HIDDEN CAUSE OF BACK & NECK PAIN IN CYCLING: HOW TO BEAT IT | RDMN CLIPS

Back and neck pain while cycling is usually caused by two things: lacking flexibility and riding in a position that's too long and too low. We dive into how bar height, core strength, and bike fit work together to eliminate numbness and pain — and why comfort and speed aren't opposing forces, they're partners.

Key Takeaways

• A 45-degree torso angle is the sweet spot that distributes weight evenly across saddle, feet, and hands while letting your core do the stabilising work
• Hand numbness comes from too much weight on the bars combined with road vibration — fix it with higher bars, stronger core, carbon handlebar material, and proper glove padding
• Wind tunnel positions optimised for speed need real-world testing on the track and road; a position you can hold for 5 minutes in a lab won't work for hours on the road
• Comfort and speed go hand in hand — riders who are comfortable in their position actually perform better, not worse
• Automated bike fit apps are improving but most only capture side-view data; the front view (Z-plane) is crucial for knee, hip, and foot alignment and still requires human interpretation

Expert Quotes

"Comfort equal speed. If you put yourself in a position you can't hold, you're not going to go fast."

"It's a three-step process: the fit lab, the physiology lab, the velodrome, the road. That position is going to migrate to the one that's actually usable when you pin on a number."

"Core strength for cyclists man — never give up on core strength."