What Causes Neck Pain when Cycling (incl: three possible solutions) 

Still confused, but at a higher level... 😅

I had neck pain for the longest time, did not realize the reason was that I started using glasses and was raising my neck to be able to see the road clearly. I'm sure someone else out there has this issue but has not realize it...

This guy really showcased for me the difference between a fitter and one who thinks he's a fitter. The latter does what anyone can do, which is set up basic starting points, and then calls it a fit. This guy made me realize that without a comprehensive understanding of physiology, bike fitters are a waste of time. Thank you for sharing him.

From my experience, neck pain is caused by trust. As in, I trusted the bike shop attendant when he said he knew his bikes and that I needed a Large.

FWIW I was getting really bad neck pain, and these Neil videos helped a little in that area (helped a lot in general though), but the cure came from realizing the issue wasn't with neck muscles or traps, it was tight lats. Doing dead hangs after rides and a few pull ups here and there fixed me up in a few days.

Wonderful content, this is. Thanks Cam and Neil!

thank you for the simple explanations!

This has actually been more helpful than all the other videos I've watched so far, and I've watched quite a few. Thank you.

Man I wish I can get a road bike fit done by you guys. Well done, great video.

Thanks from the UK. Very knowledgeable and helpful.

Been searching about this for over a week and this is the first video that answered my questions!

This literally is exactly what I’m doing and this video was so helpful thank you.

This is the best bike fit advice on the internet. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

These guy is AMAZING!! Ive watched so much of his stuff, legend.

Another wise video!!! Thx for teaching, explaining, educating!!!

A BIG THANKS GUYS, U ARE THE BEST! Hope you doing well and I´m for sure you deserve everything good in life! Thanks again for giving freely this gold information!

learned so much!!! Gonna try that out. Thanks soooo much! Best video on this so far!

So true, we have seen exactly as he says regarding pelvic movement with the LEOMO data.

Fascinating. First-time viewer (Thanks YT algorithm, obviously knew about my neck pain), but will definitely tune in again. Really useful and informative and Neill is EXCELLENT - think I could listen to his explanations all day. Delivered in a completely non-patronising manner, which is so often how these things can come across. Chapeau.

This was insanely helpful, thanks !

Awesome explanation, thank-you so much for posting!

Brilliant video and a great channel! Can't believe it has taken me so long to find you guys! Thank you

inspiring me to checked and make sure my bar position was right....thanks mate

Thank you guys for all these videos, I come back to watch them over and over again. I read books on bike fitting, watched hundreds of videos on RU-vid, got 4 bike fits and still I learned by far the most from these videos. I even found and went to an IBFI level 4 fitter and unfortunately he did not even come close Neil’s level. Neil is truly the %1 of bike fitters. Thanks again, much appreciated and looking forward to learning more from Neil’s expertise on these videos. And if I ever land in AU then I’m making an appointment with him %100.

Thanks I'm learning lots and the scientific stuff is good.. the anatomical explanations

Finally someone who makes sense. Thanks, now I know what to look for.

Another truly insightful video that answers questions and provides solutions. My Colnago was purchased with slammed stem. Slightly too long top tube and a 125mm stem ; I experience those issues Neil spoke about. I'll try spacers and a shorter stem to match my other Colnago that is always perfectly comfortable.

Great video guys, these informative vids are the best.

Great explanations! Thank you.

Wow - thank goodness for this video, thanks Neil - I have this problem on the bike and on computer screen (multi-focal glasses) - on the bike, my bars are too low - on the computer, my monitors are too high!! Great share, thanks

Thanks for the information and video, I altered my seat and bar position today and it’s much better, my neck feels less achey after trying new positions. Much appreciated.

One of the best videos on neck pains. Well done gents. I fall in to the latter category and glad you pointed that out

Wow! This is new indeed! I 'm having severe neck pain after only 2 hrs of biking. My top tube is indeed too long for me, so I raised the handle bar quite high. Will try lowering it, might improve the situation.. hopefully. Thanks for the content!

Very informative video! Thanks!

Been waiting for this one...

Extremely insightful. So many downstream ramifications of a seat too high

Very well explained.

The best bike fitting content on you tube.

This video is gold!

Thank you for the great video. I get often localized neck pain on longer rides. The pain is mainly on my endurance bike which has a higher cockpit than on my racebikes with lower cockpits. I was always wondering how can this be? Now I know. Thank you

Hi Neil, we rode together a few times a while back, the last time we rode was just over 5 years ago, you were my guardian Angle that helped in my time of need, for that I will be eternally grateful. The ride was the Epic, it lived up to it's name. I smashed my hip and with the help of friends managed to get back to the car and eventually back to Melbourne and the hospital. It turned out to be a lot worse than I thought. Long story short I'm 61 now but still ride every day. Gone are the three peaks and the ego and life is so much better for the events of that day, Thanks again, I wish you well. Paul

Awesome one again boys! I booked a fit here in Melbourne with someone that Neill recommended himself. Looking forward to it!

Excellent. Thank you

I had a neck pain first time after I was trying to move seat forward as I felt too far back. Turns out it was the one causing the neck pain. Thank you for this video!

Still searching for a solution for the pain in my neck after 3 times whiplash after 3 car accidents. Stays a big problem and I still love cycling. Thanx for this video

Thanks for this

Excellent, good clear advice

Thank you for a great video. I have been having a nagging pain in the neck for the past couple of years. Thought it was the wife, who knew it was my bike all along:) Seriously I've been to doctors, had MRIs etc. They found nothing. I showed my doctor the video, got my bike adjusted correctly and my pain is gone. YOU DA MAN.

Helpful, thanks!

Good video one of the reasons from connection from hands to neck and scapulars has to be connected from superficial arms lines fascia ... one good things to do in case of too much pain neck or upper back release your thumbs and front arms as also pectoralis minors too

Very useful. Thank you! I have neck pain as I write...!

Great video!

Great tips. One I found recently that has helped me.. I was watching a GCN video and something about bike fit brought one of the presenters to mention dropping your shoulders. I thought about that the next time I was on a ride..before I did though, I kinda analyzed where my shoulders were. The delts were almost in my ears :-O Now I've been riding that way for EVER.. it isn't an easily broken habit..but for the last half dozen rides I've caught myself innumerable times, relaxing them.. a lot. Correcting on the fly, the last 4 rides or so, my shoulders and neck don't ache so bad I dread my next ride. Weird, huh? I think it was pinching nerves somewhere in my c-spine. For some reason, dropping my shoulders seems at this early stage of "reseaarch" to have remedied a long persistent problem for me. I do need core work, too. Legs? Oak trees. Waist up? Pudding if there ever was

I always tell people that the idea is to ride the bike as if you were on a unicycle that just happens to have a convenient arm rest. Your strength focus should be on your core and pedal push momentum from your legs. I often flex my abs when I ride now and it helps a lot. Obviously to improve on this it helps to do some weight training and calisthenics. Squats and goblet squats with moderate weight and lunges build the muscles for this and the core will strengthen over time when you add some all around body work like push ups and burpees. Riding after pull-up day is pretty hard on the neck muscles so you should really get your neck rubbed and relaxed before your ride.

Love i found this, im hypermobile and occassionally do get neck pain, i havnt dropped my bars at all and assumed having it at the highest point would achieve best comfort. I think i may experiment lowering them.

Great tips. I have hypermobile ehlers danlos and get awful neck pain. Gonna try looking at dropping bars

Neil Stanbury, probably the best bike fitter in the world, at least on the Internet!

Tqvm...bn waiting for this. Nd to refit my bikes. Neck pain is unbearable.

I just got Shermer Neck on recent 800 mile ultra. I couldn’t hold my head up at all and had to quit with 100 miles to go. I rose my bars very high and found it did not fix it. I’m hoping the focus on the pelvic stability and balance fixes it. Thanks for the great content.

Great edition Cam and Neill. Ticking a lot of boxes on this one - neck pain, numb hands, doing all the wrong things trying to fix it! Looking forward to resolving it once and for all with a session with Neill. Kudos on the prop studio taking it to the next level with the bars😋

Based on my experience my neck pain caused by bigger frame size bike. My height can fit size 50-51cm bikes but i am more comfortable in 46cm. I had a caad8 50cm before when i rode it for 40km i already felt neck pain. But when i bought louis garneau cen 46cm no pain at all. So i changed my caad8 50cm to caad10 46cm and no pain issues after that. Because i am not over reaching.

Just listening to this video made my neck hurt! Just got a nice Specialized Tarmac and the previous owner installed this “stem extension” that raised the bars probably 3” higher than factory. My neck has hurt from my first ride on the bike.

What an absolutely fabulous video. Thank you so much

Comforting to know I'm far from the only person enduring this issue. And he's right... it's like a burning fork shoved into the spot where neck and shoulders meet, and rubbing for relief only makes it worse! Excellent, and very timely, content once again...plenty of food for thought here. Cheers Neill, thanks Cam 👍👍

Genius mate👌

This is definitely a help, will be looking to adjust my position soon. Always struggled with saddle position as I have a short back and long legs, so end up on smaller bikes with a high seat position. My neck pain has kicked in a lot sooner on rides than it used to, but I think I just need to accept that 33 year old me is not as flexible or strong as 23 year old me.

All these talks with Neill are amazing! I would love to hear his thoughts how to "fix" muscle activation and coordination (not pedaling technique), when the fit is spot on. It could be injuries etc. that have thrown of the correct activation patterns.

Great advice. I had some serious neck pain, which turned into a headache, on my last 100k ride. Probably too much weight on the hands.

Great video it is really informative. Thank you

Great pun 👍🏾

I got a sore neck one day but it was the longest ride I've ever done (5 hrs) and the most descending I've ever done (so in the drops).

Another great vid!! I was on The edge of my seat “finally” waiting for the answer “ neck pain, numb hands, burning quads while Vo2 effort... it’s probably in the back.... WHAT? Come on!!! Seat to high? Low, to far forward, to far back? SO CLOSE TO THE ANSWER

Had tried all sorts trying to get rid of pain in shoulders and hands, then went for a ride one morning and the bars slipped in the stem, causing the levers to be lower. It meant getting lower to reach the brakes but removed the pain in my shoulders and hands. Thought the lower position must be wrong, so went back to my previous setup straight away, but now going to give it another go after hearing your advice!

IF you don't know your bike fit, have a fit issue, or are new/returning to cycling then you need to watch the whole series from these two knuckleheads. Watch the whole thing and you will save yourself a ton of frustration and money by being able to make informed changes to your own bike. By just following the advice of these fellows, I have been able to ride enough to get my FTP up to 270 ish after not really riding for 20 years. Longer rides, no problem. Sprints, no problem. Gravel, no problem. If I get to Australia they both eat free for a week.

Thank you, You Tube. This has been an on-going issue with me this year. I'm relatively new to cycling having started in earnest during the middle of 2019. But this year is the first time I have really had problems that start with right around the base of the back of my neck, but as I continue to ride it just seems to spread outward. I'm definitely not of the flexible sort. My bars are high (I think), but some of that was due to putting too much weight on my hands before I raised it. I have had a bike fit, but I have messed around with the seat enough that it's probably negated most of what was done. Plus, I switched from peddles for cleats to now using flats simply due to pain in my left knee that I couldn't get rid of until I just went with the flats. But at least this video gives me a few ideas of what might be my issue and at least, some place to start looking. I'm supposed to do a 150 mile gravel ride this year, my longest ever (if I finish), and I really want to get this sorted out, because it sucks. I don't like riding when it gets to that point. Well done on the video. I'll make sure to check your stuff often, now that I have found you.

I knew by experience what he explained in the video but I couldn’t quite figure out the mechanics of how a higher bar position could cause more neck pain. Thank you for the insight! 👍👍

Another great video. Are you and Neill looking at doing any TT fit tips down the track?

fascinating

This is a perfect explanation to what I experienced myself. In 2016 I rode my first century and of course was pretty uncomfortable including hands and wrist pain. A month later I did the same century again only raised the bars as high as I could thinking it would help the wrist and hand pain. The higher position made it far worse! Since then I've bought a smaller bike to 52cm down from 54cm. Riding with more bar drop from the saddle and I'm more comfortable on long rides.

This was one of the videos that made me go for a bike fit - Thank you for sharing this! I was getting a lot of pain going up through the neck and laterally irradiating to the trapezius, after 2 or 3 hours, especially if the ride was very intense. I also had unbearable pain in my left foot fingers after some time. There were several problems, one was the fact that the shop owner (Specialized agent) sold me a bike too big for me. I'm almost sure I asked for a 54, but after some months of waiting for it, I got a bit worried when I saw the "56" number on it. But the seller said it was perfect for me, no doubt - I thrust him because he was a professional cyclist for years and had been a "bike fitter"... after all, this was my first bike after decades without cycling. Sadly, the shoes were also bought there and he didn't offer any help to position the cleats - hey, I'm a newbie! So, after a year, I've started to avoid long rides, and the bike's comfort became worse and worse... I decided I must have a bike fit. After the bike fit: - I was right... the bike was too big. I had to replace the stem and level the handlebars. The seat post when a little higher and the cleats were placed in the correct position. The saddle was perfect though. Now, I'm so much more comfortable on it... I feel the pedal strokes are more efficient and my body is slowly "forgetting" the wrong posture of the previous setup, I frequently correct the shoulders while riding, sometimes I feel the left one is shrugging and then I relax it... I think this is a process that will gradually improve, I just have to be patient and resilient.

I’m assuming too much saddle tilt would cause this as well. Another great video.

Great video! Do you have a video showing how to get the pelvis positioned properly?

Great video. How do you make sure you find the right shop to do a proper bike fit!! Questions to ask?

This makes me wonder if it could apply to motorcycles, too. The intuition is risers for sore shoulders and traps, but maybe the answer is to go lower, or rotate the existing bars toward the rider to go lower.

I get this pain severely, even on upright bikes and on my Honda Ruckus motorcycle, and while carrying a backpack. I get it to a lessor extent on my kickbike.

I wonder if tyre width and tyre pressure plays a small part in the shoulder pain aswell..? I generally feel more comfy on my crossbike with 32mm tyres at low pressure than on my road bike with 26mm tyres. Even though I actively think about my posture, have a nice bend on the elbows and a very realxed grip on my handlebar, I still feel how my shoulders takes some of the vibrations and shock from the road surface. Hearing Neill talk about lowering the bars was very interesting because I've noticed something about my two bikes: My cross bike has the exact same reach as my road bike, but 40mm (yikes) more drop to the bars and the saddle is 15mm further back. I feel much better and more relaxed on the cross bike, but I hardly ride the same distances on my cross bike (I will try this though). I had a bike fit done on my road bike and the fitter maxed out the spacers underneath the stem and moved my saddle forward 15mm and this didn't really solve anything in the long run. I was however very off with the bike setup when I came in to the fitter with my problems so it got a lot better compared to how I started out. I'm tempted to lower the bar to the same height as my crossbike, but I feel like I need the proper core strenght to back that decision up. Because if you lower the bar and can't keep your core engaged enough to tilt forward, you will end up hunching and putting all the weight on your hands anyway. Thanks Cam and Neill!

Tilt of saddle was my problem..tilting saddle slightly back helped

I had a frame built for my 40th birthday and it was set up with components to complete the fit. 25 years later, I’m on the same bike, but my shoulders and neck are now my weakest link. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like I have much room to move my saddle back. This bike has been my pride and joy, I’d hate to give it up.

I know I have neck issues but I'm more confused. But I also wear prescription glasses which forces me to look up in order to get better vision.

Thank for the clear and detailed explanation. Would like to know what about a triceps pain in particular...

Great info, I think my seat is to far forward .

6:26 seems to point out my problem... kept raising the bar and still locking the arms. Tried slamming it down and so far it feels so much better. Going for another ride to see if I still feel the same.

Thank you for this video! I started getting neck pain and hand pain this season despite riding with the same setup I always used previously. Shrinking as I get older? The conventional "wisdom" I found on the Internet all suggested my reach was too long and riding position too low, so I moved my saddle forward and lowered my seat a couple mm. My next couple rides were the most painful I've ever experienced with pain not only in my neck/shoulders, but also in my hands, knees, feet and butt. Then I found this video and tried to adjust my bike so I didn't need my hands to hold my riding position. I ended up with the seat all the way back and actually raised a mm over where I have always had it before and the pain got much, much better. Unfortunately, neck/shoulder pain still comes back somewhat after a couple hours in the saddle. That pain is mild enough that I can suffer through it, but now I feel I'm on a mission to dial riding postion in perfectly and/or learn what geometry I need in a new bike. I already have a set back seatpost and the saddle as far back as it can go, cleats all the way back, and it feels like I still need it to go back even further to be perfectly balanced and not need my hands to hold my position. What could the problem be here? My bike has a 74 degree seat tube angle which seems pretty typical for bikes in the 54cm size range, but it seems like I need something more like a 73 or lower degrees to be balanced with standard seatposts and saddles, but bike manufacturers don't seem to go to angles that low until you get to the very large bikes. I'm about 5'10" / 177cm and suspect my legs are shorter and torso longer compared to a typical rider. Any thoughts?

Drop the stem: I wanted to be more up right so I purchased risers. Deda streetisimo. The stem is a mountain bike stem I believe. I've shortened crank arms to 170mm. Honestly I feel as if I'm constantly falling into my handle bars and I'm constantly getting up on the balls of my hands almost gripping them with my fingers, right on my pelvic floor is alot of friction, I can never really get onto my bum and peddle without feeling like I'm falling into the handle bars. new saddle 🤔

Thanks for this again guys, feel like you’re speaking to everything I’m currently experiencing! Do you have any recommendations for a bike fitter in Melbourne? Sadly I won’t be able to get to Brisbane any time soon

Very helpful! Thanks and gratitude. Have you ever worked with riders who have an anatomical injury they're working through? I have a slight compression between C4 and C5 and I can't tolerate more than like 30 minutes in the saddle. How can I strengthen my pelvic chain to be able to sit comfortably? That forward learn at 2:14 with hands off the bars--I can't do that. I feel like I should probably focus on my core?

Seat too much forward was cause for neck pain for me either, during longer rides. Before i had feeling, that i want to be more forward on bike, but in reality it wasnt necessary.

I’m very fortunate to live in Brisbane and finally went to see Neill two months ago, then had my follow up fit last week. Neill is an absolute genius, he aligned my symmetry (I was twisted to the left) and got me to do strength training to correct two muscle imbalances. He moved my saddle forward with a longer stem and the bars are as low as they’ll go on my bike with a minus 20deg angle. It’s about as aero as I can possibly get. I did a 125km very hard and fast group ride yesterday and felt as strong and pain-free as I ever have on the bike. Hands down the best money I have spent on this bike!

Maybe a video on how to equalize power between the hamstrings and quads?

I have a simple solution. I lower the bar as low as possible to stay aero, then I got a WWII submarine periscope to see the road ahead and now I have no neck pain.