Is Biking a Pain in the Neck?

Cycling Can Cause Neck Pain

Have you ever finished a ride and noticed your neck seemed cramped? Or maybe woke up the next morning with a lot of neck pain? You are not alone. This discomfort and pain can actually be caused by cycling.

Your noggin is a pretty dense, heavy bobble sitting on the top of your neck. Your neck becomes responsible to support the head while under motion, and that is a lot of stress!

All types of biking can trigger pain at the base of the neck. The causes are varied, and there isn’t a large body of research on it. There are a few factors that seem to contribute to neck pain.

Low Bike Positions 

The “attack” position that mountain bikers take, and the aerodynamic position that gravel and road cyclists use both can cause the neck to be held at an awkward angle.

Often these positions cause hyperextension of the vertebra in your neck, which then puts stress on the muscles and nerves, which triggers the pain.

Try relaxing your shoulders and arms while biking, to put less strain on your neck. 

Strengthening the muscles that support the neck can also help with this pain, and maybe even stop it. However, some pain is caused by more than weak muscles, so read on!

Poor Posture on the Bike

I think we all get tired of hearing this, but our core is key to remaining pain free in sports. In cycling specifically, our core is used for stability. If we don’t engage our core, we then put stress on our low back which then can cause pain of the spinal column.

Riders who have weaker core muscles often can have very tight shoulders and upper back muscles, which will lead to misalignment of neck muscles.

An Ill Fitting Bike

If your bike doesn’t fit you well, you will find yourself in less-ideal bike positions. A poorly fitting bike can even cause you to lose core engagement, which then causes some of the problems above.

A properly done bike fit will keep the rider from straining to reach their brakes, and will ideally ensure that the reach and geometry of your bike are perfect for you.

Solutions to Biking Related Neck Pain

Mobilization

Mobilizing the neck and shoulder area before you get your bike will help warm the muscles up and keep things from feeling stiff and frozen. A good warm up will also help you get into a better biking position.

Strengthening

Strengthening your upper back and core muscles can help keep your neck from hyperextension that triggers pain. Core muscle specifically are essential for a good biking position

A Bike Fit

There is nothing like a good bike fit to make sure your bike is actually fitting you. Having pain while biking shouldn’t be accepted or expected–and a bike fit will rule out any fit issues you might not even know you have.

Let us Know!

Try out some of the tips we’ve listed here, and stay tuned for some strengthening and stretching exercises that might help you out.