Stem length - pain between shoulder blades

[Ironfist]

Wow, thanks Rudi-h. Will remember that.

[rudi-h]

Wow, thanks Rudi-h. Will remember that.

 

PS I do ride a trail bike with slack geometry, so I'm not saying that 60mm (which you bought) is too long, 60mm is a good length for a marathon bike!

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

The question is ... Are you running any better? :whistling:

LOL. Haven't been able to run this week yet - injured my foot whilst riding at Rhodes Mem on sunday. Back on cleats, stalled on a corner and went down, twisting my foot in the process... Been hobbling all week. 

 

Back on track this weekend 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

PS I do ride a trail bike with slack geometry, so I'm not saying that 60mm (which you bought) is too long, 60mm is a good length for a marathon bike!

HALLELUJAH!!!!

[raptor-22]

So everyone has given you the bikefit advice, I am not going to comment on that.

 

Someone did mention core strength and they are right.

 

No matter what your setup, the fact that it only hurts you with distance of 40km + could point to it being a fatigue thing. I.e the muscle has the ability to do the work to hold you up but not the endurance.

 

The particular muscle that is involved in shoulder stability is called serratus anterior.

 

www.shoulderdoc.co.uk is a great resource to look up some exercises to help strengthen it.

 

Cyclists will train for hours on end but don't want to spend 10min a day doing some rehab. go figure?

 

Burning between the blades is also a symptoms of a tight thoracic spine and potential cervical spine issues. 

 

my 5c worth

 

 

 

Ryan,

 

please don't let your common sense and physio experience distract  a good sales pitch on wide Rapide bars and KCNC stems. really man? How dare you?!

[sdaghers]

Sorry for jumping in on this topic but I've been given a road bike to use for the 947 and the seat & seatpost has been set up correctly but i have been getting a pain in my lower spine after only 20km on each ride for the last few weekends. I'm generally fit and do a lot of core work at gym so I dont think this is the problem.

 

On my MTB im using a 110mm stem and i've never had any issues, on this road bike there is a 80mm stem - could this be the problem? 

 

I can easily swop them over for the race on Sunday but i wanted to check if this would make any difference and take the pain away? 

[BarHugger]

Hahahah BS.

 

Upper pain is a typical symptom of your reach being to long. 

Lower back pain being to short.

 

 

Upper pain is from incorrect bar height......sit on the bike ans if your scapula pulls back you will have guaranteed neck pain running all the way up the neck and further down the shoulders........if the shoulders are curved forwards you will be guaranteed to have shoulder pain extending in to the neck area and even in to the chest....

Lower back can be a multitude of issues often starting with weak core strength......the other big contributor is not enough stretching......especially the hamstrings......

[V12man]

Upper pain is from incorrect bar height......sit on the bike ans if your scapula pulls back you will have guaranteed neck pain running all the way up the neck and further down the shoulders........if the shoulders are curved forwards you will be guaranteed to have shoulder pain extending in to the neck area and even in to the chest....

Lower back can be a multitude of issues often starting with weak core strength......the other big contributor is not enough stretching......especially the hamstrings......

I am of the opinion that a lot of neck/upper back pain is contributed to by visors on helmets - people tend to lift their head a little more to see "under" it and further in front - and this leads to much more neck and shoulder girdle muscle tension.

 

Just an opinion - but worth experimenting with if you have neck/shoulder pain.

[Guest Lancesball]

Reach and / or drop is to long or low. That is a typical upper back pain symptom. Lower back and reach is to short.

[V12man]

Reach and / or drop is to long or low. That is a typical upper back pain symptom. Lower back and reach is to short.

This is just a simplistic (and apparently minimally informed) way of looking at it - there are far more causes of back pain that relate to both medical and fit issues than just reach and drop issues.

 

There is no possible way that one can ascribe lower back pain to a shorter than desirable reach for instance, without taking a full medical history, proper physical examination, doing any requried radiographic (or other) studies and completeing a proper bike fit before commenting on a specific cause.

[Dicky DQ]

Was waiting for this nugget.

 

Kulhavy etc are in a segment where the large majority of effort is expended on the climb, and climbing efficiency and WEIGHT is of maximum importance. A larger frame with shorter stem weighs more than a smaller frame with longer stem.

 

Also, they need to get as far over the front as possible and as low as possible on the climbs, similar to roadies.

 

Also, their technical skills are certainly not lacking, so getting their body positioned right is possible even with the long ass stem placing their weight over the wheel. Plus they know how to counteract that effect.

 

Also, they are not us. Every single measurement is designed to eke out the maximum efficiency on the climbs and flats. Downs are a secondary concern, though still important. Therefore stability and such on the technical bits takes a back seat to weight and climbing ability. Even though you can still climb with a shorter stem. It just requires a change in technique, but you also get a LOT more control. Also, smaller frame = shorter wheelbase = faster directional changes which helps in passing and switchbacks on those technically challenging courses

 

If you want to see someone embracing the new geo trend on the xco circuit, have a look at Florian Vogel and some others.

Whoa there, What you are proposing is the typical quick fix for today's environment. 

1. Get a rigid fork

2. Fit to a hard tail

3. go learn to ride.

4. Then play with the other things.

 

HTFU we are in pansie land these days. 

 

I have 520's on my one mtb and 780's on the other and do you know what? When I am k@k sleg I hurt on them both, but when I am fit I hurt on neither.

 

Yest bike setup is "important", but damn 90% of us are 95% correct before we go to have a bike setup unless you have been farming the interweb. A bike setup only gets you 85% there the other 15% is based on what your personal goals are. so you have to compromize.

 

Anyway, this was a waste of text and time. Flame suite on.

[eddy]

I am of the opinion that a lot of neck/upper back pain is contributed to by visors on helmets - people tend to lift their head a little more to see "under" it and further in front - and this leads to much more neck and shoulder girdle muscle tension. Just an opinion - but worth experimenting with if you have neck/shoulder pain.

I can attest to this.

 

I wear a chapeau under my helmut and if I wear it to far back and I cannot flip the peak up, I am cerain to get a pain in my neck and shoulders whenever I am in the drops as I struggle to see beyond the peak

[BarHugger]

Proper body positioning on the bike is crucial, especially considering the use of specific joints and their range of motion (ROM). Placing or using a specific joint close or near to its maximum ROM limits might contribute to discomfort and pain, where soft tissue (ie muscles, tendon, lgaments) need play more a stability role in order to protect the joints, than for movement. Hyperextending the neck can be due to a inclined upper body postion. People need to.gauge where they feel comfortable and efficient........not what the textbook always say. The difference between technique and style......pro golf players all know the proper technique, but none of them has the same style of play due to various different biomechancial properties. The proper rider setup won't work for me, because the moment the ideal position is achieved my upper thighs start hitting my pens.......and that is just not nice. So had to adapt and condition in an adapted riding posture........think its called the postman posture.

[Goodbadugly]

I am of the opinion that a lot of neck/upper back pain is contributed to by visors on helmets - people tend to lift their head a little more to see "under" it and further in front - and this leads to much more neck and shoulder girdle muscle tension.

 

Just an opinion - but worth experimenting with if you have neck/shoulder pain.

My experience as well.

I ride mtb with a roadie helmet. The peak/visor on a 'mtb helmet' gives me pain in my neck.

[Rick Sanchez]

LOL. Haven't been able to run this week yet - injured my foot whilst riding at Rhodes Mem on sunday. Back on cleats, stalled on a corner and went down, twisting my foot in the process... Been hobbling all week. 

 

Back on track this weekend 

Off topic (sort off), but since you seem to know so much : I am currently running an 80mm stem with 715mm wide bars. Like this setup, but was wondering what difference it would make to go 760mm? same rise and backsweep, just wider. Stem also stays at 80mm for now as I have experimented with shorter and I just prefer the 80mm as a good compromise and I feel comfortable. Riding a 100mm XC Hardtail, and would like to improve my handling a bit more in the technical stuff. Your thoughts?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Off topic (sort off), but since you seem to know so much : I am currently running an 80mm stem with 715mm wide bars. Like this setup, but was wondering what difference it would make to go 760mm? same rise and backsweep, just wider. Stem also stays at 80mm for now as I have experimented with shorter and I just prefer the 80mm as a good compromise and I feel comfortable. Riding a 100mm XC Hardtail, and would like to improve my handling a bit more in the technical stuff. Your thoughts?

It'll make the steering a bit slower due to the longer lever arm, but will also make it more stable at speed and at technical stuff... may be better to pair it with a sliiiightly shorter stem, but going wider will definitely give you more stability