Your lower back muscles are part of a system that keeps the torso stable under load. It may not seem like it, but when you push with the legs that loads the torso, and the harder you push (because for instance you're going up a hill), the higher the load. They're just getting tired.
Sounds like you could benefit from deadlifts, back raises, Jefferson curls, etc to make your back stronger and more resilient.
all of this with the addition of mobility. tight hamstrings and glutes also contribute lower back pain so don't forget to do some mobility work. i like yoga so i'm partial to pigeon pose, butterfly fold and wide-leg forward fold.
Lower back pain for me has always been strain from trying to push too hard of a gear while seated. If your cadence is dropping on the climb you have to shift down just like in a car as the RPMs drop. Don't try to force a hard gear to keep working. Shift down and increase cadence instead
Try lower gearing.
Try raising your bars.
People sometimes wear their unreasonably high gears like a badge of honor. But if a little lower gearing saves your back and lets you push more watts, that's a double win.
I've been riding for a long time. Yet my lower back gets a bit achy on long steep climbs, if I stay seated the whole time.
Most of it is due to a weak core. If I strengthen my core it will keep my back from over compensating for my core weakness.
It also helps when I charge up my riding position, shift to a taller gear and standing up. If I take too many days off from riding, my back feels it.
Stretching helps.
Lower back pain might be caused by a saddle set a little too high, which would also explain that the pain disappears when standing up.
As mentionned in the discussion, a bike fitting session would confirm or help you in that matter.
Good luck on your climbs.
>I started getting increasing severe pain in my lower back. If I stood up to climb, I could "clear" the pain, but only at the expense of spiking my heartrate, and that wasn't going to get me to the top.
So stand up? There's no extra medal for staying seated.
I think I was standing for the vast majority of my first Alpe d'Huez ride.
Your lower back muscles are part of a system that keeps the torso stable under load. It may not seem like it, but when you push with the legs that loads the torso, and the harder you push (because for instance you're going up a hill), the higher the load. They're just getting tired. Sounds like you could benefit from deadlifts, back raises, Jefferson curls, etc to make your back stronger and more resilient.
all of this with the addition of mobility. tight hamstrings and glutes also contribute lower back pain so don't forget to do some mobility work. i like yoga so i'm partial to pigeon pose, butterfly fold and wide-leg forward fold.
Lower back pain for me has always been strain from trying to push too hard of a gear while seated. If your cadence is dropping on the climb you have to shift down just like in a car as the RPMs drop. Don't try to force a hard gear to keep working. Shift down and increase cadence instead
Try lower gearing. Try raising your bars. People sometimes wear their unreasonably high gears like a badge of honor. But if a little lower gearing saves your back and lets you push more watts, that's a double win.
I've been riding for a long time. Yet my lower back gets a bit achy on long steep climbs, if I stay seated the whole time. Most of it is due to a weak core. If I strengthen my core it will keep my back from over compensating for my core weakness. It also helps when I charge up my riding position, shift to a taller gear and standing up. If I take too many days off from riding, my back feels it. Stretching helps.
Lower back pain might be caused by a saddle set a little too high, which would also explain that the pain disappears when standing up. As mentionned in the discussion, a bike fitting session would confirm or help you in that matter. Good luck on your climbs.
>I started getting increasing severe pain in my lower back. If I stood up to climb, I could "clear" the pain, but only at the expense of spiking my heartrate, and that wasn't going to get me to the top. So stand up? There's no extra medal for staying seated. I think I was standing for the vast majority of my first Alpe d'Huez ride.
Try more core exercises and yoga
Not certain but it seems like you might need a bike fit; seems to me like something is up with your bars or saddle position(s).