Skankingbiker

i have bulging disks at l5/s1 and l4/l5 that hit my nerves.. the discs bulge from back. as such normal cycling position aggravates the disc bulges causing much pain. i have been riding a recumbent with lumbar support that put s my spine into lordosis.. which closes the disc space in back. wondering if i changed my riding posture on a diamond frame from curved forward to more upright/anterior pelvic tilt to put my back into lordosis would help alleviate my back pain....i like my bent, but its not suited to long gravel rides

illdrag0n

I have l3/4 and l4/l5 tears and considerable weight. I find that the less upright i am the less my lower back is working to stabilise me. I like a traditional drop bar position to flatten the back and put more of the tension on my core.

I can ride for as long as i need to in this position, but i get some aggravation upright on my 29er MTB.

But that's just me.

Skankingbiker

But does your back look this this ) or like this (

illdrag0n

i do have a pronounced ( between my thoracic and coxic. Not diabolical, but definitely the most curved part of my back.

I also have Canal Stenosis

livedarklions

The drive train probably isn't suitable for long gravel rides, but you might want to test ride a Specialized Roll. It has a very upright position. I'd mostly worry about the Tourney derailleurs being inadequate for trail riding.

jadocs

Lemond1985

"A typographical representation of your back is worth a thousand words, but only if taken from the drive side."

Since this is BF, I'm assuming this is from the drive side

berner

I recently posted, somewhere, about the need for those of us with troublesome backs to maintain a straight posture no matter what we are doing. Also very helpful is strong core muscles and I spend some time nearly every day on exercises for those muscles. There are many videos showing those exercises. I would recommend watching some of them for ideas on which ones would be helpful.

I have a book on yoga anatomy which is primarily directed at the muscles involved in breathing. Also shown in a series of fine illustrations, is how every muscle in the body in a stabilizing chain is ultimately attached to the pelvis which is the largest bone structure in the body. Thus, all the core muscles are stabilized at the pelvis.I will say that since I began a regimen of core exercises back pain has been greatly reduced. I will also say that I ride a diamond frame with the bars slightly below the saddle.

My first bike about 8-9 years ago was and old steel frame bought from a consignment store for $65. It was a fine bike, already about 25 years old. I would still be riding it but it was way too big which I was not knowledgeable enough to realize at the time of purchase. I would suggest looking for a similar bike to investigate the viability of a diamond frame for you.