Originally Posted by
makeitso5005
While I agree that one should warm up the muscles before stretching (be it jumping jacks, ice climbers, light jog in place or whatever to get a little perspiration) the stretches you listed in your post do nothing for the IT band per the thread title (and is mentioned in the post). Two is that the stretch cited is likely one of the least targeting stretches available to target the hamstrings as tight calves, glutes, pesoas, lower back or other muscle groups can severely limit how much the hamstrings get stretched out in that stretch. So while I hate the click inciting header this videos has, at least this issue he gets right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE7nALXgXz0
Likely one of the problems is the posterior pelvic tilt for any of us who sit most of the day. So working on each more individually will go a long way toward being functionally flexible. All these grabbing the foot or ankle stretches can be limited in their effectiveness if you can't rotate your pelvis forward freely as you can be limited by so many things in the chain. As we're talking everything from the foot flexion to shoulders becoming the limiters in that stretch.
You can't stretch an IT band.
The figure 4 stretch in my post is a good one for preventing IT band issues. Most PTs use it.
The seated calf, hamstring, and lower back stretch is how you get low. That's what you use to roll your pelvis forward. When you do that stretch, push your butt to the rear and flatten your back.
On very long rides, quickly run through the stretch series to which I link while you eat and drink at a rest stop. You'll feel much better.