Lower back pain survivors???

[darclabed]

I'm wondering if there is anyone out there with an encouraging story for those of us that have sidelined our touring dreams due to chronic lower back pain. I had a long cycling tour planned for this spring but have had to put the plan on hold because my back is killing me. I continue to ride but it's not fun. Anyone out there that has overcome this problem to go onto a cross country tour???

[alfonso]

Alas. The only conclusion I've reached after a lifetime of lower back pain is that every back is different. I've found that regular cycling keeps my back in pretty good condition. I'm sure that others have exactly the opposite experience.

Very best wishes and good luck, darclabed. Wish I could be of more help.

[Sailariel]

Lower back pain is not terribly unusual. One of the biggest culprits is an improperly fitted bike. There are shops that have fitting programs and a fitting can cost between $50 and $100. Bring your bike, shorts, and shoes. I had my bike fitted this past spring and the difference was phenomenal. The adjustments seemed miniscule, but the results spoke for themselves. My back stopped hurting. Good luck.

[BrianCM]

Lower back pain? Sure!  Last year I was on the floor for two months, and spent another month recovering.  Believe me, not fun!  My doctor was contemplating surgery, but was hoping to not have to do it.

Anyways, I have found that riding a recumbent does not hurt my back.  My regular bike, a Giant Sedona which has been tweaked to be perfect for me, can mess me up if my back is hurting even a little.  But on the recumbent, I always feel fine.

My recumbent is a Burley Nasoke.  Burley is only making trailers now, but there are lots of other manufacturers.  On bentrideronline.com, there have been numerous testimonials about recumbents helping back pain sufferers.  Find a dealer, and give a recumbent a spin!

[rootchopper]

You really owe it to yourself to try a recumbent bike. I had back problems for years while riding a succession of conventional bikes. Finally I blew out a disk and had surgery.  A few years later I gave in and bought a recumbent, a Tour Easy which is ideally suited for long distance touring.  Yes, they look a bit odd but do they ever get the job done.  I have over 20,000 miles on my Tour Easy in four years.  
 

[litespeed]

As a lifetimne backache sufferer I am able to get rid of ALL back pain by doing 100 slow crunches once a day. It builds up the stomach muscles which are the key to avoiding backaches.
You lie on your back with knees forming a pyramid and hands behind your head. Slowly lift your shoulderblades off the ground twisting alternatively to the left and right and slowly recline. Do it at your normal breathing rate - breathe out while raising and in while going back. It's a lot harder than it sounds but if you're in halfway decent shape you should be up to 100 within a couple of days.
This takes a fair amount of self discipline. Frankly, I haven't done it much in the past few years but bicycling, for some reason, doesn't bother my back.

[TheDaltonBoys]

Also keep in mind that different bikes are fitted different ways....road bikes for racing, touring bikes for touring (more upright), and believe it or not seat to crank distance is different to a certain extent, on a recumbent than on an upright. I can hurt myself on my recumbent (Tadpole Trike), if I pull back too hard, and pulling too hard on one side as opposed to the other. Comment on stomach muscles so very appropriate....I can win the legs contest in the "Masters" class or the pony keg stomach contest in any age group. Enjoy the journey....Mark of the Dalton Boys