It's generally true that you never forget how to ride a bike, and you should be able to ride short distances even if you're out of shape. However, some people experience shoulder pain from bicycling that threatens to keep them off their bikes. Fortunately, changes in posture and technique can alleviate this pain and get you back on the road.
Poor Posture
If you're fairly inexperienced but starting to ride longer distances, you might make the mistake of allowing your bones, rather than your muscles, to support your body weight, according to expert biker Sheldon Brown. You need to allow your shoulder muscles to support your upper body, which may cause muscle fatigue at first but will help you avoid other problems later. You also may need to adjust your bike's saddle -- if it's too low in front, you'll need to support too much weight with your arms against the handlebars, which can lead to shoulder pain.
Tense Shoulders
Some people tend to tense their shoulder muscles when they ride their bicycles, which can lead to fatigue in those muscles and shoulder pain during and after bicycling, according to Harvard Medical School. Try relaxing your shoulders as you ride, and make sure you're not holding them higher than they'd naturally sit. If your pain appears in just one shoulder rather than both of them, you may be riding lopsided. Make sure you're bending both of your arms the same amount and holding them at the same level.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Long-distance riders, especially those who use drop handlebars, may experience a condition known as thoracic outlet syndrome, which can cause pain and numbness in the shoulders, neck and arms, according to RoadCycling.com. Thoracic outlet syndrome typically results from a neck injury but sometimes also occurs from repeatedly extending your neck too far. If you have it, you'll probably experience tingling in your hands and wrists along with pain in your arms and shoulders. You may be able to alleviate the problem by using taller handlebars or moving the saddle forward.
Bike Fit
Your bicycle needs to fit properly to help you avoid shoulder or other types of pain, even if you only ride occasionally. If you find you can't ride without pain, you likely won't ride at all, depriving yourself of fun and beneficial exercise. Consider visiting a bike shop with your bike to ask about fit. Many shops will provide complimentary or low-cost assessments and can tell you what should be changed to alleviate your shoulder pain from bicycling.
