So I don't have much financial flexibility rn. Not able to afford a car rn, abysmal public transportation that doesn't even take me to where I work. So I've been trying out other ways of getting around. I also kind of hate cars and car dependence so honestly I'm kind of glad that I've been forced to try to get around other ways.
I have some kind of hybrid road bike that I've been riding on and off for the past 4 years. I'm not sure what happened–the first couple months I had the bike I was riding a ton and felt really comfortable on there and fast but then the bike shop made some adjustment (they fixed something unsafe I had done i think with either my handle bar or saddle stem being too far out) and since then it's been hard to feel comfortable on the bike and i would just take it out for a spin every now and then making adjustments to try and see if I could get into a groove but that never happened.
Got an e-scooter last winter. I did have a nasty fall from being super bone-headed a couple months into riding, so idk I might have lost my right to criticize them lol but also like I've been riding since and I think they're generally a ridiculous and unsafe way to get around.
Lol but my bitterness abt escooters rn isn't really the point rn. 6-7 months into riding around 750 miles… my feet are killing me especially my left foot (I ride regular not goofy). Never had feet problems before. I'm certain it's the scooter. Its also a decent model ninebot max g2 w front and back suspension.
Anyway I'm like I'll start riding again… and I had the cash to spring for an actual fitting. Got a rear rack installed too finally to not have things on my back. But everytime I ride my back doesn't feel good. it's been abt 3 wks now. I've been easing into it too… instead of using my scooter as much I'll bike to the park a few times/wk, or ride to get my groceries instead. Not on the drop bars either.
And idk I'm also not in bad shape. I exercise pretty much everyday, do a lot of lower body mobility stuff and my cardio is decent enough that I was able to handle an 8 mile round trip really well I know that's a really shirt trip but it's kicked my ass in the past lol. This is my commute to work btw. And the first 3 miles I was actually shocked by how good I was feeling… but literally like a minute later around when I had to take a bridge the discomfort was triggered. And the day i had my part of a good ride i had done a pretty thorough warm up.
The past few weeks I've been way more aware of my back in a way that is kind of distressing. Not crazy pain but just discomfort, aching. No issues sleeping or functioning otherwise besides feeling kind of stiff and fragile.
I've seen that there are exercises you can do to help with some of this and I found a program for back health that I'm looking forward to trying whether or not I keep riding (Low back ability on yt). The program is definitely presenting me with options to train areas that I don't do consistently at all. Also just that if I'm riding more it might just be I'm adjusting.
But as I try to figure out things to try, my plan of alternating between scooter and my bike as o incorporate these new exercises… feels daunting even infeasible. Got off work not too long ago and the discomfort in my feet is getting worse and worse; like I thought I thought i had at least another week before the sprained ankle feeling came back but it hit me today.
Didn't really ride much this week on bike. But popped over to the grocery store not even 1/3 mile away from my house and back just felt bad.
But yeah… just not sure which way to pivot. No one on the internet can tell me what my body is feeling or how it will change. Feeling like I'm trapped rn b/w modes of transportation that are causing my body to break down in different ways.
To shift out of complaining a bit… an obvious fix is just to get to riding in a more upright position. I asked my bike tech abt that during the fit and he got me as upright on my style of bike as he could. Idk maybe I could press more on this.
Also, yeah, selling the scooter is in motion btw. Not getting nibbles so far but I will eventually have the couple hundred dollars that if necessary could help me buy a different bike in a couple weeks. Scooter has to get sold regardless.
But I guess the tldr is:
Is there anyway to know in advance if I should invest the time in exercises to strengthen my back and core that will make riding my current bike enjoyable or should I just focus on getting the resources together to get a less physically challenging (more upright) style of bike? Do I just need to keep riding? How much time on the bike do I need to determine if the fitting I had was good?
Or just get a different job that I can walk to lol
by 2ndhandemotions
3 Comments
Did you seek any medical attention when you crashed the escooter?
If you can share a picture of your current bike setup we might be able to offer suggestions of how to get it more upright. There are so many combinations of stems and handlebars that im sure something can get you more upright
I am not an expert, just someone who has worked through some of these things. YMMV
If you go the exercise route, strengthen your core. That’s likely to take stress off of your back. (And tends to help everything).
Look at your hamstring flexibility. On the bike you should hinge forward from the hips keeping your back in neutral alignment. If your hamstrings are too tight, you’ll be bending your back too much and that’s bad for it.
A really great controlled stretch is to hinge over your bed (or a chair or couch) legs straight and pull backwards with your hips. It’ll get deep into your hamstrings & glutes & is easy to control the sensation. (I can touch the ground in a forward bend and still like this stretch.) It’s a great stretch to do before bed.
Hip circles & gentle dynamic twists (be careful if you think you might have disc issues ) can really help, too.
When riding, also make sure you’re keeping your shoulders down. Think about your shoulder blades as though they were angel wings, & keep them wrapped on your body and gently moving down. I find that engages my core & keeps my traps from engaging (which can cause a headache for me—these are the muscles on top of your shoulders).
I hope you find something that works for you!