Sore Shoulders

[Heckler Sb130]

Getting sore shoulders after my eBike rides which I’ve never had with my analog. Who has thoughts & wisdom on what may be causing this

 

[Heckler Sb130]

Should add I’m on a Heckler 9 MX with a Rockshox Lyrik Ultimate, Avalanche Coil and OneUp bars

 

[HGmtb]

Some previous discussion about this, but mostly about grips, bar angle, fork setup, tyre pressure etc - but none of it explains why it happens more on eMTB's. My theory is that because you don't put as much force downwards into the pedals when riding eBikes compared to analogue bikes, the weight of the upper body has to be more supported by your arms (something to do with core strength ?). Most people I know who ride eMTB's mention wrist ache which is probably caused by the same thing - It's complicated to prove ergonomically, but if you switch the motor off (or even to eco) and pedal reasonably hard you will notice the weight on your arms lightens.
Another reason could be that people tend to accelerate and then brake more on a eMTB compared to an analogue bike, which also put more strain on wrists, arms and shoulders.

 

[mustclime]

I got a Kenevo a while back and noticed right away I was loading my upper body a lot more. I upped the upper body work outs a lot more. Almost doubling the bike’s weight requires more upper body strength. Jmo

 

[Heckler Sb130]

Some previous discussion about this, but mostly about grips, bar angle, fork setup, tyre pressure etc - but none of it explains why it happens more on eMTB's. My theory is that because you don't put as much force downwards into the pedals when riding eBikes compared to analogue bikes, the weight of the upper body has to be more supported by your arms (something to do with core strength ?). Most people I know who ride eMTB's mention wrist ache which is probably caused by the same thing - It's complicated to prove ergonomically, but if you switch the motor off (or even to eco) and pedal reasonably hard you will notice the weight on your arms lightens.
Another reason could be that people tend to accelerate and then brake more on a eMTB compared to an analogue bike, which also put more strain on wrists, arms and shoulders.

The interesting thing is when I’ve ridden my friends Bullit eBike I’ve had no issues. But if I switch over to my Heckler it comes on. This tossed out the eBike & weight theory for my situation and I know it’s not grips, tire pressure or strength. I’m leaning towards it’s a fork issue so I have a custom hybrid coil fork from Avalanche coming to me which should help if not eliminate the issue.

 

[Oakhills]

My arms are tired because I’m getting 3x the downhill in on my Ebike….

 

[Heckler Sb130]

My arms are tired because I’m getting 3x the downhill in on my Ebike….

I’d say the body itself gets tired with 3x the downhill but that’s not the same as getting sore.

 

[Plummet]

Yeah doubling the weight, doubling the amount of down,, you have to be way more aggressive to throw the bike around. I'm going through that right now too.

Ride more. It will go away when you get used to it.

Regarding your mates bike. It has more travel so will suck up more trail noise before you have to work hard. Ride his bike in chunkier terrain and you will get more upper body work out.

 

[Heckler Sb130]

Yeah doubling the weight, doubling the amount of down,, you have to be way more aggressive to throw the bike around. I'm going through that right now too.

Ride more. It will go away when you get used to it.

Regarding your mates bike. It has more travel so will suck up more trail noise before you have to work hard. Ride his bike in chunkier terrain and you will get more upper body work out.

Already done that as my local terrain is chunky and has the ability to beat you up if you don’t know how to pick a good line. Upper body workout and getting tired is different from getting sore during/after rides. That’s one of the reasons I’ve narrowed it down to cockpit dimensions/setup or simply a fork not performing the way it should. New coil is on its way as I’ve already tinkered with cockpit setup with no good results on this issue.

 

[Mikerb]

Strain on wrists, arms, shoulders is all to do with cockpit set up.............specifically too much weight on the bars. Given in your case it is your shoulders that are feeling it most my guess is that on your bike you are not absorbing the forces with bent elbows. Your arms being bent at the elbow should be a ble to act as shock absorbers preventing the forces being transmitted to the shoulder.
It could be that your bars are too wide. Your hands need to be positioned on the bars just slightly wide of your shoulders to then allow your elbows to be bent and outward.
You can also reduce overall weight on the bars by fitting higher rise bars. Higher rise bars also help to keep your head and torso higher when descending so you can actually look ahead without strain on your neck and be in a stronger position regarding forces that try to chuck you over the front!! Its a win/win!!

 

[Heckler Sb130]

Strain on wrists, arms, shoulders is all to do with cockpit set up.............specifically too much weight on the bars. Given in your case it is your shoulders that are feeling it most my guess is that on your bike you are not absorbing the forces with bent elbows. Your arms being bent at the elbow should be a ble to act as shock absorbers preventing the forces being transmitted to the shoulder.
It could be that your bars are too wide. Your hands need to be positioned on the bars just slightly wide of your shoulders to then allow your elbows to be bent and outward.
You can also reduce overall weight on the bars by fitting higher rise bars. Higher rise bars also help to keep your head and torso higher when descending so you can actually look ahead without strain on your neck and be in a stronger position regarding forces that try to chuck you over the front!! Its a win/win!!

I agree with your assessment for riding in general but in my case I understand bent elbows, bar width isn’t the issue and I’ve played with getting my bars higher. My eBike bars are the same width as my analog and both are shorter then my friends bike I ride with no issues. My form/riding ability isn’t changing from bike to bike.

 

[Mikerb]

Your "form" or body positioning is very unlikely to be the same on your bike compared to your mates unless the reach, stack, head angle etc are identical.................a video of you riding might tell a different story to what you think!

You seem intent on changing fork, yet the Lyric Ultimate ( assuming it is well serviced and set up) is a brilliant fork and about as plush as they get, so I doubt that is your issue.

 

[Plummet]

Already done that as my local terrain is chunky and has the ability to beat you up if you don’t know how to pick a good line. Upper body workout and getting tired is different from getting sore during/after rides. That’s one of the reasons I’ve narrowed it down to cockpit dimensions/setup or simply a fork not performing the way it should. New coil is on its way as I’ve already tinkered with cockpit setup with no good results on this issue.

Fair enough. Play with bar bars, sweep and roll. Tokens in the firm for plusher small pump.

Out of interest. Why didn't you get a bullet if you have chunky terrain?

It could be you are underbiked and you are about to undergo a process to try and turn a heckler into a bullet.

Maybe cut your losses and sell the heckler and buy a bullet.

 

[Heckler Sb130]

Fair enough. Play with bar bars, sweep and roll. Tokens in the firm for plusher small pump.

Out of interest. Why didn't you get a bullet if you have chunky terrain?

It could be you are underbiked and you are about to undergo a process to try and turn a heckler into a bullet.

Maybe cut your losses and sell the heckler and buy a bullet.

The Heckler has plenty of travel for chunky terrain. Especially if you know how to pick a line. I don’t send it off jumps or drops either and I’m not in the process of turning the Heck into a Bull. The new fork will be the same travel.

 

[Robstyle]

Is your ebike the same reach as your normal bike?
That's one thing I've found in the past, too stretched out really loaded my shoulders.
Now a couple of things I do that completely eliminate arm/shoulder pain is make all my bar heights the same 108cm ground to grip centre as my bike that has felt the most comfy.
(+or- if your Bb is different heights). Try to get them the same RAD too.
And Narrower bars, this has made the biggest difference to be fair. 765mm is the money.

Just buy a shitter set of bars off marketplace and try some narrower widths maybe? You might already be quite narrow

 

[Humanbeersponge]

If you ever follow any bike fitters on Youtube its surprising what you pick up. Yes they are mainly for roadies but some of it does transfer to mtb position.

I had a fit on my roadie (don`t hate me) and made a big difference to comfort.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

My eBike bars are the same width as my analog and both are shorter then my friends bike I ride with no issues. My form/riding ability isn’t changing from bike to bike.

Makes sense. I'd suggest to precisely measure your friends e-bike (heights, lengths, angles) which seems to fit you, and duplicate the settings on your bike accordingly, making the same adjustments.

Of course there are limits to what can be adjusted, but if both bikes have similar geometries, you can get pretty close.

You could also visit a LBS and pay for some fitting services!

 

[Heckler Sb130]

Update…my new fork is installed and shoulders are feeling great! Looks like my intuition was spot on. My Lyrik was a lemon and my new coil hybrid fork is a cloud! Thank You Avalanche Suspension!!!!