Pre-ride warmup
 

What do you do before you ride for a warm up? When I was a gym-rat, riding the stationary bike was a standard warm up, but if cycling is going to be your workout, what do you do to warm up?

Not so much warm up, but I like to get a little stretching in... I guess my warm up would be starting out slowish on the bike.

For a race or just a training ride? Usually for a training ride I'll just do some stretching, and then easy spin for the first 10 minutes of the ride. For a race, usually a considerably longer and harder warmup.

Well let's see; first I go down the stairs to let the dog out and then back up the stairs to get the bibbs out of the dryer then back downstairs to let the dog in and then back upstairs to get dressed then back down stairs for the heart rate strap then back up stairs for my bike shoes then back downstairs to fix a bit to eat. then down the stairs to the garage to get the water bottles then back up stairs to the kitchen, then up the stairs to get my halo headband and back down stairs to finish filling the water bottles. Then finally back down the stairs to pump up the tires, then back up the stairs to get my gloves and then back down the stairs to go riding, then back up the stairs to get the water bottles i left sitting in the kitchen. Then back down the stairs to the garage to go riding. then back up the stairs to get the cell phone and then back down the stairs to go riding. Ride 20 yards and realize it 42 degrees turn around go up the stairs to get bike jacket, then further up the stairs to the master closet where wife has wished and hung the jacket, kiss the wife then go down two flights of stairs to the garage and start my ride.

That is my typical warm up.

You might benefit from a consolidation of your activities - like get the water bottles when you let the dogs out. Although you might need to post a thread about a new warmup routine.

I get on the bike and ride.

sounds about right.

Warm up for riding? Ride. I always find the first fifteen minutes or so at speed the hardest, so I get my heart rate up then and enjoy my ride. Hurrah.

I used to consider warming up an annoying waste of time, especially when riding early in the morning before work or when pressed for time. But in the last year, I've learned skipping it or doing a shabby warmup will usually lead to a mediocre ride or training session.
Now I spin easily for 10 minutes without looking at speed, cadence, HR, concentrating solely on a fluid spin, then my usual stretching routine, then another five minutes of fluid spin in one upshift from the previous 10 minutes. And I concentrate on deep yoga breathing the whole time.

If it is a group ride, ride to the start point.

Same here. As I age, more stretching is required. I actually enjoy it, now.

Saved me explaining my routine!

Lol, kinda reminds me of myself.:lol:

Yes. And the rides I do are pretty neutral until we get out of town, just chatting and hanging out until we reach the start and everyone shuts up and starts trying to hurt each other.

For a race, I typically ride my trainer unless it's close enough to ride to the start. The shorter the race, the longer the warm up.

Just ride easy to start, progressively raising your level.

If its for a race particularly a crit or a TT, I follow a bit of a plan with some spinning building up to some short intense intervals.

There's no need to stretch before you ride. In fact there's pretty decent data that stretching cold muscles won't decrease injury, and may actually make you slower.

+1 After I've ridden the first mile or two, I might stretch the quads and calves while riding, after my muscles soften up a bit. During the ride, I might stretch periodically.

If I'm just riding without doing intervals, I'll just start out slowly and let my cadence and HR rise as they will - usually takes about ten minutes. If I'm doing intervals, I'll do the ten minute warm-up, then two one minute fast pedal intervals separated by a minute of easy pedaling, then two one minute VO max intervals, separated by two minutes of easy pedaling; four minutes of easy pedaling after those, then start the intervals. I used to start the intervals with just the ten minutes of easy warm-up, and felt like dying halfway through the first one. For me, intervals are much more bearable when I'm thoroughly warmed up.

I'll often ride hard right from the start, no warmup. But I don't feel up to full speed until after riding a half hour or more. So if a group ride is going to be fast (for me) I'll try to ride to the ride. Their easy rollout starts don't seem to last more than 5 or 10 minutes, and are often too easy.

I just ride. It takes me an hour to hour 1/2 to warm up.

I warm up and stretch on the bike. On a long ride I stretch often without stopping.

i just stretch before and take it somewhat easy for the first 5 min or so then im ready to hammer.

+1 Try not to over think it.

You can warm up? :innocent:

Take it easier for 15-20 mins.

How do you guys (at least the 2 of you that mentioned it) stretch on the bike? Any tips?

Just the mechanics of it is difficult for me. Quads and calves are my essentials, and I find to get a good stretch I have to stop.

It's pretty much useless for me to stretch beforehand, but stretching after 15 or 20 minutes of easy riding is extremely helpful for me personally.