tense or relaxed?

I know ultimately you have to put your body in the position where it is most comfortable (my goal is comfort, not doing tons and tons of miles right now). But what is the general "rule" regarding whether or not to relax or tense up your muscles in your back, shoulders, neck and arms? I think I am pretty tense on my bike - just happens, think I'm always just a little nervous on it. Is it better for your body to try to relax the muscles that are not needed to pedal and stay upright?

I think there's a sort of zen balance to be sought. IF your bike is set up right (in the world of ideals, etc) you should be able to find a comfortable way to settle with your pelvis in a neutral position, sit-bones on the saddle, proper knee-over-pedal-spindle and a relaxed sort of position to the arms/shoulders so you're in the happy medium between stretched out and curled up, where your arms/shoulders/chest are kept loose to allow for proper breathing etc. If you're tensing too much to compensate for things (tightening the core too much to maintain a pelvis-neutral position, or shifting hands often because you're putting too much weight on them) you may need to adjust your bike.

Yes - I am in a constant state of adjusting seat, handlebars right now. It sounds like I should keep experimenting to achieve a bit of relaxation....I spent some time on a LifeCycle a few weeks ago, and though it was a horrible position for riding, it made me realize that I am too tense when I ride because I was extremely relaxed on the Lifecycle!

I was just telling my boss that I say "Ahhhhhh" as I throw my leg over my bike. He said"That's odd, I say AHHHH as I get off my bike. :rolleyes:
I've really learned to relax, plug my shoulders in this year. I did a marathon last year and it taught me alot about staying relaxed. I remember a champion marathoner saying he stayed so relaxed during a race that it was almost like sleeping.

I was getting really tense on the bike when I first started back, until my husband reminded me to move my hands around. It really helps keep me from getting locked in, as it were. I use six or seven different positions and also shake out my arms every now and then. I still spend most of my time on the hoods, but I make an effort to shift around.

great question because i've been pondering this myself.

in spin class the instructors tell you to relax your upper bod to give more O2 to your legs. also, i've read from cycling sites how you're supposed relax going up a hill..

so my question is.. i've seen pics of cyclists and their well muscled, so if they're mostly relaxing their body how'd they get so built up top?

Yes, stay relaxed. There are a lot of muscles in your torso that, if tensed, will impair your breathing. So you might be able to dig down and use your core for a sprint effort, but you want to be as relaxed as possible on a difficult hill, as well as for general comfort. If I tense up because of nerves or being cold or whatever, my bike handling also suffers.

roguedog, what you're seeing is a lack of body fat. most pro cyclists have a lot of muscle definition because you can "see" their muscles -- no fat obscuring the view.

but, besides that, you do need a strong core and upper body to ride well. but there's a fine line between being loose and relaxed on the bike (I describe it to clients as being like an al dente noodle -- loose on the outside and firm on the inside) and being too tense.

a relaxed upper body will allow you to respond to changes in terrain (bumps, potholes, obstacles) and will help you ride comfortably for long periods of time.

Sounds to me like it makes a lot of sense to stay relaxed after reding all your posts, thanks, but is there a trick to it? Just keep reminding yourself? I think my tenseness is contributing to a lot of my comfort issues, possibly even including the tendency for my fingers to start to get numb because as soon as I relax my arm/shoulder/neck the feeling goes away!
I do also know that numb fingers can be the result of wrong fit/adjustments, etc, which I am working on, constantly still making adjustments.

It's something I continue to work on. One thing that helps, and has been mentioned, is to keep your elbows bent. You can't really lean on your hands that way, thus your shoulders don't scrunch up into your neck, etc.

don't try to master everything at once. pick one aspect to focus on at a time and once you've perfected that, move onto another one. for example, start with your elbows -- big bang for your buck there. to remind yourself, write a little note on your stem or tie a ribbon around your handlebar or create some trigger that will help you remember to relax your elbows. even though I've been riding forever once in a while I still have to remind myself. I usually make chicken wings and flap them to loosen myself up. for fingers, my trigger is to play piano on the bar. those are the only two things I tend to tense up occassionally.