Originally Posted by
snorkel
I do not. This was pretty much what I was assuming was going on.. I guess my question is whether or not there is any potential harm? If I don't mind the clicking then can I continue to skip the stretching? Or am I setting myself up for a bunch of joint pain in 10 years?
If you continually strain your muscles and tendons, which could be avoided by some simple stretches, then yes, there is a chance of injury depending on how hard you pedal. What happens is the sudden change of movement. Before you get on the bike your muscles get used to what ever you were doing. Once you start pedalling, there is change of movement which requires a straining repetitive motion involving literally all the muscles from your back to your feet. For those to function properly, they need all the blood and oxygen they can get and stretching is ideal for that. If you don't stretch, your muscles work extra hard to adjust and things that connect muscle to the bone get a very unnecessary strain which could lead to injury.
It takes me about 2 minutes to do some basic stretches before and after. I know it's a drag once you start, but after some time you can see a very positive change. Then it's a hoot.
http://bicycle-training.suite101.com...s_for_cyclists
http://www.totalbike.com/November1999/stretch1.html
http://www.grouptrails.com/Stretches.htm