Muscle fatigue on the bike

[el milanes]

Do you guys feel fatigue after riding? Since I got my motorbike, I've noticed that my back muscles are becoming increasingly rigid. Also my right hand is often sore, because I keep two fingers on the brake lever and that adds to the daily fatigue due to office work. Do you feel better on a sport bike rather than on a cruiser?

[TonyB]

I'm no expert, but I wonder if your getting spinal shock (or whatever it's called)- where the upright riding posi is allowing the shocks from the bumps in the road that the suspension can't cope with to travel straight up your spine.

I have to ride something that has the rider leaning forward a bit to stop this from happening (my back is a mess).

Plus if your hands are getting that sore you might be hanging on too tight- common problem. Or your levers might be in the wrong posi- you shouldn't have to lift your fingers up or bend them down too much to get at the levers.

[RedRocks]

Relax man,enjoy the ride and take your fingers off the brake. If the pain is muscular it could just be from being a bit tense or stressed out due to the other nutters on the road....

[cowpoos]

tony is makin scense as usual...why not try softining the preload on your shocks?

[Smorg]

Relax man,enjoy the ride and take your fingers off the brake. If the pain is muscular it could just be from being a bit tense or stressed out due to the other nutters on the road....

Yup i concur once you get used to riding and used to the other crazed motorist that inhabit the roads things will become a bit easyier :soon:

[James Deuce]

I've only just started rotating lever assemblies around the bars with my last couple of bikes, and I've found that it cured upper back pain, and reduced wrist pain tremendously. It also took all the stress out of my fingers when covering the brakes.

The backs of your fingers should just brush the inside of the brake or clutch lever when you extend them from the grips to operate them, so that they are at a natural angle.

[Str8 Jacket]

Do you feel better on a sport bike rather than on a cruiser?

I had a GN when I first starting riding and I found that it was quite hard on the body, especially hands, shoulders and back. I did find that as I became more confident riding the bike I tended to relax my hands more which seemed to help the muscle aches etc. I have found that the KR is a much more comfortable bike to ride it seems to have a much more comfortable ridng position.

[bugjuice]

don't forget, if you're not used to riding bikes, then you start, you'll be using muscles and be in positions you weren't normally subjected to until now. If you normally didn't suffer before you started riding, then it's most likely you using muscles that didn't get much attention before. It'll go away the more you ride, and soon you won't even know what you're on about here..

If pain persists, see your local GP :niceone:

else just stop bein a wuss and ride

[Bartman10]

If pain persists, see your local GP :niceone:



Or Scandinavian nurse for a massage! :doctor: :blip: :D

[stunz]

Try not to grip the handlebars so hard. The effect of constant gripping will result in tense back and neck muscles. When the motorcycle is in motion it only requires a minimum of effort to keep it in line. Just relax. :)
A good level of physical fitness helps as well. :apumpin:

[Waylander]

Just give it time. Your body uses different muscles when sitting on a bike and you may not have those built up yet. You'll get used to it after a while but go ahead and check your levers and controls and adjust to where it is the most comfortable and easy to access for you.

[vifferman]

For a start, many cruisers have a riding position that appears to be comfortable, but the curve in your back in the lumbar region is WRONG, and is either curved out instead of in, or your back's too straight there. This in itself is part of the reason your back hurts. Also (plus!) because your feet are forward of your hips on many cruisers, your pelvis is tilted the wrong way (which is what causes your back to be unnaturally curved).

A secondary thing is just getting used to bikes, their ergonomics and posture required for comfy, pain-free riding. Your muscles will adjust with time and you will get more limber. Or broken...

Fifthly, if your feet aren't under your body, you can't cushion yourself from socks as the bike goes over bumps, potholes, pedestrians and dead animals. You can't push down with your legs and lift yourslef slightly off theseat to cushion bumps, and your (unnaturally curved?) spine gets jarred.

Thirty-seventhly, your hand muscles will get stronger, but it may not be necessary to cover your brake lever all the time. Yes, many experienced riders do it. Many also don't (but not usually at the same time as doing it).

Don't hold your bars tightly, but with a relaxed grip. This should help you to not get hand fatigue. As Jim said, make sure your bars, levers, and other controls are adjusted as much as possible to the optimum (or optidad, if you prefer) position for you. Or your monkey, if you let him take control sometimes.

Although most of what I spout on this forum I pluck out of nowhere (or sometimes from my butt), hence my signature/disclaimer, most of this stuff in this post I got from my friend who is also a physiotherapist and motorcyclist. I was visiting him for several months for a non-MC related injury (later exacerbated by a lowside), and he confimed that riding a bike is usually better for your back than driving a car, due to the postural considerations outlined above. Unless it's a cruiser with mental ergonomics.

Having said that (i.e., one-hundred and nineteenthly), sometimes my sprotsbike makes me hurt. My right wrist gets sore (aaaaarrrrthritis and gripping too tightly), my left knee hurts (knees bent too much, aaaaaaarrrrthitis, and too tight knee armour), my bum hurts (seat?) and my left inside thigh hurts (seam on my pants coincides with seat edge).

[Mental Trousers]

Get a back protector. Worn under a leather jacket they act as a support and take a lot of the strain off your back. With cruisers the strain is from having an unnatural curve in your back. With sports bikes, the strain is from leaning forward and having to support your upper body wieght.

[sAsLEX]

Do you guys feel fatigue after riding? Since I got my motorbike, I've noticed that my back muscles are becoming increasingly rigid. Also my right hand is often sore, because I keep two fingers on the brake lever and that adds to the daily fatigue due to office work. Do you feel better on a sport bike rather than on a cruiser?

I too cover the brake with two fingers around 99.9% of the time and in the beginning my hand would get sore after a few hours riding, now with the help of a hand exerciser(http://www.powerballs.com) my fingers hands and wrists are stronger, plus with lots of riding and now my hand only hurts after a full days riding.

[Sparky Bills]

My legs start to hurt when one the bike for too long.

I suffered a bit on the last race of the Winter series. Half hour race, being treated for fluid on the knee the week before and uncomfortable bikes do not mix.

When i say long rides, i mean around 3-4hr rides and longer.

Im not the shortest person in the world so my legs are usually getting cramped up.
Arms are fine.

[Hitcher]

While an EL250 may look like a cruiser, it doesn't have a cruiser riding position -- notably no forward pegs. The Jesus bars aren't cruiser-style either. I would endorse suggestions to experiment with rear suspension settings and rotating the grip assemblies on the bars.

[Riff Raff]

now with the help of a hand exerciser(http://www.powerballs.com) my fingers hands and wrists are stronger
Erm.... if I go to that site am I going to see dodgy pics of men 'exercising their balls' to strenghten their wrists?

[sAsLEX]

Erm.... if I go to that site am I going to see dodgy pics of men 'exercising their balls' to strenghten their wrists?

nah a little hand powered gyroscope thingo to use the technical term, you just have to pull your mind out of that gutter that WT likes so much

[dawnrazor]

no expert on this, but everything i've read about riding stress that the key to smooth progressive riding is a relaxed body. A light grip on the bars and slightly bent arms will go a long way to make for a more comfortable ride. The more tense youi are, the quicker your body is going to get fatigued. In general riding a bike takes more out of a person the driving a car, so don't expect to do long journeys and not feel the effects of fatigue. On a bike you are concentratng on a much higher level, all your senses should be taking in information about the road and your surroundings, through feel and sight, and even smell can give you clues to road hazards on the road ahead, like spilt diesel and other crap. Adapting yourself to accept all this info and processing it is all part of road craft. Try looking for some books like a "a twist of the wrist", by keith code.

[Skyryder]

Do you guys feel fatigue after riding? Since I got my motorbike, I've noticed that my back muscles are becoming increasingly rigid. Also my right hand is often sore, because I keep two fingers on the brake lever and that adds to the daily fatigue due to office work. Do you feel better on a sport bike rather than on a cruiser?

Welcome to the biker world of pain, strains, and down right ageing before your time.

First of all take the fingers off the brake lever. You got four fingers and a thumb for holdling onto things. The throttle is there to roll with all your digits. It may seem strange but that may well be the cause of the back pain. You body is compensating for bad posture.

Skyryder

[scumdog]

I've only just started rotating lever assemblies around the bars with my last couple of bikes, and I've found that it cured upper back pain, and reduced wrist pain tremendously. It also took all the stress out of my fingers when covering the brakes.

The backs of your fingers should just brush the inside of the brake or clutch lever when you extend them from the grips to operate them, so that they are at a natural angle.

I agree, it makes a hell of a difference if you rotate the levers and/or bars even a few degrees, try it and see. :niceone: .

[limbimtimwim]

Do you guys feel fatigue after riding? Since I got my motorbike, I've noticed that my back muscles are becoming increasingly rigid. Also my right hand is often sore, because I keep two fingers on the brake lever and that adds to the daily fatigue due to office work. Do you feel better on a sport bike rather than on a cruiser?Find some corners! Straight roads do me in something terrible on my bike. As someone else mentioned, experiment with rotating the lever around the bar. Do it in smallish steps though, I find the the feel of the lever changes slightly due to the increasing mechanical advantage my fingers get when it is lower.

[Rhino]

First of all take the fingers off the brake lever. You got four fingers and a thumb for holdling onto things. The throttle is there to roll with all your digits. It may seem strange but that may well be the cause of the back pain. You body is compensating for bad posture.

Skyryder

Sorry, I have to disagree. If you have your levers adjusted to line up with a straight line down your forearm and fingers when sitting comfortably on the bike, you shouldn't get any aches in the fingers/wrists. I always use my full hand to roll on the throttle, but when travelling at a constant speed two fingers are always over the brake lever. All fingers stay over the clutch at all times.

I have ridden covering both clutch and brake levers for 37 years (learnt on a 2 stroke that would seize if you looked at it the wrong way.)

The reduction in response time could prevent an impact with something solid or a spit down the road.

[SPman]

If you havent ridden before, you will also just have general tension aches. You tend to get quite stressed until you settle into all the basic riding routines, so that certainly wont help.

[el milanes]

Thank you very much for your replies!
I have ridden this bike for a year and a half now, before a scooter for 8 years... but not for 60 km a day! It's true that the EL is not a real cruiser, but still your weight doesn't rest as much on your arms as in the case of sport bikes I suppose.
I've copied a couple of sheets of exercises you can do at work to relax your muscles and I've been using the mouse with my left hand for a week and it's much better!

[Smoggie]

Can be a problem when you are riding. I suffer with arthritis in my hands, and so heated grips help slightly, and just clenching and relaxing the fingers. With the back, just regular stops, then do some slow bending and twisting exercises. Put the back muscles through their full range of movement.

[zooter]

Alexander was a stage actor who struggled with his voice projection. It lead him to a lifetime study of effective use of the body. He formulated what he learned into a regime you can learn from a qualified teacher in most western cities.
Alexander Technique is studied by musicians and athletes for peak performance as well as regular folks, usually motivated by headache, back and neck pain.
My brother is a qualified teacher and thanks to what I have learned I can ride the length of the South Is, stopping for fuel and a mealbreak, without getting sore. Magic.

[NordieBoy]

I too cover the brake with two fingers around 99.9% of the time and in the beginning my hand would get sore after a few hours riding, now with the help of a hand exerciser(http://www.powerballs.com) my fingers hands and wrists are stronger, plus with lots of riding and now my hand only hurts after a full days riding.

So what's your best score with the Powerball?

[sAsLEX]

So what's your best score with the Powerball?

just under 13k but got one with lights so harder too fast

[awesker]

Do you guys feel fatigue after riding? Since I got my motorbike, I've noticed that my back muscles are becoming increasingly rigid.

I dont really get muscle fatigue unless Ive been riding for like 9 hours or something .. only fatigue I get on a day to day basis is all mental like ive just had an exam. Guess thats the price you pay to be 100% alert when riding :)

[FROSTY]

I'd suggest you throw the barson your bike as far away as your arm can manage.
Put a set of bars off of a MX bike on your bike. Set the levers up as others have suggested and see what difference it makes. I suspect youll find that having slightly lower flatter bars will put a little weight on your upper torso and change the angle of your spine so shock doesnt get transmitted straight up it. I also beleive that the body needs to get "bike fit" as others have suggested

[LXS]

I haven't been riding for too long either, earlier on my upper back & arms were a tad sore after a good days riding.
As mentioned, it was prob because I wasn't "bike fit"

My gloves aren't insulated, consequently they're NOT waterproof, or windproof, not too sure if this added to "it".

Gloves were cheap, I just couldn't resist.

[Skyryder]

Sorry, I have to disagree. If you have your levers adjusted to line up with a straight line down your forearm and fingers when sitting comfortably on the bike, you shouldn't get any aches in the fingers/wrists. I always use my full hand to roll on the throttle, but when travelling at a constant speed two fingers are always over the brake lever. All fingers stay over the clutch at all times.

I have ridden covering both clutch and brake levers for 37 years (learnt on a 2 stroke that would seize if you looked at it the wrong way.)

The reduction in response time could prevent an impact with something solid or a spit down the road.

Riding is about balance. If both hands are holding onto the bars with equal pressure the body will be balanced and as a result no undue stress will be placed on it. If however there is a difference in the grip from either hand one side requires more effort to counterbalance than the other. This is physics. Body weight, age, strength, and the bike and riding position, will to varying degrees have some bearing on the comfort leval of the rider. It is true that if the levers are in line with the fingers then this will eleviate some of the discomfort but having said that the body is still out of balance, correction, the riding position is out of balance and as such this will cause muscular stress.

Riding 37 years your body has toughened up and as a result you no longer are aware of the strain.


Skyryder

[Motu]

I still get sore riding a bike,after riding a trial the next day every muscle in my body hurts,even my feet! That's because I use every muscle I've got to ride the bike,even that big one inside my skull.On the road I'm still doing a lot more work than your average road rider,on gravel I'm sawing the bars constantly,my feet are going,shifting back and forward on the seat,leaning forward over the bars,leaning back,pushing the bike down,work,work,work - after a day out on gravel I have sore arms and shoulders,stomach and inner thighs.But I don't feel these while riding,only when I stop - on the bike I get sore hands,and on long sealed stretches my elbows hurt from the elbows out position dirt bars give.It's a physical workout for me and I feel great after.

[NordieBoy]

Riding my XR on Sunday at a Classic MX fun day and my lower back was getting a bit sore but mainly when I was walking around so I just rode more :)
It was late Monday before I could stand up straight :D

Laid back trail ride this Sunday to look forward to.

[NordieBoy]

just under 13k but got one with lights so harder too fast
How much under 13000?

[Korea]

If you're having trouble getting the weight off your arms, try gripping the tank with your knees when you aren't cornering.

...works for me.

[sAsLEX]

How much under 13000?

less than 3, 12989 or something has been my top but thats a few weeks back take a bit of practice to get it that high, and the left hand well that strugges to beat 8k

[Skyryder]

If you're having trouble getting the weight off your arms, try gripping the tank with your knees when you aren't cornering.

...works for me.

Have not heard that for a long long time. An oldie but a goodie.


Skyryder