Newbie with Sore Shoulders

[Ana]

Stand up. Bend over about 90 degrees at the waist. Let your arms hang down, and your head hang down, and let gravity pull them down, but don't bend MORE than 90 degrees (use your stomach to keep you there).

That's about what you want to feel like most of the time on your bike, at least when you're cruising (you have to use more upper body when you're climbing, sprinting, pulling into the wind, etc).

So you are primarily keeping your body up with your stomach, not your arms. Try riding as low as you can in your drops, with your elbows bent 90 degrees. Notice how in that position, you can't use your upper body nearly as much to support you, you have to rely much more on your core. That's the feeling you want to aim for when you're chilling on the hoods too.

Wonderful! Thank you so much for this.

I, too, am a failure at relaxing the shoulders...I find myself consumed by it and completely forget to enjoy my ride I'm still working on the shoulders. Ideally, they are relaxed and pushed down?

Does anyone have any tricks to learn to keep their shoulders relaxed?

[PamNY]

Does anyone have any tricks to learn to keep their shoulders relaxed?

Yoga helped me learn what relaxation feels like. I just do yoga DVDs, not even classes, but I am able to use it in real life and it helps.

Pam