Jelly Core

[jlnc]

No, this is not a post about donuts...
I bought a new roadbike last week, after riding my FX for about a year.
The first ride on the new Lexa did not go well. I was very sore in my arms, shoulders and lower back. The saddle was horrible. I couldn't wait to get off the bike.
I took it to the LBS on Friday, distraught, thinking I should have gone with the 56 instead of the 58.
The LBS guys put me back up on the trainer on the 58 and re-evaluated the fit (they ended up not changing anything), took some pictures to show me what i looked like on it, explained how I should be positioned, etc.
They then put me on the 56 Lexa, and I could see right away it was too short for me. With the seat at the proper height for my legs, I had to bend way over at the waist to reach the bars.
After some discussion about my general fitness...well, I need to work on my mushy core. :rolleyes:
I got a new saddle (Terry Butterfly), and took it out for another ride today. Things felt better...I think the change from upright hybrid to the road bike was just more than what I was expecting.
Just wondering if others had the same experience when moving from an upright bike to road? How long did it take to get used to it? Tips for strengthening core and lower back muscles?

[Owlie]

Part of the problem may have been the saddle. You'd be amazed how much you move around and shift weight to where it's not supposed in order to protect your girly parts. ;)

Also, I absolutely had sore arms and back when I started. Some of it in my case is certainly a fit issue. (Giant's geometry doesn't seem to work with me.) Some of it was solved with a new saddle (see above), then another new saddle. Much of the rest was solved by just riding. I definitely notice a difference in the level of upper body unhappiness between now and the summer when I was riding at least 20 miles a couple times a week. I was still a little sore if I do long (for me) rides back-to-back (see fit issue).

Yoga's supposed to be good if you do it properly, as are those "core exercises"--I think Bicycling had an article on the subject, and that article is somewhere online.

[jlnc]

Thanks Owlie. I was thinking the same thing about the saddle...that maybe I was holding my body incorrectly to deal with the saddle pain.
I think a lot of it is my fitness level, and am going to dust off my yoga mat, and try to get some basic core work in. With the colder weather/shorter days coming, I won't be able to get too much riding in now.

[Grits]

I had something similar happen when I went to a road bike from a hybrid. I fixed it by having the LBS change the stem to give me slightly more upright position and got a new saddle - although I still haven't found "the one" 4 years out.

[Owlie]

You do realize, jlnc, that I now want a doughnut?
:p:o:rolleyes:

[rubysoho]

You do realize, jlnc, that I now want a doughnut?
:p:o:rolleyes:

me too. But I prefer Bavarian cream to jelly. :p

[Velocivixen]

A simple pose, yet difficult is the "Plank" pose. Do it from hands or elbows. Keep your butt flat. Suck up your abs, keep feet about hip width apart with heels actively pushing toward the back wall. Google this or go to YouTube. It's a yoga pose. Start with holding it for as long as you can then work up from there. Also look up "side plank"- can do from hand or elbow.

[jlnc]

Velo, I was trying Plank yesterday, and it IS difficult! I need to look up the proper way to hold the pose.

[rubysoho]

getting infront of a mirror is important if you can't work with a trainer. There should be a straight line from shoulder to your heel (obviously angled). The biggest mistake is dropping the hips too much which puts a ton of stress on the lower back. Keep your palms squared under your shoulders and keep your neck relaxed. It is better to hold it for a shorter amount of time using proper form than a long amount of time with incorrect form.

I love plank and side plank. :D

[marni]

A simple pose, yet difficult is the "Plank" pose. Do it from hands or elbows. Keep your butt flat. Suck up your abs, keep feet about hip width apart with heels actively pushing toward the back wall. Google this or go to YouTube. It's a yoga pose. Start with holding it for as long as you can then work up from there. Also look up "side plank"- can do from hand or elbow.

and add one legged planks, and for a real challenge, planks on a bosu board or exercise ball.

have fun in a twisted sort of way.

marni

[Miranda]

I hope your new bike does fit you and is the correct frame size.

My first road bike was an ill fitting mess that was two frame sizes too big for me. Sold to me by the lbs. Only good thing about that situation is that is how I found TE- looking for help.

There are many options with the bars and stem that can help dial in your fit. For different types of riding, I have my bikes set up differently. I also find that when I have been riding one bike more than the others it feels a little weird switching it up.

There is nothing wrong with having your bars higher up on a roadie. Even if you start out with your set up higher maybe you eventually lower it as your body adjusts. Just some food for thought.

Good Luck.

[indysteel]

Try this plank variation, too. Get into a wide legged plank on your elbows. Then lift one arm while keeping your hips level. Hold for a few seconds. Repeat with you other arm.

[jlnc]

Ummm, Indy, I can barely do a regular plank, never mind pick up one arm! :) Hence, my troubles on the bike!
Miranda, I think the fit is correct. The 56 was too small.
The LBS was really good about rechecking the fit. They advised that they can do things like change the stem, raise the bars, etc, but that I should spend some more time riding and getting accustomed to the bike and new position. If, after some time on the bike, I am still uncomfortable, then we can start tweaking. Today was already better than the first ride.
Also, I started doing Weight Watchers again, so hopefully taking some weight off will help. No more donuts!!!

[Velocivixen]

Jlnc, I have lost over 100 pounds with Weight Watcher's and this December will be my two year anniversary of reaching my goal weight. I used to be extremely sedentary and now the folks at the gym refer to me as "a machine". You can do it. The program will be getting an "update" early December so watch for that.

[jlnc]

Wow, that is wonderful Velo!
I lost about 38 lbs on WW over a 2 year period, and was about 15 lbs away from goal. I got a bit derailed when they moved to the new program last year and hit a plateau. Over this past summer, I basically stopped going to meetings, stopped counting pts, tracking, etc. and I gained 11 lbs. I just started going back, and am feeling good about it, and definitely encouraged after hearing your results! Do you still go to meetings?
Another program change though...ugh...any ideas of what it is?

[bluebug32]

I'm really good at hammering away on my bike, but neglecting my core. A friend lent me some dvds and I really like this cycling coach's functional approach to core strength and cycling-specific yoga.

http://cyclo-core.com/

He also has 12-week offseason training plans, but just check out Cyclo-core and Cyclo-zen.