imobilinpedalus

Ever experience headackes from riding on rough terrain or simply running up and down sidewalks vs street all day long?
I seem to have developed a slight "headbangers" syndrome. Can this relate to my consistant sidewalk bike lifestyle? Undeniably the brain gets a proper shakedown when you ride an 28 unsuspended cyclocross on cobblestone and the likes. Oh and guys & gals before i forget, i don`t consume any alcohol, so don`t even go there alright

RonH

Are you drinking enough water?

Lucillle

Post hoc ergo propter hoc. It may be a headache from riding, but it also may be from vision problems, a tumor, or a host of other issues. Why not go to your doctor and get it checked out?

canklecat

I get those headaches too. It's from a neck injury caused by a car wreck -- my C2 vertebrae is permanently damaged. And people who are vulnerable to migraines, cluster headaches or trigeminal neuralgia may experience headaches from bike riding.

You should get checked out medically to see if there are any physical problems that need attention.

To minimize the problems I made some compromises when I resumed cycling last year.

My first priority was a soft ride that was still fairly efficient. I got a compact frame hybrid set up for comfort with a simple spring suspension fork and padded springy saddle. I added fatter tires (700x40, and when these wear out I'm going fatter) and keep the pressure below maximum to cushion the ride.

Works great for me. I can ride rough pavement, chipseal, gravel, pretty much anything, without pain. It's like riding a well designed reclining chair with good ergonomics. Not too squishy soft like a Townie bike, not painful like a rigid fork. It's still my favorite bike for rides up to 40 miles on reasonably flat terrain and errands, carrying groceries, etc. It's a bit heavy for lots of hill climbing.

However after a year, last month, I wanted to try something different and lighter. I got a rigid fork 1990s era mountain bike. I still need to keep the tire pressure below maximum to soften the ride without risking pinch flats. One set of gravel riding tires has a maximum pressure of 75 psi -- I use them at 60-65 psi. The other set has a 100 psi maximum -- I run those at 90 psi on the rear, 80-85 psi front. No problems on several rides of 20-40 miles that included rough pavement, chipseal and gravel. I may try some of the supposedly "supple" tires designed for long distance touring, randonneuring, etc.

And I swapped handlebars with the other bike. The new-to-me mountain bike's flat bars were too low; the comfort hybrid's riser bars were too high. Both bikes now have handlebars about 2" above saddle height. That's the sweet spot for me, a good compromise between comfort and efficiency for head winds or climbing hills.

Another factor is putting more weight on my feet when approaching bumpy stuff -- cracks, railroad tracks, etc. This seems obvious, but it took awhile for my conditioning to get strong enough to do this on long rides. I had to ride about six months before my legs were strong enough to support more weight consistently on rough roads.

And saddle height is critical to get that balance between weight on the butt and on the feet and hands. I also use padded saddles on both bikes. The comfort hybrid's padded springy saddle now feels too cushy, so I'll replace it soon. The mountain bike has an old Bell padded saddle and still feels good to me, although it's slightly less efficient. I may swap it over to the comfort hybrid and get a firmer saddle for the mountain bike.

FBinNY 

Headaches are about as easy to diagnose as those mysterious clicks you get on bikes.

There are simply too many possibilities, but if the headaches are well linked to riding, then the first thing I'd suspect is a form of tension headache originating in the neck, and resulting from the need to hold the against that pounding.

It could also be related to vision, as you strain to hold focus and track movement from a bouncing platform (though IME that tends to cause some dizziness at the same time.

Of course, you could see the pro, but I suspect that lacking any solid info, he'd be like that bike mechanic tracking a click, and end up testing for everything, if for no other reason than covering his ass.

So, start with some simple eliminations. Ride the same level of effort, but no bouncing, and if you still get the same headaches, then it points more to hydration.

imobilinpedalus

Dehydration, hmm...i Always carry a bottle of water with me but nevertheless a valid point. I`m a sucker for milk so i tend to drink more milk than water. So in that respect, no i am probably not drinking enough water, lol. Don`t think it has to do with concentration/vision although i do use my eyes a lot to scan the oncoming road ahead for any objects in my path. It really is annoying because the headackes can appear without any further ado, but it`s not something i get all the time, just on occasions. Feels like the cerebral cortex has been processed through a tumbledrier. Not very keen on seeing a doctor for something like this. A tension headacke originating in the neck area sounds feasable and i do experience some dizzyness.

SugarMonkey

I get tension headaches when I don't realize I've tensed up a lot and ride for a long time that way. I did it to myself yesterday when the wind picked up out of no where. I was going down hill and still had to fight the wind to keep going and then after a while I realized I was a big tension ball complete with headache.

canklecat

Dizziness with a headache indicates potentially serious problems. Do see a specialist about this. My C2 neck injury was not properly diagnosed until months after the accident when a specialist ordered diagnostics on my neck after months of pain and dizziness. By then it was too late to revise the insurance settlement.

In my case, I can't crane my neck to look upward, so a bicycle with low handlebars is very uncomfortable. And I have to be careful when looking side to side -- if I turn my head too quickly to peek over my shoulder for traffic while riding I get a sudden sharp pain and dizziness. So I use handlebar and helmet mirrors to check first, then turn my head slowly and carefully to take another look.

Jseis 

I get headaches near my left eye while cycling on two seasonal occasions: spring/summer transition/allergies and fall transition w/cool weather giving me congestion. Both related to sinus pressure.

Timequake

Back when I played in a metal band, we used to call that a "bangover."

Lots of headaches are caused by bad posture. Sit at a computer all day reading bike forums? Send too many text messages? You (and the majority of modern humans) may have forward head posture, also known as text-neck or computer-guy posture. The head is not centered and supported by the spine, causing your neck muscles to get out of whack, causing nerve and muscle pain that manifest in headaches. Stand relaxed with your heels and back against a wall. Your shoulder blades and back of head should be touching the wall. If not, you've got work to do! Luckily with a few daily exercises and some lifestyle changes, it's easy to correct.

But also, it could have a myriad of other causes.

imobilinpedalus

Just a small note, my headacke is not something i get until after i`ve come home. It`s not something that occurs during riding.

Timequake

Let me guess, you're married?

imobilinpedalus

Oh my god, the pun