RE: Oh, My Aching Back

["Martin Lodahl" <lodahl@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve has touched on several points related to the specifics of my
situation:

>      o Bike ergonomics (foot peg and handle bar positions relative to
>        you.

This is where I expect the greatest possible scope for improvement, and
where I'm hoping to hear "oh, yeah, I tried that, and it was money down the
drain" before I sluice my increasingly scarce dollars down that same drain.
What I'm inclined to think is happening is that for me, the pegs are too
high and too far forward relative to the seat and handlebars, bending my
back like a bow.  What I'm specifically considering is lowering the pegs and
replacing the seat.  Bar-backs are not out of the question, but I'm inclined
to agree with Paul in NJ, who found the more forward-leaning posture of his
RS kinder to his back than his RT.

>      o The saddle, and how it lets your butt be planted on it.

The saddle on the R1150R is just a pad to protect the paint on the frame
tubes.  The foam density suits me well, but I'd been thinking of enlisting
the aid of Rick Meyer in replacing it with a device that will tend to rotate
me forward a bit.

>      o If you are cold while you are riding, or if you are tense, then
>        you may be involuntarily constricting back muscles which cause
>        fatigue then pain.

Tension was a factor last night, definitely.  My aging eyes don't function
well at night, I was primarily on mountain roads where deer were an issue
and anything might be on the pavement, stuck behind slow-moving cars with
impatient morons in SUV's mere inches from my rear tire.  But those are
conditions I can't change, satisfying though it would certainly be to thin
the ranks of tailgaters.  Last year, back pain was such an issue that it
effectively ended my riding season in June.  It's a bad sign that it's back
again already.  So perhaps I should alter the scope of this query a bit:
What sorts of changes have people with sore backs tried, besides gin?
What's helped?  On which models?

Thanks,

	- Martin
- --
Martin Lodahl of Auburn, CA
lodahl@xxxxxxxxxxxx
UNIX Pro, Motorcyclist, Musician, etc.

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