Riding a bike shouldn’t hurt. If it does, something is wrong, generally with your fit, gear, bike setup or riding style. With all those moving pieces, deciphering just what’s gone awry can be tricky. That is why you need a solid movement assessment to find out what is the main culprit
1.Neck Pain
Common culprit: You’re too stretched out.
Try this: If you’re experiencing neck pain, first establish what a neutral head position on the bike should feel like. “The goal is for your shoulders to be able to make an angle of 90 degrees or slightly less between your upper arms and torso with your hands on the hoods”
With your hands on the bars, tuck your chin in, engaging the muscles in the front of your neck and then look up. “That motion distributes the pressure through more vertebrae, versus hinging on only one or two segments, lessening stress on the upper cervical spine”. Adjust your cockpit accordingly to maintain it. Try a shorter stem; raise your bars or lower your saddle if you tend to run it on the high side.
2. Hand Pain
Common culprits: Too much weight on your hands and/or too much (or too little) bend in your wrists.
Try this: Level your saddle. Handlebars that are too low also can cause hand pain. Try a higher rise stem. Then check your wrists. They should have a slight, 10 to 15 degree back-bend, on the bars. Too little or too much can be stressful. You can do a sight check by looking at the skin on the top of your wrists. Cock them up until you see creases or folds (that’s too far); then straighten just until the folds disappear.
Do you have pain?