Ran into an interesting article describing a shift in the riding position of veteran (horse) riders.
The key finding (for me at least) was, that the more experienced to rider was, the more their position on the horse tended to become unbalanced. What the riders did was to unconsciously shift their upper bodies to the direction of the their dominant hands (usually right) and, to compensate for this, their lower bodies (pelvis) to the opposite direction (usually to the left). This shift got worse the more skilled to rider was. The article recommended the usual core/mobility work etc. to address any muscular imbalances.
This rang a few bells for me. Riding a bike on a static trainer is probably not that different from riding a horse. I have for a while wondered, why the sweat pattern on my towel / floor mat had moved, first a little and then a lot, to the right side. Also as of late my abs have felt really worked after trainer rides, which would be consistent with some weird stuff happening. Back issues (which I have had 20 years before ever starting cycling) have also gotten worse.
So the next step is trying to consciously shift my pelvis (back) to right to get the back straight. Today’s sweat pattern was much improved (pretty much fully balanced). The knees did not like the sudden shift in position, but we’ll see how this goes.
Anyways, wanted to share this in case it could help others struggling with back issues on their trainers.
Hmmmm…I think they are vastly different. Riding a horse is a dynamic situation, with the horse’s movement and the terrain constantly causing your to adapt your position to just stay on the horse, let alone maintain a proper position. A trainer bike is 100% stationary (unless you use a rocker plate)
This sounds like a fit issue. With a good position on the bike, your abs should not feel any undo strain and you certainly should not be having back issues.
Have you had your fit evaluated by a professional?
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Ditto on the horse riding vs rigid trainer. Sounds like someone who has never ridden a horse to me 
They are anything but static in any situation when moving. They cause a rider to move a fair bit and that changes as the pace changes. Slow walk to trot all they way up to sprinting are anything but stationary from the standpoint of the rider on the saddle.
Also agreed on the info above being largely fit related. That said, I do agree with the general sentiment that we as riders change over time in short and long terms. Early season is one thing with body and muscles out of shape in ways. We change as that shape improves through the season. We also change over the years with general aging and other issues like injuries and life taking a toll.
All that to say that fit should be a dynamic consideration and one that is evaluated on a regular basis. Any idea that a fit is “one and done” is a mistake and should be reevaluated. Aches, pains and other issues are telltale signs that should drive changes by the rider if they know what to change, or shared with a fitter to make appropriate changes.
And leading back to a static vs motion consideration, I firmly believe that a rigid trainer setup is essentially “wrong”. The bike when ridden outside moves a whole lot more than many people realize, and that matters on a number of levels when comparing to results we get inside on rigid setup. Motion for indoor trainers/bikes can be added in small and big ways through different methods. We’ve seen even the most modest addition of motion improve comfort all the way up to fixing joint and functional issues.
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TLD:DR - Where the OP’s comparison is potentially valid IMO/IME is in the area of asymmetry and I do think/have been told by a highly respected bike fitter that most people with one-sided pain don’t sit square on the saddle.
Full version - I have long struggled with mainly right-sided back pain, and get repeated left hamstring niggles. During a long ride, if I get lazy with posture, my left hand will get a bit sore, and I’ve noticed from footage on the trainer my left shoulder is higher. I’m right-handed.
My last bike fit identified uneven leg extension, and sitting slightly off to the left of the saddle, as well as a slight twist in the pelvis and a hitched left shoulder. This asymmetry, in the fitter’s view, was very definitely the cause of the back pain. As for the origin of that asymmetry, it was a bit of a mystery (long discussion as to possibilities but impossible to be conclusive), but with insoles, a wedge and a shim, as well as a saddle change and a change in crank length, we significantly reduced the difference in knee angle and uneven saddle weighting.
It’s also worth noting that Steve Hogg has long-talked about the right-side bias, which is a broadly similar idea.
Sure, asymmetry is real and more likely a part of everyone’s life than we might think. I know I have uneven aspects to my skeleton, as well as general physiology. The issue is that many times we have successfully adapted to these differences and cope well with no particular adjustment.
But there are times and situations where “fixing” those issues with bike setup is necessary and beneficial. The trick is knowing when to adjust and when to leave it alone. A bit like the doc’s “do no harm” approach, not every difference discovered in fitting needs to be “fixed”. But if those are directly or indirectly leading to comfort or injury related issues, they sure can be worth addressing.
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While this is of course possible, I find it as this time unlikely. I have used the same bike with the same fit for the past 3 years both outdoors and on the trainer. The issue has only appeared during the last few months on the trainer (as my sweat pattern has shifted to the right, never had the feeling of having done an ab workout on the bike before).
Time will tell. If correcting the (likely) tilted riding position helps, it was likely the tilted riding position. If not, something else.
At least in my experience the lateral movement of the saddle on a horse is quite limited (or to put it in another way, if the horse starts offering me significant lateral movement, I am probably not staying in the saddle for long). Which is not totally dissimilar to the limited lateral movement of the saddle of a bike on a trainer (there is definitely some even on a “rigid” trainer).
Sorry for not being clear on what I meant. And by no means do I suggest I know anything about anything.
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