Best Bike for Bad Back

If you happen to suffer from Sciatica, or any other spinal injuries, then cycling may be one of the best things that you can do to repair your body if done correct. It is important to pick the best bike for bad back when looking for a way to exercise the pain away.

Of course, when pairing cycling with eating correct, speaking with your doctor and physical therapy team you will have a winning combination to make your body feel best.

It is important when deciding how to get into cycling what is the best way to help your body succeed.

There are plenty of people that have a bad back and simply need to decrease the inflammation in their back by taking out exercises like running and walking on hard surfaces in bad shoes which can hurt your back further.

By cycling, you are finding a great way to push blood flow throughout the body, while also working the muscles in the back.

What is most important is to be able to choose the correct bicycle for a bad back. There are plenty of people that are able to take any bicycle, however if your bad is particularly bad, then you may need a particular type of bicycle.

There are 6 types of bicycles that we will introduce in this posting and you will learn about why these bicycles are great for a bad back. You will also learn about the benefits of cycling when you have a bad back.

What bike is best for bad back?

The general rule is that any bicycle that has correct bicycle fit will be good for a bad back. However, there are some bicycles that are better than others.

There are some people that have complaints that a road bicycle’s hunching position causers their lower back to become aggravated. Usually this is actually a symptom of poor bicycle fit, however, there are other bicycles that are more forgiving on the body if the bicycle does not fit perfectly.

Best Bike for Bad Back

The best bike for bad back will most likely be a beach cruiser. Outside of beach cruisers there are recumbent bikes for the indoors and you are able to choose many others.

For the most part, if your bicycle fit is correct, then you will not face any challenges with any particular bike. Below we list the best bikes for a bad back and the reasons why they can be great for your body.

Beach Cruisers

Beach Cruisers are great for a bad back for a variety of reasons.

The first reason is that you typically will ride a beach cruiser on flat, smooth ground. The beach cruiser does not find itself on a bumpy road where there will be much difference in the terrain to aggravate the back.

Second, because of the beach cruisers’ upright positioning and placement of the hands, the sitting position is like that of a seat where you rest all of your body weight on the saddle.

This positioning paired with the typically soft saddle allows the ride to pump the pedals without facing lower back pain. Due to the positioning, you are also directly working the lower back to push the pedals down in a circular motion.

E-Bike

Electric bicycles are a great option because you are not working the body nearly as strenuously to get up hills. E-bikes help you move forward through the electronic assist and propulsion of a motor situated inside the body of the bicycle.

Through the use of E-bikes, you are able to find yourself moving forward in a very comfortable seated position without needing to work the body nearly as hard as a standard bike, while enjoying the benefits of blood circulation and a fun workout.

The great thing is no matter how much propulsion assistance the bicycle gives, you will still be able to find your heart receiving a workout and pumping your blood throughout the body to heal.

Hybrid

Hybrid bicycles are fantastic mainly because there are step through designs to the frame which allow the rider to step through the frame of the bicycle without further tweaking or damaging the bicycle.

Hybrid bicycles typically will also come with standard suspensions to help smoothen out the way that the ride feels over time.

Road Bikes

The team at routeonecycling.com has a preference towards road bikes because this was the way that our editor solved many of their back problems.

Road bikes are great when the bicycle fit is done correctly because you are able to find yourself moving up increasingly challenging terrain and over vast distances.

This means that your bad back is able to get a truly exhaustive workout over time to strengthen the muscles that are weak and support the structure of the bones and integrity.

Recumbent Bicycle

Recumbent bicycles are the first bicycles that actually truly place you in a seated position rather than a saddle.

This is important because the distinction points out in a saddle (all other bicycles) you are only partially placing your weight on. The rest of the weight is being carried through the arms and the feet on the pedals.

A recumbent bicycle on the other hand is placing their bum on the seat and fully resting their bum and back. This means that when riding, you are able to focus on pumping the legs, rather than the fitting and comfortability of the bicycle on the bad back.

Can Cycling worsen back pain?

If you are doing everything correctly with your bicycle, then cycling will not worsen your back pain. Cycling is one of the best ways to decrease your back pain when you have the correct instruction from your doctor and physical therapy team.

Cycling for back pain is great because it cycles blood through the back and decreases the inflammation. If you are experiencing any pain, then here is a great guide to start reading while also speaking with your doctor.

You are also providing support to the bad back and strengthening the muscles without bringing impact to the areas in question.

Ensure that you have a proper bicycle fit for the best results.

Conclusion: Best Bike for Bad Back

There are plenty of different types of bicycles for a bad back. Typically the best bicycle will be a cruiser where you are not hunched over, and riding on smooth ground.

The purpose of riding a bicycle for a bad back is to exercise the surrounding muscles so that you are able to provide blood flow and strengthening to the area without much impact to the bones, ligaments, spine and surrounding joints to speed recovery.

Typically all bicycles are great as long as the bicycle fits correctly and you are sitting in the right position for the bicycle and your body. Adding poor posture to your ride can lead to more pain in your ride.