[Closed] Lower back pain - full suspension or rigid SS?

Have you maxed out your current bikes' rear tyre width; reduced tyre pressures; reduced stem reach; raised bars; fitted carbon seat post and bars etc.?

My lower back muscles were a mess after going "twang" back in 2008, I had to stop riding my old aggressive geo road bike for fear of sciatica attacks, while I became completely dependent upon using a Homedics shiatsu massage machine a good 6+ times a day while at home.

But around spring 2017 IIRC, suddenly my lower back became much happier, not long after I started doing frequent (almost daily) 1-3 hour rides, initially on my fatbike (back then I used the fat wheelset much more often) and later on my then new endurance geo road bike. Around that same time, I went through a phase of doing regular core exercises (variations on the bridge; the plank; Superman).

Changing the road bike tyres to 28mm GP4000D IIs (which are really ~31mm wide) from 25mm Grand Sport Races and fitting https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/SPSEDEHM/selcof-delta-hm-carbon-seat-post further improved my back's comfort.
Fatbike got a "chewy" version of https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HBOOKNUCK/on-one-knuckleball-carbon-handlebar

I still get the odd day where my lower back is a bit sore, but nothing like the chronic pain I had for ~9 years, think the massage machine has been used less than ten times since summer 2017.

You can stand up on a FS. Do you have lock outs?

I always seem to get back issues In the early part of the year after a couple of months singlespeeding. Stuck with gears this winter and no back issues (touch wood). Maybe coincidence maybe not.

I don’t think any bike riding is good for your back, apart from maybe trials or dirt jumping if you never crash badly. So it’s a question of what other stuff you do to mitigate the postural issues and tight hamstrings that cycling tends to cause. Do you do any strength training and and/or mobility work?

I ride FS... I have issues with my sacrum if I don't keep on top of it , cycling keeps my core in good condition and I follow Abi Carvers' yoga for lower back pain in mountain bikers. The combination works for me .
I changed from hardtail to FS , that also helped.

Don't have those issues.

But: to minimize accelerations of the back is a good idea so.

If you go the hardtail route: there is this fantastic "Cane Creek Thudbuster LT" thing around. Not cheap so. If the trails aren't too rough this device reduces the load peaks onto your back "nearly like an full suspension bike".

I've used a ThudBuster for 20 years or so, brilliant, never felt the need for full sus. (Even with a disk bulge on L5, if you want to count that as fatigue.)

^^ amazingly, the SAME one. They last well, and are serviceable. I just move mine from bike to bike.

I’ve used a ThudBuster for 20 years or so, brilliant, never felt the need for full sus.

Yes - loved mine as well.
But bike my hardtail now without the ThudBuster unit - simply because I can't push the saddle down enough for steep downhill stuff (standover of the bike is quite high).

But beside this: fantastic design!

I find xc rides really use your lower back ( on a hard tail anyway). DH uses the upper body more and core strength more imho. I am lucky as I have been doing deadlifts ( correctly ) for years before mtbing but I wouldn't say mtbing is bad for your back, it's just you need core strength really. Get medical opinons though if you have a condition. Some time in a gym would benefit your riding massively, if you can do that.

Thanks for your opinions and help!

I've changed the tyre width, and seat position on all off my bikes. I had a Cannondale Synapse for road (group) riding, training and a Soma Wolverine for gravel riding.

I've not been on real trails in these days, and I miss XC biking, even racing. I'm about to rebuild my singlespeed mtb, or buy a full suspension mtb. Maybe I try to compare apples and oranges, but I'd like to find out which way is better to my back.

Anyway, I have a reasonably well core strength, with limited flexibility and some medical problems in my lower back. (It's much more better, than a few years ago when I abandoned racing because of it.)

If anyone has back exercise recommendations I'm all ears - I've been suffering from a tightening left shoulder/neck for 3 years now, and have lower / mid back pain which grows the more I ride.  It doesn't matter which bike.

I saw a physio, then moved to an osteopath...   It does get better when I do cat stretches and lying on my back knees to chest, but I really want rid of it.

I’ve found that back pain for me is more about my position on the bike - how well the bike fits and how well it can be adjusted.

Other than that it’s been very much to do with my core strength, flexibility and general fitness at the time. This has more of an impact for me than FS vs. Hardtail.

Bizarrely though, I do find that the ability of a hardtail frame to damp vibration makes a significant difference.

Kryton, try looking on pinkbike for yoga by Abi. You may have to do some digging though as she was a regular a while back with good mtb exercise videos for strength and flexibility ( I think ). I have never done this but I've heard good things about it.

Thanks trumpton, will do.