Yes. Stretch my quads, hamstrings, calves, knees (sides). But not every time. I usually stretch afterwards.
YES, I stretch before riding.
NO, I don't stretch before riding.
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I ride with a group. I also belong to a gym. I've always been told to stretch and warm up before exercise, but only a small percentage of folks at the gym actually stretch and nobody in my cycling group does. Do you stretch before a ride??
Louise
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"You don't really ever have to fall. But kissing the ground is good because you learn you're not going to die if it happens."
-- Jacquie "Alice B. Toeclips" Phelan, former U.S. national champion cyclist
Yes. Stretch my quads, hamstrings, calves, knees (sides). But not every time. I usually stretch afterwards.
If I think to stretch, it's afterwards. And I certainly don't think to stretch after a little warm-up of 10 minutes or so, cuz by then I'm too busy riding to want to stop!
Cold muscles don't stretch as well as warm ones.
"If Americans want to live the American Dream, they should go to Denmark." - Richard Wilkinson
I stretch after I ride, although I usually have done some cardio workout prior to riding, so my muscles are already warmed up.
Jennifer
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."
-Aristotle
I don't but I always mean to. I think it would probably help.
If it's not one thing it's another
I usually end up doing one or two brief stretches when I stop for a break during my ride, after I've warmed up, and a few more at the car when the ride's over. I always intend to do a thorough stretch when I get home, but I've found a good warm shower loosens the muscles up just as well (and leaves me too sleepy to stretch anyway).
"How about if we all just try to follow these very simple rules of the road? Drive like the person ahead on the bike is your son/daughter. Ride like the cars are ambulances carrying your loved ones to the emergency room. This should cover everything, unless you are a complete sociopath."
David Desautels, in a letter to velonews.com
Random babblings and some stuff to look at.
It depends on where I am biking. If I want to do rides around my house, I tend to warm up on the trainer because once I leave here it is nothing but hills and more hills. Those absolutely kill me if I don't warm up first. So after warming up for about 10 minutes I will stretch out. But if I drive someplace for a ride I usually just get on and go. Then if there is a bathroom break or people need to stop I will stretch out a little bit. I definitely stretch afterwards. My back and shoulders would "talk" to me if I didn't...
i used to stretch before each ride because if i did not i got cramps.
as i got stronger, that went away. Now I stretch on breaks during rides.
I've just gone through a course of PT for my knee, and the therapist told me the best way to stretch is to ride for 5 minutes or so first, warming up your muscles that way, and THEN stop and stretch a little. Then of course stretch afterwards.
This makes sense to me, but honestly I don't know whether I'll keep it up. I don't know about the rest of you, but five minutes into a ride, I'm just getting into it and the last thing I want to do is stop and stretch.
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i definatly stretch afterwards. occationally i'll do some weights before i ride and then i stretch, but mostly not. i do some stretching while i'm riding though, just to help loosen up some muscles.
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No, I don't stretch first, but I do afterwards - not always.
I'll have to search TE & check out appropriate post-cycling stretches.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals".
Immanuel Kant
I must always stretch shoulders, neck, upper back before and after a ride or there will be chiropractor visits in my future. Only takes a couple of minutes.
Stretching cold muscles is supposed to be a bad idea.
Spinning your legs will be a good warmup, use an easy gear. You can always stretch during a break, but afterwards will bring the most rewards.
I wish I could explain why, but I can't. My coaches have always insisted on that though...
I do some yoga almost every morning, so I'm not getting ever getting on the bike with stiff back or legs. For a while I got sloppy about after-ride stretching, mostly because when I get back there's always at least nine things I neglected to ride in the first place that gang up on me as soon as I hop off the bike. But I really felt I was paying a price for that in my mobility, plus the stretching is so deep and lovely after a ride. Since I quickly face inclines in any direction I ride, if the weather is chilly, I warm up with a short walk around the churchyard next door. Both my legs and lungs appreciate it.
The trainer I work with is a DEMON about stretching post-ride, which is probably one of the reasons he's in England now for the Masters' World Championships. At 55 he moves with more grace than most 20somethings.
Ditto.Originally Posted by Grog
There are studies that have shown that stretching actually decreases total strength output. The studies were weight-lifting based, but I would think a similar theory would apply here. You absolutely do need to warm up...easy spinning to get the blood flowing to the muscles in your legs AND in your heart. And stretching at rests is probably helpful...especially if the rest ends up being longer than anticipated (like wating in line for a toilet!). Stretching afterward is VERY important...cool down with easy spinning again, get the HR back to normal, and then stretch the muscles slowly.