Hey y’all. Brand new Trainer Road subscriber. I’ve been riding for about four years, and long ago remember reading something about a famous rider way back using a mirror to perfect his pedaling technique. So I had one set up like that for a long time, but with my new setup I moved it higher so I could see my torso in an effort to see how “aero” I was actually sitting on the bike.
And holy smokes did I learn something.
Backstory: I use a Trek Montrose Elite on my MTB and I’ve broke two of them on the right side over 4,000 miles, which told me that my right side sat lower than my left. And I kinda knew that anyway, but I didn’t realize that I’d broke the seat down to the point it needed to be replaced till I started having problems with my hip flexor a few months back. Changed the seat and a couple of “adjustment” rides later I was good.
Then I started doing SS MV 1-2 with the mirror and if I sit into my seat I’m twisted like a pretzel!
On sustained intervals it’s starting to bother me on my lower back between my kidney and my hip right at the belt line. I’ve had this problem a couple of different times and always worked my way through it, but I’m trained as an accountant and I have no idea if it’s even related, much less my wondering if there’s a better way or something else I could try.
Am I the only one who isn’t level in their sit bones who has this problem?
This summer I ended with my back being in really bad shape from serious over use/over training with all of my combined activities. There were multiple misalignments in my spinal column and my pelvis was twisted with the left hip being elevated and forward and my right hip being lowered and backward. Multiple muscles were involved but one thing I learned is that part of the problem was with the muscle called the quadratus lumborum. There is one on each side of your back in the area you mention on your back. My problems were resolved with 6 weeks of physical therapy along with a prescription to take Ibuprofen 3 times a day for those 6 weeks. You may want to consider seeing a physical therapist.
Are your legs the same length ? I had an issue with my right leg being shorter from knee to ankle than my left which caused me to tilt to the right more . Some spacers under my right shoe helped with this . This was spotted during a fit for my bike !
First suggestion is to find a local bike fitter and see them. This could be worth the tie for a proper interview, physical assessment and bike adjustments.
As you found, an external eye is handy and a trained one is even better. If you can’t find a local fitter, I am one and am willing to try and help remotely.
We would need a more detailed discussion of the issue and pictures / videos to assess your state and where to make adjustment. But we can give it a shot if you don’t have a better option.
Ha that’s interesting, I started to have the same problems when I switched to the same saddle.
I switched saddles in the first place so that I would have a cut-out in the middle.
I am going to have to check if leveled it correctly, on outside rides it’s less obvious maybe because it isn’t as static as on a trainer.
I couldn’t agree more - I had a fantastic one and then I moved to this wasteland where all they want to do is sell you parts. So I don’t exactly have access to one anymore. I guess I could call my old shop and ask.
Outdoors I don’t have this problem. Maybe a thick mat or a rocker plate?
That may be the best idea so far.
They are, and my hip function is fine, it’s that my sit bones are asymmetrical.
I am curious about how you know your sit bones are asymmetrical. Typically our bodies are not exact mirror images from side to side so it would be reasonable that you have some variation in symmetry but this should be fairly unnoticeable and typically not enough to cause the trouble you are having now. Since you are having the problems I think it would beneficial to be seen by a physical therapist or possibly a chiropractor; someone who is highly educated in anatomy and alignment. Ideally if they could see you on the bike mounted on the trainer. if something is askew with you anatomy possibly a PT could help you correct that or if it is an actual structural problem that cannot be fixed with PT then you made need to consider some kind of adaptation to the structure of the saddle. I hope you find a solution.