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Since riding a road / cx bike for all of 3 months..I've had all sorts of pains, aches and niggles.
Is it just par for the course? Even riding is a semi enjoyable pain of burning legs and gasping like a fish flung onto a riverbank. My wallet is in a world of pain too from buying superhero outfits.
My ankle hurts but is getting better (leg length discrepancy of about 15mm), my knee is hurting (i suspect it's my itb or my seat is too low from a bike fit), my glutes ache, my hamstrings feel like they could do with replacements, my wrist aches from my last big off on my mtb over a year ago.
I actually quite like road riding until the day after.. when stuff hurts.
Is it a case of perseverance and fine tuning my seat position and cleats or does road cycling = pain.
I've just ordered an eva foam roller to give myself a bit more torture.
Keep fettleing your position and you'll get there eventually, doing some stretching to help your flexability will help as well, also some core work in the gym or at home. But the pain when riding, gasping for breath/burning legs, is half the fun 😈
Leg length discrepancy sound like it needs pro advice/set up.
Ditto knee/ITB issue.
Hamstrings/glutes - stretching/foam roller
Wrists - nothing to do with bike.
[i]Road cycling is just pain..[/i]
It's not [i]just[/i] pain! There's the boredom and irritation factors too.
My neck/shoulders ache more on road rides. The lower head position coupled with wearing glasses, means it's getting very stiff.
CX offroad is definitely rattling on the wrists/ankles too. We've obviously become too reliant on big tyres/suspension 🙂
Doesn't seem to last though thankfully.
[i]There's the boredom and irritation factors too.[/i]
The boredom gives plenty of time to think about what van you should get for your bikes and wish there were magazines that covered such a niche requirement in detail.
Now you're being irritating
After an enforced prolonged spell of road riding over the winter, I found I was a bit weaker in some areas because of lack of mtbing. You'd do well to mix it up with mtb rides, and you'll feel a bit stronger from being in different positions and using your core more. Now i've been doing a lot more mtbing again because of the weather, my road riding is so much better. I think mtbing is very beneficial to road riding - if that's your priority.
Obviously fettling position as above is important to do to be comfortable. Is your saddle and bar tape comfortable?
My neck/shoulders ache more on road rides.
Road riding isn't painful, apart from the obvious leg pain 😉 your position is wrong! Handlebars too low and in the wrong position. Don't blame the bike for fitting issues
I think mtbing is very beneficial to road riding - if that's your priority.
Definitely. Just ask Phil Liggett.
Keep fettleing your position and you'll get there eventually <<<[b]this[/b]
or
Just give up and stick to MTBs 🙂
Pain
Killers
I hate to say it but lift your stem up or rise it (yuch!) Drop or indeed higher your saddle by 3-5mm at a time each time you go out, you'll settle soon enough, once you get used to it you can slam the stem again.
Pain
Killers 😉
Oh.. forgot to mention my stomach/pelvic floor core muscles ache from the exercises my physio gave me.
I'm turning into a right dour whinge bag.. I'll be ignoring mtbers on the road before I know it.
Road cyclists always need to take more care over bike setup because they spend longer periods of time in the saddle.
You would benefit from a proper bike fit session. If in the NW I would recommend NJD Sports Injury Clinic in Clitheroe, Nick is obsessive about muscular-skeletal issues and bike fit.
This is normal and to be embraced 🙂Even riding is a semi enjoyable pain of burning legs and gasping like a fish flung onto a riverbank.
Everything else is fixable IMO by either fine tuning position or exercises off the bike (in terms of increasing flexibility, etc)
I've had a bike fit about 2 weeks ago. I'm scheduled to go back as he wanted to make some initial adjustments due to my leg length discrepancies (shimmed cleat). My seat does feel to low but have done a few rides with it at the height they put it at.. I suspect it's why the front and side of my knee feels sore.