Hi all,

Let me start by saying that I have been lurking on the forum for a month or so. I absolutely love it. My husband actually found the forum and sent me a link. Now I'm an avid reader and am learning so much.

I have a Trek hybrid 7100. I started riding last August and rode until November until I started having a little back/hip pain. In February, I had major hip/lower back pain. The doc x-rayed and said I have "wear and tear" between the 3rd, 4th, and 5th vertebrae and sent me to physical therapy (taking Alleve and some muscle relaxers to help the pain.) After about a month or so, the back/hip pain was better. In May, I decide to get back on my back. I rode about 30 minutes, and the next day, I could barely walk--the hip/back pain was back.

After about two weeks in the early part of June, the pain was enough better that I could try the bike again. I started on very slow and short rides and had managed to work up to riding 30-40 minutes, depending on how hot it was outside.

I finally decided to raise the stakes and lengthen my ride. Also on that day, I had been testing out the Trek fx bikes, so I was more leaned over. The next day, my hip/back hurt so badly that I could barely walk. It's been a couple of weeks now, no bike riding, and I'm still hurting. The pain is usually centered on my lower back, but the pain radiates out to my outer hips and sometimes the muscles on the outsides of my hips.

Any advice on whether I'm having back/vertebrae problems causing the pains or whether my saddle height and bike riding style are really the root cause of the pains? I can't figure out if it was the being leaned over testing out the bikes or the longer bike ride that has caused this flare up or maybe it is how I am seated.

(Let me also note that my pituitary doesn't "put out" as it is supposed to, and I have started taking human growth hormone injections in March. It has really helped my ability to exercise and not be drop dead tired all the time.)

Any advice or experience from you girls is really welcome to me. I really miss riding my bike and want to get back out there on it.

Thanks!
VeeVee