Saddle angle cause of lower back pain?

[jcs7282]

Title pretty much says it all - can saddle angle cause back pain?

Rode today after having the angle on my saddle raised slightly, since I felt like I had been sliding off the front. Never had any lower back pain while riding, ever, period. But today, during a 45mi ride, I had some lower back pain/aching after a while on the saddle. Nothing acute or severe, but definitely unpleasant.

Any thoughts? Maybe I better revert to the old saddle setting...

[charliedid]

Title pretty much says it all - can saddle angle cause back pain?

Rode today after having the angle on my saddle raised slightly, since I felt like I had been sliding off the front. Never had any lower back pain while riding, ever, period. But today, during a 45mi ride, I had some lower back pain/aching after a while on the saddle. Nothing acute or severe, but definitely unpleasant.

Any thoughts? Maybe I better revert to the old saddle setting...

Tilting the angle up can certainly tuck your pelvis under and then rounding out your lumbar.

Which saddle?

[jcs7282]

Which saddle?

It's a Brooks C13 carved.

[charliedid]

It's a Brooks C13 carved.

Yeah, those need that nose up deal to be comfy. Remember when you nose the saddle up you just lowered you saddle height. Did you try raising it a smidge after?

[wc1934]

Yeah, those need that nose up deal to be comfy. Remember when you nose the saddle up you just lowered you saddle height. Did you try raising it a smidge after?
excellent point!

[macaroon]

Saddle is probably too high; sliding off the front could suggest so.
I'd try lowering it before raising it.

[MattTuck]

If I have learned one thing, it is that the root cause of back pain is usually related to weak core, hip inflexibility or hamstring/glute weakness.

Yes, a new position might expose some of those issues, and put you outside of your range of motion for some tissue.

[cachagua]

Never had any lower back pain while riding, ever, period. But today, during a 45mi ride, I had some lower back pain/aching after a while...



All good comments so far, but I've had to teach myself to wait for a pattern, instead of reacting to a single ride. So many factors affect how ya feel on any given day, and I've fooled myself a few times into thinking XYZ was wrong when in reality I'd just slept funny or gardened or something.

(E.g. came home yesterday feeling like my bars must be all wrong, all this aching in my mid-back, lats... don't usually overwork my lats on a road ride??? Wasn't 'til midday today that I remembered I'd had my flu shot earlier in the week.)

Consider giving it a few more days... although checking what you've done to the height isn't a bad idea.

[jcs7282]

Thanks all.

If anything I had the sensation of the saddle being too high after the angle was raised. The thought of lowering the height a smidge crossed my mind but figured I'd ask the group before doing anything. I like the way the angle felt, other than the back discomfort, of course.

[charliedid]

Saddle is probably too high; sliding off the front could suggest so.
I'd try lowering it before raising it.

I disagree :)

Certainly a slight too high saddle can make you feel less planted and forward but...

For many (most) people if you run that C13 saddle "level" front to back the kick up will roll your pelvis forward making you fall or slide forward on it. This will also put more weight on your hands. Of course not everyone's natural pelvic tilt is the same so in some cases running it level works.

Based on what the OP mentioned I don't think that's the case here.

I reserve the right to be wrong but I'm sticking with my free internet/remote bike fit suggestion. :p

[charliedid]

If I have learned one thing, it is that the root cause of back pain is usually related to weak core, hip inflexibility or hamstring/glute weakness.

Yes, a new position might expose some of those issues, and put you outside of your range of motion for some tissue.

Very valid point.

[charliedid]

All good comments so far, but I've had to teach myself to wait for a pattern, instead of reacting to a single ride. So many factors affect how ya feel on any given day, and I've fooled myself a few times into thinking XYZ was wrong when in reality I'd just slept funny or gardened or something.

(E.g. came home yesterday feeling like my bars must be all wrong, all this aching in my mid-back, lats... don't usually overwork my lats on a road ride??? Wasn't 'til midday today that I remembered I'd had my flu shot earlier in the week.)

__________________________________________________ _____________

Consider giving it a few more days... although checking what you've done to the height isn't a bad idea.

Not a terrible approach.

[jtbadge]

I’ve used the same saddle (well, not carved) exclusively on my main road bike for 2 years, as well as on and off on a couple of other bikes. No need for angle, I run it perfectly level. Any angle forward and I notice the sliding, any angle back causes pereneal pressure. It does require a little more setback than my other saddles to get proper muscle engagement, though. So that may be something to try if you’re sure you’re at the right height.

If you need it angled back, you’re probably riding the wrong saddle.

[kramnnim]

I've had lower back pain from my saddle being a few mm higher than what I'm used to.

Michael Matthews claims that a slightly wrong saddle height made him have a terrible season... :confused:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/michael-matthews-exclusive-podcast-interview/

[Ken Robb]

If you were sliding forward before tilting the saddle nose up you have probably essentially moved the saddle back by tilting the nose up and thereby moving yourself to the rear of the saddle.

[dddd]

If you were sliding forward before tilting the saddle nose up you have probably essentially moved the saddle back by tilting the nose up and thereby moving yourself to the rear of the saddle.

...and which then might make the reach to the bars effectively longer, and/or make the saddle height feel taller.

Is the reach to the bars still within the comfortable range? Weight still being distributed comfortably between saddle and bars?

I'll add that, as cachagua mentioned, a single ride might be affected by a wide variety of other variables including riding intensity or even g.i. functioning, i.e. bloat.

[charliedid]

If you were sliding forward before tilting the saddle nose up you have probably essentially moved the saddle back by tilting the nose up and thereby moving yourself to the rear of the saddle.

Yes/Maybe I agree. But what might be happening is it's now lower and in order to sit in the right spot on the saddle his pelvis is tucked under. This would indeed increase the effective reach.

I think we agree.