I have a similar problem and it's a tricky one, especially with Brooks saddles and Riv style riding. I find the large amount of saddle set- back most people use while doing this sort of riding, and which the Brooks B17 design sort of encourages, is a major cause of this "bent" back posture. For me, and I think both of us, it can be uncomfortable to roll my hips forward in a way which allows me to have a flatter back - especially on my Brooks. Using a high degree of saddle set-back also forces you to either roll your hips more, or ride with a crook in your back. I think you should try moving your saddle forward a bit (and correspondingly higher), and see if things improve.
Further, I think a moderately rounded back is probably fine, but a seriously crooked back is probably not a good thing. I've worked on this and settled for moderately rounded. May I ask, do you a have a sway back when standing normally? That is the case with me. On Dec 20, 9:41 am, Paul Yeoh <rawfoodcuis...@gmail.com> wrote: > After looking at some photos taken by Early Grey of me riding his Sam > with drop bars (example > here:)http://www.flickr.com/photos/25150...@n08/5260456237/ > > I noticed that I am particularly "bent" in the lower back. Well, no > surprise really, I've noticed this elsewhere in my life but cycling on > drop bars makes it really pronounced. What are the implications of > this crooked posture? How would one go about straightening the spine > during cycling or anything else? > > On today's ride on my bike (Sam w moustache bars set about level with > saddle height) I made an effort to keep my back straight and tilt the > pelvis more. Not easy, and I had a mild back ache 30 minutes into the > ride. What does that mean? > > On another note, on my way back down the mountain I had an absolute > blast on the Sam. Smooth, fast and winding road on Marathon Extremes > and tektro cantilevers - wow. To me, the way the Sam feels on fast > descents is the highlight of this all-round fantastic bike. (the way > downhills can be a highlight of the overall cycling experience, unless > you're riding rough pavement on a racing frame with 23 mm slicks at > 100 psi) The extremes probably slowed down overall speed a little but > still rode very smooth and comfortable. Not buzzy at all. > > Any advice / help with improving my posture much appreciated! -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
