ride .. repeat. I'm thinking
that I should make the rides harder (go faster, push toward failure),
rather than more frequent. I'm thinking that will help me bulk up
my legs.

(Right now I do about 1:30 moving time on a loop, and 0:05 stopped
time.)

I'm curious to hear other people's strategies. I know every "body"
is different, but I'd like to hear what kind of rides you do when you
go to a daily schedule, and what it does for you.

Thanks.

I can ride every day if I alternate bikes. I have a '97 Homegrown (F/S)
and a '99 Trek recumbent (used only on roads and rail-to-trails).
Mountain biking is more of a full-body workout - much more strenuous.
Taking the 'bent out the next day actually feels like it helps work out
any residual soreness.

Kathleen


Do you find any physical issues occurring in particular if you try to push
it and mountain bike every day? Back, neck, etc. I have been trying to
switch things up lately and give myself either a day in between, or at least
ride in the morning one day and the evening the next. I think things are
getting better, but I'll have to wait a little longer to say for sure. By
the way, do you know off hand what the starting range is on recumbent
prices. I have a feeling that they are more expensive than I would like,
but that seems like a good idea to get out and ride, while resting my back,
etc--although not nearly as fun.

Alan

Alan McClure wrote:
"Kathleen" wrote in message
...

higb wrote:

[story of back pain, and daily rides]

I'm curious about this story because it (and other threads) talk about
riding every day. I'm not in shape for that now (I know my back and
neck couldn't take it, among other things), and I'm not sure I ever
have been. Even when I was riding a lot (for me), it was a couple 2
or 3 hour rides during the week, and a 3-4 hour ride on the weekend.
I felt like I needed those off days in-between, and maybe should have
taken more to keep from tearing down my legs (I'm a skinny guy).

Right now I do a ride, 2 off days, another ride .. repeat. I'm thinking
that I should make the rides harder (go faster, push toward failure),
rather than more frequent. I'm thinking that will help me bulk up
my legs.

(Right now I do about 1:30 moving time on a loop, and 0:05 stopped

time.)

I'm curious to hear other people's strategies. I know every "body"
is different, but I'd like to hear what kind of rides you do when you
go to a daily schedule, and what it does for you.

Thanks.

I can ride every day if I alternate bikes. I have a '97 Homegrown (F/S)
and a '99 Trek recumbent (used only on roads and rail-to-trails).
Mountain biking is more of a full-body workout - much more strenuous.
Taking the 'bent out the next day actually feels like it helps work out
any residual soreness.

Kathleen



Do you find any physical issues occurring in particular if you try to push
it and mountain bike every day?

Yeah. Cumulative fatigue and soreness. If we take a mtb trip, and I
ride hard every day for 4 or 5 days, I can do it, but I *have* to get to
bed early (no staying up late partying), and if I can arrange for an
afternoon siesta, even better. And I've got to eat and drink - no
skipping meals. And by "drink", I mean water, and lots of it. By the
end of it, I'm munching ibuprofen like jelly beans and pretty much
everything hurts. Neck, knees, shoulders. A two or three day rest
period afterwards will pretty much put everything to rights, though.

Back, neck, etc. I have been trying to
switch things up lately and give myself either a day in between, or at least
ride in the morning one day and the evening the next. I think things are
getting better, but I'll have to wait a little longer to say for sure. By
the way, do you know off hand what the starting range is on recumbent
prices. I have a feeling that they are more expensive than I would like,
but that seems like a good idea to get out and ride, while resting my back,
etc--although not nearly as fun.

It's been a while since I've priced 'bents, but you can generally expect
to pay more for a recumbent than you would a comparable spec'd diamond
frame bike. The biggest problem with buying a recumbent is finding a
shop that carries the model you're interested in so you can try them
out. Check out alt.rec.bicycles.recumbents for more info.

Kathleen

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 14:07:07 GMT, higb wrote:

[story of back pain, and daily rides]

I'm curious to hear other people's strategies. I know every "body"
is different, but I'd like to hear what kind of rides you do when you
go to a daily schedule, and what it does for you.


I have recently (past 4 months) been back into the bike riding regime.
My goal is to get to the point that 20+ miles is not a problem. I
have been commuting to and from work each day (14 miles round trip)
and then take off on long excursions on my days off (3 or 4 times a
week). I have been riding bicycles off and on (between medical
problems) for the past 20 or more years.

I have had three back surgeries, and so I do have some back pain, but
it has continued to get less and less. I contribute a lot of the
lessening of the back pain to my losing about 40 pounds since
Thanksgiving (currently at about 230#). My problem seems to be from
all the scar material left in my back. However, my back is not fused,
but it is not very limber anymore either.

I have tried several bicycles, including a 1974 Puegot Touring bike
(which causes me considerable pain on long trips) and my main bike is
a Kona Hahanna (1996 vintage). I choose to ride the Kona because it
is comfortable, it is a rigid with the P2 fork, and no real suspension
other than the tires. I have 2.1 knobbies on a set of good rims for
trails and a long dirt road around a lake that is about 2 1/2 minles
from my house, makes about 14 to 22 miles round trip depending on how
I ride it, and then have 1.75 metro tires on a cheap set of rims for
communting. (I know this sounds a little backward).

I found that for the city commutes, it has helped my back to have the
gearing a little lower than for the ones I use for the trails.

I have also tried to ride a hybrid that my wife owns, and it causes me
a great deal of discomfort due to sitting more in the upright
position. I think that the Mountain bike helps out my back because of
the angle, and the fact that the Mountain bike also fits me quite
well.

I am looking at getting a Full SUspension bike sometime soon, but am
trying to be sure the one I get fits me quite well.

I want to say that I have learned a lot from this groups postings, and
look forward to reading it much more in the future.

Gazmuth

Well, so far, after switching to a riser bar and taking a couple of days
off, my back feels better than ever. In fact, today I rode in the morning
for about 30 minutes (very intense) and then tonight fro about 45 minutes
(moderate intensity), and felt very good but wornout afterwards. My back
feels great, and I am thinking that it is due to the combination of rest,
the riser bar, and strengthening the muscle. Thanks for all the feedback.

A.

"Slacker" wrote in message
...
Well, so far, after switching to a riser bar and taking a couple of days
off, my back feels better than ever. In fact, today I rode in the
morning
for about 30 minutes (very intense) and then tonight fro about 45
minutes
(moderate intensity), and felt very good but wornout afterwards. My
back
feels great, and I am thinking that it is due to the combination of
rest,
the riser bar, and strengthening the muscle. Thanks for all the
feedback.

A.


Cool....see, risers are more than "cool & moto," they're also healthy!
--
Slacker - running a riser and a 25 deg stem

I actually found my back felt better when I LOWERED my bars! I was just in
a position that wasn't great, especially for climbing, so I'd get into a
position with my back low and my hands too high, and it was just painful
after a long ride. I dropped them down about an inch total from the
original height (down to one 5mm spacer, 5 degree stem, and 1" rise bar -
I'm on the small side for the frame, but it flies on fireroad and I'm
getting the hang of it on singletrack), and I'm much better off now. The
ECC on the fork helps with those supersteep climbs, even the technical
ones - the rear moves enough when you hit something that you don't get the
full shock through the frame, so once that fork is lowered, you can just fly
up stuff. I wish it was just a TINY TINY bit smaller, but the medium was
too small, and it felt better than all the other bikes I tried.

Anyway, yeah, enough babbling. Moral: As long as you're in the right
position for you, you'll be comfortable.

Jon Bond