My neck hurts when I’m in my bars after about 2.5 hours. It doesn’t feel great before then but it starts to get unbearable around then.
I know it’s mostly positional but I can’t be up any higher than I am now :).
I do have a long skinny neck and a giant head, I was wondering if there were some good exercises to build that part of the next up so it doesn’t hurt so much.
Thanks!
-Nate
well, strippers tend to have that affect on people.
Maybe try visiting them at hour long increments, or sitting on a higher stool.
I have the same problem if I don’t change position on the bar stool often enough!
LOL! Well played to you and Zipp 
I was wondering if there were some good exercises to build that part of the next up so it doesn’t hurt so much.
Yep … riding a lot in the aero position. I’m only half messin’ with ya. How long have you been at it? A week? A month? If you’re just getting started trying to push the time on the bike to longer rides, give yourself a few weeks to adapt and for the muscles to strengthen. If you’ve been at it for a month already and you’re still having unbearable pain, I think you need to have someone look at your fit.
One mental exercise I used to do that helped me push through the sore neck thing and get past it was focusing on relaxing those very muscles that were the most sore (while still holding my aero position). Also, little things count a lot. Is the front of your helmet getting in the way? Tighten it down at the back of your head to keep it tipped back a bit more. Are you you straining to see beneath the top frame of your glasses? But some frameless glasses (Tifosi makes a really nice pair that aren’t too expensive at all).
It’s normal to go through some pain while you’re adapting and lengthening your rides. But if it persists and you can’t get beyond it after a few weeks, seek professional help (with the fit).
Good luck,
.
two and a half hours isn’t bad!
do you wear sunglasses? are they frameless at the top?
work on rolling your eyes up more and keeping the head down more?
I’ve been at it for a year :). I’ve seen two fitters during that time. I just raised my bars and that helped…I ran out of spacers now.
I agree that I just need to spend some more time in that position to build those muscles up. I was just wondering if I could do any gym exercises in between sessions. I think that relax thing helps too, but I always forget until it’s too late. I also notice I look up more the faster I’m going. Most of the time I kinda “sight” and look sorta ahead then look really ahead every 5 seconds or so.
I wear a LG rocket air helmet and I just got the tinted wind shield so I don’t have to wear sunglasses. Before the frame was totally getting in the way.
My last fitter gave me an 18cm drop. That was a little much for me. I feel a lot better than I did before but I’m doing CdA this year and had a really painful 3.5 hour ride. I have been doing most of my long rides (actually all of them) on my road bike so I guess it’s time to start using my TT bike.
Har Har to all the bar jokes :), you guys sound like my dad!
-Nate
I might be your father Nate.
i had the same problem and just got used to it after a while
.
Back to your original question. If you are familiar with “plank” - a core exercise. In addition to focusing on holding your back straight, make sure you lift your head, look straight ahead, and hold that position.
hmmm…I’m 6’6, are you tall?
Maybe if you’re fast you can be my dad.
Isn’t CdA a pretty hilly course? That should help. My one IM bike leg was hilly for about the first 2/3, so I was only stuck in the Grim Death aero position facing into the wind on the flats for about the last 30-40 miles, which was bad enough, but I definitely felt the difference being able to sit up or even occasionally stand on the uphills earlier on to relieve the strain without having to pay the full aero penalty.
Yah, good point. I’m counting on sitting up on some of those hills. I would rather feel comfortable the whole time though :).
I’m doing New Orleans 70.3 in a few weeks and that is completely flat. I’m hoping I can go under 2:30 so my neck doesn’t hurt :).
No gym exercises though? I have small traps, maybe some trap stuff?
The current issue of Bicycling mag addresses this and shows some exercises to do for this. No idea if they work or not.
And what are these? I don’t get Bicycling Mag.
Have you tried a chiropractor?
No I have not. It seems to be muscular related but I’d be willing to try it. Would a chiropractor help in this situation? Does anyone have any personal experience in this area with a chiropractor?
Do you look up the entire time you’re riding or do you continually look down to relax the neck? Unless the race course is incredibly crowded you should be able to spend more time looking down than up…catching a glance a lot like you catch a breath when swimming.
For training rides that I do on my race bike I get out in the middle of nowhere to ride solo so that safety isn’t an issue.
I had a friend who is a PT adjust my neck during a long ride - he mentioned there is not a lot of movement so perhaps a little more space between the joints would help. My problem felt like a pinching -hurt like heck!
After he adjusted me it was 50% better for the last hour of the ride.
Is it your neck or your trapezius muscles? The reason I ask is that I had problems with my traps getting extremely sore and tired at that 2 hour mark. I posted here, and Dan Empfield suggested that I shorten my cockpit a touch. I put on a shorter stem and the problem went away virtually overnight. I was stretched out a bit too far so my muscles had to work harder than needed to support me. It may or may not apply to you, but I figured I would tell my experience.