To Stretch, or Not To Stretch: that is the question
Originally Posted by
CycleryNorth81
Do you stretch before, during or after a ride? Is it necessary?
Originally Posted by
Machka
Definitely NOT before…
Originally Posted by
livedarklions
No and no. If you like doing it, go ahead. I hate it, studies have shown it has nothing to do with cramping, and I think it's a waste of time.
Originally Posted by
livedarklions
Exactly! People confuse joint flexibility and range of motion. Stretching really doesn't do anything for range of motion, there's no substitute for actually using the joints.
I'm blessed by needing very little warm up, walking from the car to the gym is usually enough for me, and most of my rides involve a little bit of high-traffic stop and go riding at the beginning.
I think that a lot of this is people think they need some kind of ritual to make it clear they're serious about working out. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
I have posted that warm-up riding is my way to “using (loosening up) the joints.”
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
Originally Posted by
bruce19
How do you warm up?
I usually just spin without putting a load on my legs for a couple miles. I can feel when I'm ready to put more of a load on my legs.
I had previously replied last year to this thread on the Road Cycling Forum, “Pre & post warm-up warmdown.” I have tried to “quantify” my answer (distance and intensity):
Originally Posted by
boshk
How much if any do you do before and after a ride?
..A ride where you need to shower afterwards...
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
For me, that’s a ride of minimum of ten miles, and my commute is a minimum of14 miles. I only warm up, and then ride at cruising pace to the end.
When I first started a training schedule for a century, I noted at what mile I spontaneously realized I felt completely warmed up, i.e. I did not consciously look for it, and it usually occurred at about 6 miles. My basic riding routine is:
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
...last year I developed for myself my"
Time-restricted, Personally Ambitious, but Non-competitive CyclistTraining Routine,"…based on
”Relative Perceived Exertion (RPE).”
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
...The RPE scale ranges from 6 to17, with descriptions of the intensity. Multiply the RPE by 10 is the approximate heart rate. Jim's scale is the equivalent on a 0 to 100 scale, easier to think about…
My basic training is to ride at my RPE of 50% for six miles to warm up, then cruise at an RPE of 60%, and do intervals (on hills) at 70% [described as“hard”; 60% is“somewhat hard," and 80% is “very hard" (lactate threshold;breakpoint between hard but steady breathing and labored with gasping). 50% is "fairly light" (my usual happy-go-lucky pace without thinking about it)].
I try to change gears to maintain a cadence of about 85-90 rpm on flats and rolling hills, and about 60 to 80 rpm on harder hills, to maintain my RPE. Shift up to higher gears as the cadence rises, and shift down as the RPE increases.
Originally Posted by
az_cyclist
I just pedal comfortably for a few miles. To meet club rides now it is fairly easy, as it is 6 or 7 miles (depending on which club) and is a 1% downhill.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 08-09-19 at 07:03 AM.