Bit of a weird one this and I assume it is muscular but have been back on the bike with a vengeance this year after tailing off for about 3 months and a couple of times I have had horrible stomach pains shortly into a ride, especially if it is a fast paced ride (ie trying to keep up with guys!). It feels like period pain and it's in the same kind of area, and in fact the first time I had it I excused myself and ran off into the bushes but it wasn't....it wears off after 10 mins or so but I was wondering if anyone had any idea what it may be?
I did wonder if it may be my hip flexors as one morning after a decent ride I woke up with achy hips. Anyone else get this?

Sounds like you've just pulled a muscle - you haven't been doing crazy amounts of sit-ups in your Army training sessions have you?

I've had that kind of stomach pull, not sure how I did it and wasn't bike specific but I took it easy for a few days and it seemed to sort itself out.

No it's not like a pulled muscle pain, I have done that before. I dunno what it is but it seems to go quite soon after it starts so I guess it's nothing to worry about. Probably just me being weird!

could it be that your extra layers for winter ( clothes not flesh! ) are constricting you?

or stitch? i've had a lot of stitch on the bike recently i think because its so cold then drinking ice cold water.

I get an ache in my stomach area sometimes if I'm really pushing it up hills etc. Im asuming I just tense the area while pushing. Its not really a pain though. Maybe your really pushing it at the moment after a break and thats the result untill your stronger again?

Maybe you're overdoing it, since you've been off the bike for a while. Slow down a bit maybe? Or just ride it out. Is it any better since you last posted about it?

It might be something to do with when your ovulating...some people get a bit of pain then...dunno really...maybe it might be an idea to keep a note of when, what you were doing ect...that way you might see some kind of pattern.

If you are weird, I am weird too!! I get a similar pain as the one you describe. Usually going uphill, usually when I am trying to keep up with male riders and usually around my period, ovulation time... Not sure this helps, but just to say that there is two of us, if that feels better!

lourdes

Ha ha well that's good to know haven't had it whilst riding the last few weeks but went for a 5 mile run on Monday first time in ages and had it then so I guess it's just me adapting back to excercise and will eventually peter out. I do get ovulation pain but it's not the same as that - can't really explain it other than it being like I've come on but I haven't. Ah well, we'll see

I've had this too! Assumed it was some sort of cramp type thing? Always very soon after starting a ride and either when slogging up a hill or as you say trying to keep up with someone much faster. Worse in cold weather too. Also interestingly only seems to happen on my old hardtail which is a smaller frame, I think it's something to do with being hunched forward whilst pedalling hard. Usually goes after a few minutes even if I carry on riding fairly hard but occasionally I've had to stop and walk around for a few minutes.

Hi - this is a very easy one to answer - you are experiencing the same kind of pain that an asthmatic (and indeed a panic-attack sufferer) experiences - it's a result of oxygen starvation. Take a look at your breathing technique: - there should be a pause between pulling in a breath and blowing it out as in 'breathe in, ensuring your stomach muscles push out, hold, breathe out - ensuring full exhalation to get rid of the de-oxygenated gas and make room for fresh oxygen.
The pause allows the exchange of gases in the blood.

Cheers all.