# Triceps hurt on long rides



## mfdemicco

Is this indicative of too long a stem or bars not high enough? I had a bike fitting about 4 years ago. I workout at the gym so have good upper body strength.


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## tlg

> I had a bike fitting about 4 years ago.


Is this something new, or has it been going on for 4 years? 



> I workout at the gym so have good upper body strength


Not really relevant. I imagine at the gym you're doing reps for short duration. Not holding your weights for hours at a time. Most pros are riding many hours with puny arms. 
Cycling isn't about upper body strength. If you're using your upper body that much, you need better core strength. Or your fit is wrong.


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## mfdemicco

tlg said:


> Is this something new, or has it been going on for 4 years?
> 
> Not really relevant. I imagine at the gym you're doing reps for short duration. Not holding your weights for hours at a time. Most pros are riding many hours with puny arms.
> Cycling isn't about upper body strength. If you're using your upper body that much, you need better core strength. Or your fit is wrong.


What I'm saying is I have good core strength so that isn't it. 


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## Peter P.

My first reaction is your stem is too long. Arm strength doesn't matter if the reach isn't within range.


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## tlg

mfdemicco said:


> What I'm saying is I have good core strength so that isn't it.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Well you said upper body, not core. So it's hard to know what you're saying. 
If you want help, it would be beneficial if you provided info. 

*** Is this something new, or has it been going on for 4 years?


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## mfdemicco

tlg said:


> Well you said upper body, not core. So it's hard to know what you're saying.
> If you want help, it would be beneficial if you provided info.
> 
> *** Is this something new, or has it been going on for 4 years?


Fairly new. Seems I don't have the problem on my gravel bike, where the reach to the bars is shorter and the stem is a bit higher. Could be that I don't ride the gravel bike as long/far either. 


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## BelgianHammer

mfdemicco said:


> Fairly new. Seems I don't have the problem on my gravel bike, where the reach to the bars is shorter and the stem is a bit higher. Could be that I don't ride the gravel bike as long/far either.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro



mfd,

Never ever in your lifting life _(no way to tell how long you've been a lifter, your age, or anything because you've given us so little to go on, as tlg points out_)...but you've never once strained any of your upper cervical sections in any way? I honestly do not know a lifter, who has lifted for years or decades, who has not accidentally and/or stupidly intentionally (by lifting with poor form and/or too much weight) hurt themself there. This includes myself. 

I still love to do many sets of pull ups, dips, incline pressing, one arm & cable rows, plus flat bench tri exercises. And, yes, I do get pain in my upper arms, and some days it hits the hands too.....and it usually is because, given the past injury to my cervical area _(plus an accident from long ago_) I am racing in a kermesse that day and/or I am having a hard training session, where I am low on the bike.

Bars that are closer to you, like on a mtn bike, will not show much with this. But over time, stretched out on a longer road bike, a person---_if they've ever strained anything in and/or around their cervical section_ (and I am reaching here because you've given us so little to go on---- will one day, out of the blue, start developing pain down either the biceps and/or triceps. After months and sometimes a few years of that localized pain, the nerve pain will also begin to appear in the hands/fingers, displaying numbness. It maybe one side and/or it may be two sides. This stuff isn't rocket science, unless you're developing neurological disorders & this all is a sign of worse things to come (which let's not even consider).

Duplicate your mtn position on the road bike, and see what happens after a couple weeks. If the tri pain is still there, post back here, and also provide some greater detail about yourself, your riding, the bikes, their setup (drop, reach, setback, etc), etc, etc....and maybe we can help you better.


I'd love to put up a post here saying "_my conservative republican left a## cheek hurts at the 45 minute ride mark when I am thinking about our POTUS_..." and then hope for cures (while I posted nothing else) from the gang here. But that isn't how it works, though bless their hearts they do try.:wink5:


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## tlg

Are you doing longer rides than you've done over the past 4 years?


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## mfdemicco

tlg said:


> Are you doing longer rides than you've done over the past 4 years?


Yes, definitely length of the ride aggravates the condition.


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## taodemon

How long is a long ride where this starts to happen? For some people a long ride can be 2hrs (40+ miles) for others 4hrs (80+ miles). I know on most centuries by the end everything is sort of sore for me, but that has more to do with being 5+ hours on the bike than anything else. Pace/terrain of the ride can also factor into this.


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## mfdemicco

taodemon said:


> How long is a long ride where this starts to happen? For some people a long ride can be 2hrs (40+ miles) for others 4hrs (80+ miles). I know on most centuries by the end everything is sort of sore for me, but that has more to do with being 5+ hours on the bike than anything else. Pace/terrain of the ride can also factor into this.


After several hours or riding a number of days in a row.


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## tlg

mfdemicco said:


> After several hours or riding a number of days in a row.


Are you intentionally providing as little info as possible in an effort not to actually answer the questions given to you? :mad2:

Can't help someone who doesn't want to help themselves.
Good luck.


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## mfdemicco

tlg said:


> Are you intentionally providing as little info as possible in an effort not to actually answer the questions given to you? :mad2:
> 
> Can't help someone who doesn't want to help themselves.
> Good luck.


Sorry about that, I thought I answered all questions. I'm going to try a shorter stem. Maybe raise my bars a little too. 


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## Srode

mfdemicco said:


> Sorry about that, I thought I answered all questions. I'm going to try a shorter stem. Maybe raise my bars a little too.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Obviously something changed since shows up now on a bike fit that worked well for you 4 years ago, and doesn't now - understanding what changed may or may not help you fix the problem though. Perhaps your arms were straighter then and more bent now? Riding more in the drops vs hoods or tops? 

If all that is the same, your arms are getting sore on longer rides you because have too much weight on your them obviously and any adjustments to reduce that will help. Moving your saddle back, shortening or raising stem, or pedaling harder all would do that.


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## izza

Srode said:


> Obviously something changed since shows up now on a bike fit that worked well for you 4 years ago, and doesn't now - understanding what changed may or may not help you fix the problem though. Perhaps your arms were straighter then and more bent now? Riding more in the drops vs hoods or tops?
> 
> If all that is the same, your arms are getting sore on longer rides you because have too much weight on your them obviously and any adjustments to reduce that will help. Moving your saddle back, shortening or raising stem, or pedaling harder all would do that.


Not obviously - similar symptoms if bar is too high or too low. 




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## mfdemicco

Srode said:


> Obviously something changed since shows up now on a bike fit that worked well for you 4 years ago, and doesn't now - understanding what changed may or may not help you fix the problem though. Perhaps your arms were straighter then and more bent now? Riding more in the drops vs hoods or tops?
> 
> If all that is the same, your arms are getting sore on longer rides you because have too much weight on your them obviously and any adjustments to reduce that will help. Moving your saddle back, shortening or raising stem, or pedaling harder all would do that.


Getting older (63 now) and riding less miles at an easier pace. That's what I attribute it to.


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