Originally Posted by
Noonievut
I've been riding the gravel roads/trails in my area for years and my back hasn't given me any grief. I'm getting older though, and perhaps combined with another trigger, I've experienced some tight back muscles that do get sore (5 out of 10) very recently.
A simple fix is simply back off your efforts on bumpy rides. Slow down a bit. It takes significantly more effort to maintain the same speed over a bumpy road vs a smooth one. Getting older will factor in.
If you really want to ride at your usual speed, then pick a much smoother road to ride on. Another option is get another gravel bike that can fit even wider set of tires.
Another simple fix if haven't done already is recovery if you're riding everyday or have a relatively high volume of rides per week.