Ride With Less Back Ache, Numb Hands and Sore Knees On the Bike You Already Own

...even if the bike shop told you “at your age, you're going to feel it.”

Playing on mute. Tap the video for sound.

Imagine...

  1. Your first loop

    Out of the truck without a hand on your back

    A rider in his late 50s stepping down from his pickup at the trailhead after his loop, both hands free, coffee in hand, smiling

    Pulling into the trailhead lot after your Saturday loop and climbing out of the truck without a hand on your lower back. A coffee on the tailgate instead of a little stretch you hope nobody sees.

  2. The second descent

    Hands that still feel like your hands

    The same rider stopped at the bottom of a descent, hands relaxed on the grips, laughing as he looks at them

    Coming off the second descent with hands that still feel like your hands. No shaking out your fingers on every flat bit. Just you, the trail and the view.

  3. Day 28

    Your own handwriting shows the trend

    The rider at his kitchen table with his pain log sheets, his wife smiling over his shoulder

    Flipping back through your pain log, from Day 1 to Day 28, and seeing in your own handwriting that the ache that used to start at mile 6 now starts later, or doesn't start at all. Then the next time somebody at a trailhead says they're getting too old for this, you hand them a tape measure.

Have you ever rolled back into the parking lot after a good ride, one hand on the small of your back, and thought:

“Maybe I'm just getting too old for this.”
A tired rider at the trailhead tailgate, one hand on his lower back, shaking out his numb fingers

You didn't give up. You went looking for answers. You watched the free videos. I make some of those myself, so I know what they do well and what they can't do. A video shows you one fix. It can't walk you through your whole bike, in order, with your own numbers written down.

You tried the forums. 10 riders, 12 opinions, and half of them just bought a new bike. You asked at the shop, and somebody half your age sold you a pair of padded shorts or a $4,000 upgrade. Your doctor had 5 minutes and has never seen your saddle. Your brother-in-law said, “Just stretch more.”

So you changed 3 things at once. It felt a bit different. You couldn't tell which change did it, so you couldn't tell which one to undo. A few weeks later the ache was back at the same mile.

Every answer pointed somewhere else, and none of them started with you and your bike.

And somewhere along the way you started to believe: “This is just what getting older feels like.”

But what if...

  • It isn't your age.
  • It isn't that you need a newer bike.
  • It's that you've been riding a setup that stopped fitting you years ago, and nobody has ever shown you how to put it right, in order.
A rider kneeling beside his bike in the garage with a tape measure and a hex key, pencil behind his ear, starting to smile

I know, because I was that rider. Mile 6. That's where it used to start. A dull ache low in the back, then the tingling in my hands. I walked into the bike shop and asked what was wrong with me.

The young fellow behind the counter said, “At your age, on a bike like that, you're going to feel it.” Then he pointed me at a bike that cost a little over $4,000.

I went home with a tape measure and a hex key instead. The saddle was low and tipped back. The bars were too low and too far away. The grips were thin, the brake levers bent my wrists, and the tires were pumped rock hard.

None of it was my age. All of it was fixable in the garage. All you need is a tape measure, a hex key and a pencil. And here I am. I'll walk you through it, step by step, the way I'd do it in my own garage.

Fix your fit, not your age.

The Pain-Free Ride System

5 steps, in the right order. Each one ends with a checkpoint you tick before you move on. No skipping ahead to the shopping list.

  1. Map

    Find where it hurts, and why.

    Mark your sore spots on the pain map, then answer a 2-minute self-assessment.

  2. Measure

    The 10-minute garage check.

    A tape measure, a level and a pencil. Every number goes on your setup card.

  3. Adjust

    10 fixes, cheapest first.

    Saddle, bars and cockpit, hands, tires, seatpost, cranks and pedals, fork basics, a hardtail comfort ladder, an upgrade order, and what to do if the bike is the wrong size.

  4. Strengthen

    The body the bike shop can't sell you.

    A 7-minute trailhead warm-up, stretches, 2 short strength sessions a week with a band and a chair, balance work and recovery.

  5. Ride

    Lock it in, and keep it.

    Fall-proofing, the 4-week pain-free reset, ride logs, and what to do when the ache comes back.

Where it hurts tells you where to look first

Most aches at mile 6 trace back to a handful of setup mistakes. Start your search here.

Numb or tingling hands
A saddle tipped nose-down, bars too low, thin grips, levers that bend your wrists.
Sore neck and shoulders
Bars too low or too far away.
Ache at the front of the knee
A saddle that is too low.
Ache behind the knee
A saddle that is too high or too far back.
Low back ache
Saddle height, the reach to the bars, tires pumped too hard.
Numb or sore where you sit
Saddle tilt and saddle width.

This is where to look first, not a diagnosis. The book's pain map covers 8 areas, with the bike causes, the body causes and the page to turn to. Some pain is a doctor's job, and the book says where that line is.

What viewers say about my free videos

These are real comments from my free YouTube videos, shown exactly as they were posted. They are not reviews of the book.

  • Comment by @ericthedesigner on a free video: Best Advice you can ever get is watching this video! 2nd best advice, get a longer bike to make shorter, shorter bikes are almost impossible to make longer.
  • Comment by @andrew-tk39a on a free video: That was staggeringly useful - so many helpful nuggets of information there. Great presentation too. Thank you!
  • Comment by @WilliamLeslie-m2y on a free video: I got 2 great Haro Hardtails.1 I made 5 minor changes which made a huge difference.higher seatpost position helps a lot for me.
  • Comment by @us2trail on a free video: Impressive! Thanks! Liked and subscribed!
  • Comment by @petenikolakakis9273 on a free video: Great explanations
  • Comment by @PD-rz2pe on a free video: Great video. Iā€™ve been in the 50+ age group for a week now. Iā€™ve lived and cycled in the mountains my whole life, so Iā€™ve arrived at the same observations on my own. Greetings from Poland!
  • Comment by @aderueda on a free video: Wow! I absolutely love this channel !!!, I am 53 hardtail biker!! šŸ‘šŸ¼šŸšµšŸ¼ā€ā™‚
Pain-Free Mountain Biking After 50 on a computer, a tablet and a phone

Introducing Pain-Free Mountain Biking After 50

Fix Your Fit, Not Your Age. The 5-step system for riding the bike you own with less pain, from your first sore spot to your first easy loop.

  • Instant downloadIt lands in your inbox minutes after you order.
  • PDF and EPUB, in large printAbout 190 pages you can zoom as big as you like.
  • Phone, tablet or computerOpen it next to the bike, or print any page.
  • Yours to keepOne payment, no subscription, no login.

Here's a small taste of what's inside

Page 16 of the book: The pain map
Page 16. The pain map: mark your sore spots on a rider.

Part 1: Map. Find where it hurts, and why.

You mark your sore spots on a drawing of a rider, then match each one to its likely causes on the bike and in the body. About 15 minutes with a pencil, and you know which fix to try first.

  • The pain map covers 8 areas: lower back, neck and shoulders, hands and wrists, front of the knee, back of the knee, hips, the saddle area and tiring early.
  • Discover the bike causes and the body causes for each spot, and the page to turn to.
  • You'll answer a 2-minute self-assessment that points you to the right fix.
  • How to see through 3 myths: “it's just your age”, “a better bike will fix it” and “no pain, no gain”.
  • The “see your doctor if” signs for every area, so you know where the bike's job ends.
Page 35 of the book: The 10-minute garage check
Page 35. The 10-minute garage check.

Part 2: Measure. The 10-minute garage check.

A tape measure, a wall and a friend with a phone. 10 short stations, and every number goes on your setup card, so you know where you started and can always put it back.

  • 10 stations from your own numbers to saddle height, reach, bars, levers, tires, cranks and the fork.
  • The heel test and the knee photo: a simple way to see whether your saddle is in the right place.
  • You'll fill in the setup card, one page with every starting number and every change.
  • Learn what the numbers mean, in plain words.
  • A kit list of tools you probably own: tape measure, hex keys, a pump with a gauge and a pencil.
Page 46 of the book: Fix 1, the saddle
Page 46. Fix 1: the saddle.

Part 3: Adjust. The 10 fixes, cheapest first.

You only do the fixes your map points to, one change at a time. Each fix tells you what it costs, how long it takes, how to do it step by step and what to try if it still hurts.

  • Fixes 1 to 3 cover the saddle, the bars and cockpit, and your hands: grips, lever reach and angle, brake feel.
  • The tire fix comes with a starting-pressure chart, so you stop guessing by thumb.
  • How to choose between a suspension seatpost and a dropper, and what crank length, pedals and fork sag can do for you.
  • The hardtail comfort ladder and the upgrade order, with honest 2026 price ranges and the hype to skip.
  • An honest keep-or-sell test for a bike that is simply the wrong size.
Page 122 of the book: Sit to stand
Page 122. Sit to stand, one of 31 exercises.

Part 4: Strengthen. The body the bike shop can't sell you.

A warm-up, stretches, strength and balance work with a resistance band and a kitchen chair. 31 exercises, each with a photo, short steps, and an easier and a harder version.

  • The 7-minute trailhead warm-up, 9 moves, before every ride.
  • You'll get 10 stretches for after the ride and for the evening.
  • Strength A and B, 20 to 25 minutes, 2 days a week, never back to back.
  • Learn 2 balance drills so a dab of the foot stays a dab.
  • How to ride with a stiff back, old knees, arthritic hands, numbness or a stiff neck, plus recovery, water and fuel, and how to hold the bars.
Page 162 of the book: The 4-week pain-free reset
Page 162. The 4-week reset, a card for every one of the 28 days.

Part 5: Ride. Lock it in, and keep it.

The bike fits and the body is working with it. Now you ride it in, one short job a day for 4 weeks, so the changes turn into habit.

  • The 4-week pain-free reset: a card for each of the 28 days, with the bike job, the body job and the ride.
  • Fall-proofing: a setup that forgives you, flat pedals or clipless after 60, protection you'll actually wear, and getting back on after a crash.
  • Checkpoints at the end of every step, so you tick the boxes and move on.
  • A short “when the pain comes back” path, because one day something will move.
David Rock at the trailhead with his mountain bike

I'm David

I'm over 50, I ride a hardtail, and I make The MTB Guide on YouTube for riders who want straight answers.

I wrote this book the way I'd talk you through your bike in my garage. Blunt, in order, and with a pencil in your hand. No lecture about your age. Just your saddle, your bars and your numbers.

Watch my free videos on YouTube

David

Why it's only $17

Here's the honest reason. This is a digital book. No printing, no shipping, no warehouse, no middleman between me and your garage. So I don't have to charge much for it.

I also want it in as many garages as I can get it into. A rider who fixes his saddle tonight tells the fellow he rides with on Tuesday.

This is the launch price. When the launch bonus ends on November 7, the price goes to $27.

So if you've read this far, there's no reason to wait. Do Part 1 tonight, and if it isn't for you, you have 30 days to tell me.

Total Value: $143

Now Only

$17

One payment. Yours to keep.

Get the e-book for $17
Guaranteed safe and secure checkout, powered by StripeVisa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Google Pay and Apple Pay accepted

PDF and EPUB, large print, in your inbox in minutes.

  • Instant download
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
30-day money-back guarantee

Plus you'll be backed by my unconditional money back guarantee

You don't have to decide right now. Get the e-book and try it for 30 full days. Measure your bike. Make the first fixes. Ride it twice.

If it isn't for you, send one email to support@themtbguide.com within 30 days of your order and I'll refund every dollar. No forms. No hard feelings.

Some pain is a doctor's job, and the book tells you exactly where that line is. Everything else is yours to fix in the garage. And my promise is simple: if the e-book isn't worth $17 to you, you get every dollar back.

Try it for 30 days... or you don't pay for it.

Get 3 free bonuses with your order

I want you to actually start, and keep going. So the printable pages you'll use in the garage and on the trail are set up as 3 separate tools. Print them, tape them up and write on them.

Page 181 of the book: Your setup cardPage 182 of the book: The pre-ride check

Bonus 1: Your Setup Card and Pre-Ride Check

You do Part 2 once, and then you need somewhere to keep the answers. This is that place, plus a 2-minute check for the driveway before every ride.

  • One page for every starting number: saddle, reach, bars, levers, tires, cranks and fork
  • Write each change and its date, so you can always put it back
  • A 10-line pre-ride check: tires, brakes, wheels, bars, seatpost, chain, and someone knows where you are
  • Tape it inside the garage door, or keep a photo on your phone

Value: $15 → Included free

Page 183 of the book: The tire pressure chart

Bonus 2: The Tire Pressure Chart

Pressure is the cheapest suspension you will ever own, and most of us set it by thumb. This chart gives you a real place to start.

  • Starting psi, front and rear, by rider weight from under 120 lb to 240 lb
  • Columns for 2.25, 2.4, 2.5 and 2.6 in tires, from a major wheel maker's published tubeless chart
  • How to come down 1 psi at a time until the tire feels planted
  • What to do with tubes, and the one number you never go over

Value: $12 → Included free

Page 184 of the book: The pain logPage 186 of the book: The weekly check-in

Bonus 3: The Pain Log, Ride Log and Weekly Check-In

You can't feel a trend, but you can see one on paper. These 3 pages show you, in your own handwriting, what each change did.

  • A pain log: date, where it hurt, how bad from 0 to 10, and when it started
  • A ride log: one line a ride, with a tick for the warm-up and the stretch
  • A weekly check-in for each week of the reset, with back, neck, hands, knees and saddle scored 1 to 5
  • Copy and reuse them for as long as you ride

Value: $19 → Included free

Here's everything you're getting so far

Pain-Free Mountain Biking After 50About 190 pages in large print. PDF and EPUB.

Value: $97

  • Part 1: Map find where it hurts, and why
  • Part 2: Measure the 10-minute garage check
  • Part 3: Adjust the 10 fixes, cheapest first
  • Part 4: Strengthen 31 exercises with photos: warm-up, stretches, strength and balance
  • Part 5: Ride fall-proofing and the 4-week pain-free reset

Plus these bonuses

Bonus 1: Your Setup Card and Pre-Ride Check

Value: $15

Bonus 2: The Tire Pressure Chart

Value: $12

Bonus 3: The Pain Log, Ride Log and Weekly Check-In

Value: $19

Total Value: $143

But now you get everything for just $17

Total Value: $143

Now Only

$17

One payment. Yours to keep.

Get the e-book for $17
Guaranteed safe and secure checkout, powered by StripeVisa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Google Pay and Apple Pay accepted

PDF and EPUB, large print, in your inbox in minutes.

  • Instant download
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

One more bonus, for launch only

Page 187 of the book: Wall sheet, the trailhead warm-upPage 188 of the book: Wall sheet, after the ride and the evening

Launch bonus: The Garage Wall Sheets

A warm-up only works if you remember it at the trailhead. These 2 print-and-tape sheets put every move where you can see it, so the warm-up and the stretches stop being the first thing that slips.

  • Sheet 1, the trailhead warm-up: 9 moves, top left to bottom right, about 7 minutes, with the reps for each
  • Sheet 2, after the ride and the evening: 10 slow, gentle stretches, with the hold time for each
  • A small picture of every move, so you can follow along without hunting through the book
  • Print it and tape it inside the garage door, or keep a photo of it on your phone

Value: $19 → Free until the timer ends

The launch bonus ends in

--days
--hours
--minutes
--seconds

Ends Saturday, November 7 at 11:59 PM Eastern. After that, it's gone.

Total Value: $162

Now Only

$17

One payment. Yours to keep.

Get the e-book for $17
Guaranteed safe and secure checkout, powered by StripeVisa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Google Pay and Apple Pay accepted

PDF and EPUB, large print, in your inbox in minutes.

  • Instant download
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

P.S. The launch bonus disappears when the timer hits zero.

Paper is nice. A phone is better in the garage.

  • Large print you can zoomPinch the page and the type gets as big as you want it.
  • Print any page at homeEvery page prints cleanly. The setup card, the logs and the wall sheets are made to be printed and taped up.
  • It lives next to the bikeOpen it on your phone, set it on the workbench and follow along with the wrench in your hand.
  • Instant, and it stays currentYou get it in minutes, not next week. If I update the book, the new version comes from the same download link.
A rider taping the printed trailhead warm-up sheet onto his garage wall
The trailhead warm-up sheet, printed at home and taped up in the garage.

Got more questions? I got you

Need help? support@themtbguide.com

Do I need to be handy with tools?

No. If you can use a tape measure and a hex key, you can do this. Every step says what to measure, where to write it down and what to change. A torque wrench is worth having for a few parts, and the book tells you which. When you're in doubt, a good mechanic checking your bolts is money well spent.

How much time does it take?

Parts 1 and 2 take an evening. Part 3 is spread over the first 2 weeks, because every change needs 2 rides before you judge it. The warm-up is about 7 minutes before a ride, and the strength routine is 20 to 25 minutes, 2 days a week. Each day card in the 4-week reset asks for about 30 minutes of book work, plus a ride.

Do I need special tools?

No. A tape measure, a set of hex keys, a tire pump with a gauge, a pencil and your phone for photos and a level. Later, a resistance band, a sturdy kitchen chair and a towel. A friend helps with 2 of the checks.

I ride a hardtail, an e-bike or a full suspension bike. Will it work?

Hardtail: the book is written with you in mind, with a comfort ladder that runs from free fixes up to tires and a suspension seatpost.

Full suspension: the fit work on saddle, bars, hands, tires and cranks applies to any bike, and the book covers the fork. It does not go into rear shock setup.

E-bike: the fit work is the same, because your saddle, bars, grips and tires are the same. The book does not cover motors or batteries.

Can I get a printed copy?

Not yet. The book is digital only for now. Every page prints cleanly at home, and the setup card, the logs and the wall sheets are made to be printed. Print the whole book or just the tools, at home or at a print shop.

How do I get it after I order?

Within minutes, an email arrives with your download link. Click it and you can download both files, the PDF and the EPUB. There is no app to install and no account to remember. If the email isn't there, check your spam folder, then write to support@themtbguide.com.

Is it a one-time payment?

Yes. One payment of $17. No subscription and no extra charges. Both files are yours to keep, on your phone, tablet or computer.

What if it doesn't help?

Email support@themtbguide.com within 30 days of your order and I'll refund every dollar. Some pain is a doctor's job, and the book tells you where that line is, so you know when to see one.

Is this medical advice?

No. The book and this site give general information about bike setup, stretching, strength and balance. They can't diagnose or treat anything. Check with your doctor before you start any new exercise, especially if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, a joint replacement, osteoporosis or an injury that is still healing. Stop if you get sharp pain, dizziness or numbness that doesn't go away.

General information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before you start any new exercise.

If you've read this far, you're probably ready. Let's go.

Here's everything you're getting now for just $17

Pain-Free Mountain Biking After 50About 190 pages in large print. PDF and EPUB.

Value: $97

  • Part 1: Map find where it hurts, and why
  • Part 2: Measure the 10-minute garage check
  • Part 3: Adjust the 10 fixes, cheapest first
  • Part 4: Strengthen 31 exercises with photos: warm-up, stretches, strength and balance
  • Part 5: Ride fall-proofing and the 4-week pain-free reset

Plus these bonuses

Bonus 1: Your Setup Card and Pre-Ride Check

Value: $15

Bonus 2: The Tire Pressure Chart

Value: $12

Bonus 3: The Pain Log, Ride Log and Weekly Check-In

Value: $19

Launch Bonus: The Garage Wall SheetsOnly until the timer ends

Value: $19

Total Value: $162

But now you get everything for just $17

Total Value: $162

Now Only

$17

One payment. Yours to keep.

Get the e-book for $17
Guaranteed safe and secure checkout, powered by StripeVisa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Google Pay and Apple Pay accepted

PDF and EPUB, large print, in your inbox in minutes.

  • Instant download
  • 30-day money-back guarantee