Managing Neck Pain
Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 1:49 am
When I rediscovered cycling about 12 months ago, I was plagued by neck strain after riding only a few hundred metres. At around the 30 km mark the strain was a problem that couldn't be solved by mere stretching. It limited my range.
Then I discovered that with the seat correctly positioned, I felt that I was reaching just a tad too far forward when gripping the handlebars. My arms were slightly over extended. Consequently any shock from the front wheel was being transmitted through my wrists, elbows and shoulders to my neck.
Two weeks ago I replaced my 150mm headset for a 100 mm headset. Bingo! No more more neck problems, even when riding in the drop position. My range doubled overnight. Shortening the headset transferred some of the load from my hands and arms to my lower back muscles. I can now ride with "soft hands" and relaxed arms & shoulders.
Obviously this solution won't be appropriate for everyone. Always check with you GP or physio if you suffer from neck pain. There's also a lot of sense in having a proper "bike fit" done.
Previously I trawled the net to investigate causes for neck pain while cycling. I didn't find anything about the length of the headset as being a contributing factor, so I thought I'd post here in case any one else was having the same problem.
Then I discovered that with the seat correctly positioned, I felt that I was reaching just a tad too far forward when gripping the handlebars. My arms were slightly over extended. Consequently any shock from the front wheel was being transmitted through my wrists, elbows and shoulders to my neck.
Two weeks ago I replaced my 150mm headset for a 100 mm headset. Bingo! No more more neck problems, even when riding in the drop position. My range doubled overnight. Shortening the headset transferred some of the load from my hands and arms to my lower back muscles. I can now ride with "soft hands" and relaxed arms & shoulders.
Obviously this solution won't be appropriate for everyone. Always check with you GP or physio if you suffer from neck pain. There's also a lot of sense in having a proper "bike fit" done.
Previously I trawled the net to investigate causes for neck pain while cycling. I didn't find anything about the length of the headset as being a contributing factor, so I thought I'd post here in case any one else was having the same problem.
