My riding is somedays the least painful part of the day for my back. Being banged up in my youth and now having classic osteoarthritis for my age (70s) has me down to 20 mile rides every other day. Longer or more often no more. I have used chiropractics for years, wonderfully exercises from Living Pain Free by Peter Eroscue and raising my bars just in the last year. Raising the bars is the most painful (not physical pain) as I can not bare to do it it on the C&V Italians which means they will have to find new homes.