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Commuter for Sciatica Sufferer: Citizen? Coda? Other?

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Commuter for Sciatica Sufferer: Citizen? Coda? Other?

Old 06-17-16, 10:02 AM
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Commuter for Sciatica Sufferer: Citizen? Coda? Other?

Last summer I had a bout of sciatica pain in my lower back and leg that lasted for several months. My doctor felt that it was exacerbated by my decision to ignore it the first few days and ride my bike to work despite the pain, and advised me to stay off the bike until it was resolved.

A few weeks ago, I got back on my hybridized Nishiki (a road bike that a shop turned into a commuter by changing to thicker wheels and mustache handlebars). I rode around the block slowly in low gear. The next day, the pain was back, and it lasted for two weeks.

I think the problem is the forward leaning position, and I'm hoping that a bike with a more upright position will allow me to keep riding.

My local shop recommended the Jamis Citizen, and said they could set it up to maximize upright posture. They're wiling to make mods and let me try it out before buying, and have ordered one in my size.

The Citizen, gets a lot of good reviews, but some people seem to feel that the Coda is a much better bike for not much more money.

Could the Coda also be set up for upright riding? Are there other bikes I should look at? Or other factors to consider?

Thanks!
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Old 06-17-16, 11:11 AM
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I hurt my back after attempting to deadlift a huge amount of weight. Even sitting in a chair or car seat was extremely painful. It was very hard to ride any type of bike. The thing that helped me recover the most was doing spinal decompression exercises. You might also try an inverted table, which can decompress your spine for even longer periods.
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Old 06-17-16, 12:12 PM
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Originally Posted by SquareRounder
Last summer I had a bout of sciatica pain...
Walking a few miles daily will help. Walking is a great low impact exercise, and you can lose weight slowly too over time.

You may want to try raising your handlebar (steerer extender) before buying a new bike.
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Old 06-17-16, 02:01 PM
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Recumbent?
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Old 06-17-16, 02:23 PM
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Recumbent?
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Old 06-18-16, 09:05 AM
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Thanks for the responses. Pilates and acupuncture helped me recover, and now most days I'm fine- as long as I don't do anything to exacerbate it.

I asked my local shop if they could modify my current bike's handlebars for a more upright posture and they said no. I've been going to them for years for tune-ups and repairs and I trust them.

I've considered a recumbent, but I'm a bit put off by the prices. My research suggested that a decent recumbent runs in the neighborhood of $1000, which is a lot of money to spend at once, and to leave chained to a street sign in NYC.

Hopefully my local shop will have a Citizen for me to try next week, and I'll see how it goes.
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Old 06-18-16, 03:45 PM
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My back pain and resultant leg pain resolve when I ride. I think the bent over position helps stretch things out.
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Old 06-18-16, 04:15 PM
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Recumbent?
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Old 06-19-16, 07:12 AM
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I would say that in the Jamis line-up, the Citizen might be a better choice than the Coda if you are looking for a really upright riding position. The Coda has a relatively aggressive riding position and although you probably could get the handlebars up there, it would probably require very high rise handlebars. The bigger the bike, the easier it is to get the handlebars up high but then you have to take stand-over clearance into account. If you go with the Citizen, I would recommend getting the one without suspension, unless you do a lot of riding over very rough terrain. For a recreational bike, suspension just adds unneeded weight and complexity.

My understanding on sciatica is that two things have to be present: 1) an impinged nerve (about 50% of all people have this but most don't have symptoms) and inflammation of that nerve. My doctor told me that at the first sign of a sciatic attack, start taking 800 mg of Ibuprofen, three times per day for at least two weeks and longer if needed. This helps reduce the inflammation part and so far, I haven't had a full blown attack in years. Chiropractic has also helped me. My sacroillial joint tends to lock up and once he fixes that, my lower back pain goes away. And, like another poster mentioned, the less I ride, the more problems I have with lower back pain.
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Old 06-19-16, 10:39 PM
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Have you had an MRI? Have you seen a physiatrist? Sciatica occurs at different sites (on the spine) for different people, and it has different causes. Find the cause, don't just avoid the symptoms. As has been mentioned, walking helps a lot. Cycling may or may not hurt it, but it is unlikely to help, and if you're not helping, you might be hurting. I had crippling sciatica which required surgery.

Strengthen and stretch!
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Old 06-24-16, 09:05 AM
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Originally Posted by corwin1968
I would say that in the Jamis line-up, the Citizen might be a better choice than the Coda if you are looking for a really upright riding position. The Coda has a relatively aggressive riding position and although you probably could get the handlebars up there, it would probably require very high rise handlebars. The bigger the bike, the easier it is to get the handlebars up high but then you have to take stand-over clearance into account. If you go with the Citizen, I would recommend getting the one without suspension, unless you do a lot of riding over very rough terrain. For a recreational bike, suspension just adds unneeded weight and complexity.
Thanks corwin, that's the kind of info I'm looking for! It also confirms my local shop's recommendation. I'm still waiting for them to get one in for me to try, but I'm optimistic.
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Old 06-24-16, 09:12 AM
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
Recumbent?
I actually had the opportunity to take a spin on a recumbent trike last week. I went to the park and there was a guy sitting on one with a sign that said it's for sale. Turns out he has a shop and sells them. He let me ride it around the loop in the park, which includes a hill, and I felt find afterward. So it's definitely an option from the sciatica perspective. The problem is that the base model starts at $1000, and I'm not sure they're well suited to city riding. It was difficult to maneuver, being low down cuts visibility, and being wide makes it difficult to share the road. I'd also be nervous about leaving a $1000 machine on the streets of NY. I could pay even more and get a fold-up model, but I'm not sure lugging it up the stairs would be very good for my back either.

So I'm still hoping the Citizen will work.
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Old 06-24-16, 10:59 AM
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OP, in your situation, I would look for a fully-upright bike, like a 'dutch'-style townie, or a beach cruiser. If that doesn't work, then maybe even a recumbent.

I feel for you, I had an episode of pinched nerve pain for a few months, vertebrae in the lower neck, causing pain in the upper back and left arm. Fortunately for me it didn't affect my riding, as the worst pain was tilting my head forward or looking down (or putting on socks --- my wife had to help me). On the bike with drop-bars, I got sweet relief with my back leaned forward and head tilted back/up.

A little physical therapy, stretching exercises, a few epidural shots, improvements to posture, and a sit/stand desk at work, now I've got it under control.

I hope you also find your path to health and comfort!
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Old 06-24-16, 03:07 PM
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Good story, @ruberad. Those therapies work, and I would have more faith in them than in any choice of bike. Choosing a bike that avoids the symptoms has a value, but nothing beats treating the cause. Believe me, I know this from experience.
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Old 06-24-16, 09:52 PM
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Originally Posted by SquareRounder
Last summer I had a bout of sciatica pain in my lower back and leg that lasted for several months. My doctor felt that it was exacerbated by my decision to ignore it the first few days and ride my bike to work despite the pain, and advised me to stay off the bike until it was resolved.

A few weeks ago, I got back on my hybridized Nishiki (a road bike that a shop turned into a commuter by changing to thicker wheels and mustache handlebars). I rode around the block slowly in low gear. The next day, the pain was back, and it lasted for two weeks.

I think the problem is the forward leaning position, and I'm hoping that a bike with a more upright position will allow me to keep riding.

My local shop recommended the Jamis Citizen, and said they could set it up to maximize upright posture. They're wiling to make mods and let me try it out before buying, and have ordered one in my size.

The Citizen, gets a lot of good reviews, but some people seem to feel that the Coda is a much better bike for not much more money.

Could the Coda also be set up for upright riding? Are there other bikes I should look at? Or other factors to consider?

Thanks!
My Sirrus Sport did it for me. My sciatica (SI Joint) was caused by weight gain and the first thing they did with me at PT was put me on a bike to losen things up. I had gone from 170 to 240 pounds. The Sirrus got me under 200 again and now I've settled in and go between 170 and 180 depending on how much riding I do. Once under 200 I tried drops again and found I could ride comfortably again, though the neck bugs me from time to time on drops. I was having fun with a quick convert of the Sirrus for a while because fidgeting is fun, but I was going back and forth depending on how a felt too often. I'm forever going to have back problems, dad and grandfather had it and my cycling no doubt doesn't help so having both options is a plus, especially when aches and pains come when the weather changes.

Last edited by Allez3; 01-08-17 at 10:20 AM. Reason: Spelling
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Old 06-25-16, 05:05 PM
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My sciatica issue was resolved with massage. Google search piriformis massage. Riding a bicycle can affect the piriformis muscle.
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Old 06-26-16, 08:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Keith K
My sciatica issue was resolved with massage. Google search piriformis massage. Riding a bicycle can affect the piriformis muscle.
That's very interesting!
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Old 06-26-16, 09:20 PM
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Originally Posted by SquareRounder
The Citizen, gets a lot of good reviews, but some people seem to feel that the Coda is a much better bike for not much more money.

Could the Coda also be set up for upright riding? Are there other bikes I should look at? Or other factors to consider?

Thanks!

How about installing one of those adjustable stem on your bike and play with the angle and height? You might find your sweet spot, that way.


I am having this same issue for the past three weeks now. I had to miss two days of work last week. I don't believe I got it from cycling as I haven't done any long rides for months now. At least, I hope it's not cycling related.
I found some massage technique in the web that seems to be helping a bit. I am planning to see a Chiropractor if the pain gets really bad again.

Last edited by DVC45; 06-26-16 at 09:40 PM.
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