What bike for a person with lower back issues?

[Kristoff]

I'm wondering if anyone has any tips for which make and models of Ebike I should consider for my situation?

I have lower back issues so I'm trying to find a hybrid ebike with a fairly upright geometry, to keep my back as straight as possible. I'm aware that overall geometry plays a big part in rider comfort and its not as simple just picking a bike with high bars, and I'm also aware that adding bar risers to get a more upright riding position can create more problems than they solve.

I'm looking for bike I can take on canal paths, and the odd mild off road trail. I'm finding it quite hard to narrow down my search to suitable bikes. I won't be doing mega miles on it, its just so I can head out with my kids now and again. I've not really ridden since my lower back operation 10 years ago, but I think with ebikes now being an option, I can get out and about a bit more. I recently hired a specialized turbo tero 4.0 on holiday and I manged on it quite well, but for a bike I'm going to own, I'd like a slightly more relaxed geometry.

Budget wise I'm quite flexible. If I could get something suitable for £2k, great, if its £4 or even £5k, that's also fine.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[pagheca]

Hi @Kristoff ,

if there is a Decathlon shop in the area where you live, I suggest you to pay a visit to it.

They have a lot of different ebike models, some with a 90, some with a 60 degrees geometry to try. Your requirements are not very sophisticated so you should be able to find a good model there for your needs. And at least in my experience (I bought a muscular bike there and a lot of accessories) they are extremely helpful.

I wouldn't venture into expensive and highly specialized ebike, at least before knowing if you can actually ride them on the long term.

 

[Stihldog]

Doesn’t sound like a recumbent e-bike is in your sight. May not be necessary or suitable to your style of riding.

A full suspension EMTB with a raised bar, fat tires, cushioned seat, dropper post, shorter stem, step-thru, wide bar, comfortable grip, and maybe even a throttle. I’m sure that bike is out there.

But a recumbent e-bike might be an option.

 

[RickBullotta]

No one is mentioning the most important element - the overall weight. Getting the bike onto a rack on your vehicle can be brutal with back issues. Some racks have ramp options, but also consider a lighter weight eMTB. Bar height matters a lot, as does reach.

 

[TwoWheeln]

I would start by finding a highly qualified bike fitter in your area to help you determine what bike geometry best suits your issues and then go from there.

 

[Mikerb]

I dont know what your lower back issue is but be aware that the more upright the cockpit position on a bike is the more any compression forces have tobe a bsorbed by the spine. Yes a spring loaded seat post can provide some flex and a full sus bike ( ie with a rear shock) can help deal with some vertical forces on the bike, but they may not be sufficient. In order to protect the back/ spine with any form of manual handling/lifting, the advice is to keep the spine as straight as possible...that does not necessarilly mean keeping it vertical. It could well be that finding a bike where your riding position enable you to balance your weight between the saddle and bar ...maybe 60/40% respectively......would deliver the least risk of experiencing pain in your back, since you can keep your back relatively straight but not have all your weight supported by it on the saddle.

 

[Kristoff]

Thanks for the replies.

My back problems relate to herniated L4 and L5 discs and I've had operations on both.

I've actually come out of it in pretty good shape. I'm as fit as I've ever been, weight train 4 times a week etc... I'm just very careful about what I do (No deadlifts, no squats, no overhead presses) the only thing that really causes me issues is sitting on a sofa, literally can not do it, 5 mins sat on a soft couch and I can't get up, and riding a bike hunched over the bars creates the same problem. My lower back just seizes up, and I'm stuck.

I was ok on the specialized turbo tero 4.0 that I hired, but I had the seat at a lower hight than optimal, just to make my back straighter, and I was feeling it after about 20 miles.

I went to a local cube dealer and sat on a reaction hybrid pro 800 and it actually felt pretty good, but I'd like to raise the bars slightly, either with an adjustable stem or a riser bars. The sales chap in the shop said either would work, not sure if that was accurate information. I've read that going that route can cause geometry problems where you don't expect them, so I'm wondering if there is any better options? But maybe everyone situation is so unique I'll just have to bite the bullet and go for one and try and get it setup for me the best it can be.

 

[Mikerb]

Thanks for the replies.

My back problems relate to herniated L4 and L5 discs and I've had operations on both.

I've actually come out of it in pretty good shape. I'm as fit as I've ever been, weight train 4 times a week etc... I'm just very careful about what I do (No deadlifts, no squats, no overhead presses) the only thing that really causes me issues is sitting on a sofa, literally can not do it, 5 mins sat on a soft couch and I can't get up, and riding a bike hunched over the bars creates the same problem. My lower back just seizes up, and I'm stuck.

I was ok on the specialized turbo tero 4.0 that I hired, but I had the seat at a lower hight than optimal, just to make my back straighter, and I was feeling it after about 20 miles.

I went to a local cube dealer and sat on a reaction hybrid pro 800 and it actually felt pretty good, but I'd like to raise the bars slightly, either with an adjustable stem or a riser bars. The sales chap in the shop said either would work, not sure if that was accurate information. I've read that going that route can cause geometry problems where you don't expect them, so I'm wondering if there is any better options? But maybe everyone situation is so unique I'll just have to bite the bullet and go for one and try and get it setup for me the best it can be.

Higher rise bars would be my choice. Quite a lot of riders are opting for bars up to 50mm rise. Bar width is also important and again many riders cut 800mm bars down to 750....or even 760.That also has the effect of raising the torso.

 

[CaptChip]

I'm 77 with spinal stenosis, 3 bulging disks, and scoliosis. I find that the more bent over I am when riding, the less pain I have. To the point of being completely pain free when riding. I ride my Giant Trance X Advanced +0 hard and fast on the local single track trails here in North Florida. With a prosthetic knee, I don't do many jumps or drops over a foot or so, but, I still manage to stay in the top 10 men category for the year on Strava. I like to ride my E Gravel bike on the Rail Trails too. It is a custom built turn down bar bike using a Tong Shein torque sensing 750 watt motor. I usually ride in PAS 2 out of 5. captainchipowen 5184 on UTube. Hope this helps!

 

[NCMike]

I’ve been a hard-core mountain biker for over 20 years. My first 10 years, back pain ended my rides sooner than endurance or muscles. I injury my lower back pole vaulting in high school, and ruptured a disk in my 40’s with surgery to relieve pressure on my spine.
Two things completely changes my problem with back pain. The first was reading an article in a bike magazine about the most common cause of back problems, and the most relevant was arching your back when riding. Some people arch during descents, some when climbing. I did it during climbing. I was riding a small size cross country bike with a tight cockpit and lower bars, so it put me bent over with an arched back when standing and climbing. I rode a few rides concentrating on keeping my back as strait as I could, and it was an immediate improvement. It took a while to change my riding style, and to this day I still remind myself to straiten out my back when I start to arch. If I don’t, back pain will soon start.
The next was my bike store switching me to a larger frame trail bike than I would have chosen for myself. I thought the larger frame would stretch me out and make it worse, but I was wrong. The higher bar height, lower seat position, and slightly farther reach (not enough to bend me over for reach) allowed me to ride under all conditions with a strait back. It equalized the load all the way around my spine instead of concentrating the impacts on the forward compressed section of my back when it was arched. The longer suspension and 29” tires also reduced the impacts. All this was a complete game changer. Now at 60, I can ride my turbo levo for two or three hours without any back problems. It will be sore, but it’s not the limiting factor in my length of rides.

 

[pagheca]

I have lower back problems but actually they go away WHEN I ride my bike. I have been riding sometime recently all day (up to 150 km on a muscular bike) and I was feeling better than when I don't.

Am I the only one here to experience that?

 

[rsyme]

The best manufacturer of bikes to suit people with back issues is Riese & Muller - full suspension and 2.4in tyres very good for canal paths, greenways and mild off-road. I have done 5000Kms on my R&M Homage over the past 2 years on this type of riding and love it

 

[Just gan]

Probably lighter model rather than heavy one. Less range but still get a 30 miles ???? . Tip I would give is put dropper seat down when going on and off bike. I'm experiencing back muscle issues at present. When I asked about cycling the physio said ok but getting on and off the worst bit.

 

[rsyme]

The best manufacturer of bikes to suit people with back issues is Riese & Muller - full suspension and 2.4in tyres very good for canal paths, greenways and mild off-road. I have done 5000Kms on my R&M Homage over the past 2 years on this type of riding and love it

 

[Kristoff]

Some interesting thoughts for me to consider, thanks.

I feel like my main issue is an arched back. Keeping my back straight for me is the key.

The overall wight of the bike isn't a huge consideration for me as I'm not going to be doing anything very aggressive, just light off road use with the kids. And I'm plenty fit enough to be able to lift a 25kg bike on and off a bike rack. I do want to be able to tackle a bit of light downhill work so definitely want an ebtb and not a tourer, even though a tourer would probably help in keeping my back straight.

I think an emtb with a set of riser bars should be the ticket. The question I guess is which one. I'm 6ft and 190 lbs, so I guess I'll be looking at a large frame. Over the Christmas break I'll go to a few retailers and sit on some different brands. I'll report back with one I end up buying. It will be a power weight vs prices trade off I expect. The only limiting factor price wise for me really is the fact that I will be leaving it locked up at various places when we stop for lunch on a ride, or when we visit places like centre parcs or various national trust parks around where we live. Would an amflow be more likely to be stolen than a cube if parked up for an hour or two? Don't know, but I know I'd be less upset if my £2.5k bike went missing than my £8k bike.

One final question that's slightly off topic, I have a 2 year old that will no doubt want to come with us on canal path types rides. Are child seat carriers fairly universal, with a appropriate mounts? Or do I need to be careful which make and model of bike I buy if I need to be able to mount a child carrier on the back occasionally?

 

[steve_sordy]

@Kristoff DO NOT under any circumstances leave your ebike unattended without a very strong (expensive) and visible bike lock that is fastening the bike to an immovable object.
Better still, still buy the lock to use at home, but when you go ride, leave the lock at home and just never leave the bike unattended.

PS 1: I used to have a "bad back" and I was concerned early on about securing as upright a seated position as possible. But I soon realised that sitting upright was not the answer for me. Leaning over unsupported was the concern, which is not an issue on a bike because you always have at least one hand on the bars. But that was more than 20 years ago and although I still have some issues with my back they no longer affect the bike I choose to ride.

PS 2: Try Pilates to deal with your lower back issues. It is not a quick fix, but within a few months you will start to feel the difference. Pilates changed my life, it rescued me from a premature old age. Most importantly Pilates is something that once learned you can do by yourself almost anywhere; it is not done to you but by you!

 

[zr3rs]

I second most of the comments above. You have to learn to not arch and sit correctly with a straight back and your arms nearly at a right angle to the back line (to support your shoulder). Sometimes a little bit bigger bike helps, sometimes a higher rise bar is the solution. Saddle positioning is also important. Your LBS should offer you to adjust bar, stem and saddle until you have found your perfect position. Nearly any full-suspension EMTB should be suitable, ideally one where you can tune the suspension so that it responds softly to small impacts.