Chronic neck problems - should I get a new bike?

[kaian]

Ever since I started cycling about 3 years ago, I have had neck problems. The first bike I bought ended up being too big, so I got a Trek 1000 43cm. The 43 felt a little small and I wanted to upgrade, so I went with a 47cm Trek 1500 WSD a year later. I was professionally fitted by a well known fitter in MI on this bike. He fit me conservatively with a stem with a nice upright angle on it. My neck problems went away for a while, but then seem to come back randomly. Sometimes I feel great on the bike (did 2 centuries last summer), but then other times it will flare up and bother me for a month or longer. It is very strange. I am a very flexible person in general and again, my bike is set-up conservatively. I am scheduled to start PT for my neck for the second time in 2 years, but I can't help but wonder if I should change something about my cycling since this seems to be the thing that has sparked the issue. Doctors have not found anything wrong with me and so it gets classified as "overuse". I don't overtrain and I increase mileage/intensity at a reasonable pace.

I was thinking that maybe I should get a more upright bike??? The 1500 is more a race geometry afterall and I was wondering if a flat bar road bike or something like the Trek Pilot would solve my problems.

Anyone have experience with something similar?

[mimitabby]

Don't forget to do OTHER exercises and stretches, not just bike rides.
Bike riding doesn't work all your muscles so some muscles might be compensating for others and, well, hurting.
Core exercises are good.

And take the bike back to whoever was the last professional fit you had.

but if you want a new bike... by all means... really, you should look into
the core and stretches.

[kaian]

Oh, I do other exerices. My workout plan for a long time has been biking 3 times a week, upper body weights and core 2-3 times a week. I actually have a pretty strong back and have a decent core - I make sure to target both my lower back and abs as well as the sides of my torso. I am actually in really decent shape. I am the weight I should be and am fairly muscular. I was also doing the neck and upper back exercises I learned in PT a while ago at least twice a week.

I don't think it's a lack of strength somewhere. I really think it has to do with the straining or the hyper-extension of my neck. When this came about this time around, I was right in the midst of my regular workouts and it just came out of nowhere. Initially, my first hypothesis was that it was due to my teeth clenching when I sleep. I wear a bite guard every night, but that doesn't seem to stop the clenching. I've tried muscle relaxers and that doesn't seem to work. But still, it's weird that the neck problems seem to have started when I began cycling.

[MomOnBike]

If you do decide to look at other bikes, a recumbent might be what you need. Depending on how laid-back the bike is, your head/neck can be in a pretty neutral position. And the right 'bents are speedy (and can be spendy).

I like mine, am planning on riding RAGBRAI this year on it, in fact. It's something to consider.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I think today's common handlebar-lower-than-seat geometry is really designed for racing and may not put you in the best neck position for long distance riding and centuries.
If i were you I would look into touring bikes. They are designed to keep you comfortable over long distances. Rivendell bikes are one example (like my bike), but there are other brands.
I do not think straight bars are comfortable for riding centuries. You cannot change your hand positions around hour after hour of riding. Hybrid bikes tend to have you completely upright, which might not be good for long distances either- lots of weight straight down your spine onto your seat, instead of distributed. Touring bikes are road bikes built for more distance comfort and they usually can take a variety of tire widths to make dirt/gravel roads do-able too.
Just my two cents.

[farrellcollie]

have you tried a stem riser or something like this handlebar adapter http://www.yellowjersey.org/ax50.html or a combination? I use the adapter and a friend of mine uses the riser and the adapter on her Trek road bike (she has had several neck/back surgeries for some disc problem) - it was set up for her by her lbs. The adapter brings the handlebars in closer. I use it for a bad wrist and elbow. The combination has let my friend keep using her bike - which she really liked and did not want to change.

I tried a straight bar bike and it was uncomfortable to me. To make it work (and my problem is my arm - not neck so this may not be applicable) I would have put on north bars.

Just a thought - although the new bike thing is nice too.