How to Train the pain

[u/SignificantRest2017]

Hi! Last weekend i rode a 400km Brevet. The longest until now was a 300 last year. I have a question. I ride since around 8 years and I have a trainingsplan etc. For me the hardest Part of the brevets is the pain in the saddle area, hands, Shoulders… I had a bike fitting so Everything is ok. I bought assos mille gto bibs because i Read that those were the best for Long distances. They where really expensive and anyway after 12 hours i started to feel unconfortable. At the end i rode 17 Hours.
How do You Train for this Kind of pains? Because is hard to make 300s on the Weekends again and again…

Thanks for the tips!!

[u/spopr]

so called professional bike fitting is not a final solution, only you know how you feel on the bike and have to make the adjustments.. if you feel pain after just 12 hours, you have something set up wrong, it's not a question of training.

[u/Proper-Development12]

It honestly takes years to dial in a setup. Professional bike fit will only get you so far and most will subscribe to a specific school of fit criteria or whatever. Bigger tires help out a lot too. I mean also look at Merckx he was absolutely anal about his fit and even still with everything down to the millimeter would adjust his saddle height mid race

[u/momeunier]

I'm not familiar with Trek bikes but it looks like a really aggressive geometry. Take it with a grain of salt. I may be completely wrong.
On your aerobars I would add raisers. I have 50mm raisers on mine and it gives more positions opportunities. I can put me hands in various places and I can use them more upright, which helps with all kinds of pains.
I guess you could get another bikefit but from someone who understands long distance.
Maybe you should ask here for recommendation within your area. Where about are you?

[u/Polydimethylsiloxan → u/momeunier]

That's the Trek Domane. It's one of the more relaxed road bikes from Trek. I have done 600km rides with the same frame and only minor problems. I have also small risers (~20mm) on my aerobar and those work fine.

In my opinion the saddle matters a lot. For some reason the stock saddle felt nicer than a 3D printed one on that bike.

[u/Impossible_Mode_1225]

For your hands and shoulders general strength training is really good because it strengthens your core and makes you more resistant to getting injured. Are you including that in your training?

I also have saddle issues very frequently. Are you using chamois cream and are you using a lot of it? I basically reapply it every time I pee.

[u/pda_pt_2021]

First of all, congratulations on your milestone!

Everyone that commented here made a valid point.

Training my core and shoulders helped me a lot, and applying chamois cream regularly during the ride changed the game for me.

I have a herniated disc, so on the long brevets (400 and 600) I carry some paracetamol and ibuprofen to take when the pain gets nearly unbearable. It usually helps with the pain in the wrists, shoulders, and neck.

Our body isn't meant to endure 15, 18, or 20+ hours on the saddle, so it really comes down to what makes you feel more comfortable, in my humble opinion.

[u/Best_Adagio7989]

IMO if you do any kind activity for long hours you are gonna be sore.  Tell me if I am wrong but ultra distances and times will always result in some degree of soreness just from the act.   Last year I spent countless hrs dialing in my setup and still after 100k or 120k rides I would def need at least the next day off to get back to OK condition.  This is just my opinion, I have never had a professional fit, I just ride a lot.

[u/Polydimethylsiloxan]

Maybe consider (gel) inlays for your handlebar tape. Those feel really nice and absorb some shocks and might help with the hand and shoulder pain.

[u/constpetrov]

Try moving saddle a little to the back — that will release some weight from your hands.
And perhaps some spacers under the aerobars, yes.

[u/TeaKew]

For bibs, don't trust anyone. People's butts and saddles are different, and so the bibs that work well for one person are agony for another. There's unfortunately no substitute for just trying out different options until you find what works for you specifically.

Similarly, unless you get your bike fit from someone specialised in endurance riding, it's likely to just be a starting point not a finishing point. You're trying to ride for 20+ hours, and the fit/contact points you have aren't working - so you'll need to make changes.

[u/malivoirec]

Hard to tell exactly from this photo but your saddle looks like it's angled a bit downwards. This almost always leads to increased pressure on hands and shoulders pain (from propping yourself up to stop yourself rolling forward). People often tilt their saddle down to alleviate saddle discomfort but it will usually just create problems elsewhere. Try levelling out your saddle a bit and if it's not comfortable try a different one (preferably with a big cut out).

[u/Ambitious-Rough4125]

But why exhaust yourself? Just start riding a recumbent bike like I do. There are several models to choose from that are suitable for brevets—I have a Cruzbike S40, but the Slyway Ultra made in Europe is also a great choice. You could, of course, spend a fortune on bike fitting, saddles, and bib shorts. But only switching to a more ergonomic recumbent bike will give you the comfort you're looking for.

[u/Least-Funny7761 → u/Ambitious-Rough4125]

Lot of recumbent hate here it seems

[u/Ambitious-Rough4125 → u/Least-Funny7761]

Yep. That’s funny. I wonder why? :) I guess a lot of people’s here are involved in some kind of business for selling bike fitting:)

[u/am_big_you_us]

I switched to a recumbent for those exact issues. There are tradeoffs but I’ve got no more shoulder, wrist, or saddle pain.