Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,215
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
Mentioned: 48 Post(s)
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I agree with everyone that suggested wider tires. My road bike has 28mm tires, those are the narrowest tires I run on any of my bikes. If you have 23mm tires, go shopping for tires first. This being the touring forum, I assumed you were on tires that were at least 30mm wide when I read your first post. It had not occurred to me that you were on some rock hard skinny tires.
Someone above suggested suspension fork, I do not agree on that. Your problem is your saddle, not your hands on the handlebars.
If you have a physical therapist for your back, perhaps you should have that conversation with your PT, as they have the X rays they can look at and give it some thought. I told my back PT that I have my bike saddle turned slightly to the left (a straight line through my saddle would be about an inch to the left of my stem bolt, not directly through that bolt). When she was looking at the X rays of my back she said she was not surprised that I had my saddle turned slightly to one side. She is a spine specialist in a spinal clinic.