|   How do you guys warm up prior to riding? | Daverino
Apr 3, 2002 2:00 PM | | Do you just hop on your bike and go? Or do you stretch first?
I'm wondering b/c as I get older I feel like my knees and hips tighten up after I ride for any appreciable amount of time. I don't stretch before a ride, but I will stretch after a ride.
Any pre-ride (or post-ride) rituals that have kept your body going into your later years? (Besides, of course, the post-ride pint of Guinness with my burger).
Dave |
| Easy does it | Nat
Apr 3, 2002 2:43 PM | | I ride at a very easy pace to begin with, say on a flat dirt road for 10 minutes if I can. Then I go to the trail and commence my ride proper. I try to stretch my quads, hamstrings, and calves every time I stop during the ride, if I stop. I stretch after the ride too, unless I'm really really hungry, then I hop in the car and race to India Oven buffet first. |
| as a genuine old | JimC
Apr 3, 2002 4:33 PM | | phart, I just get on the bike and ride, mostly uphill, as I live in BC and ride the 'shore. I always start out slow, or in front of other riders if in a group so I don't hold them up. If I can, 10-15 minutes pre-ride of easy climbing really helps, punctuated by a short rest stop, don't know why, this really helps me.
It takes me almost 40 minutes to drop into the groove on the climb. Pain I find is quite minor, but aspirin or other anit-inflamitory may help. I stop if I'm exceeding an HR of 165 (I'm 55 years old). Hydrate lots and eat an energy bar with regulatity whether you feel the need or not...urination should be clear, not yellow.
If it helps, I'm a sprinter, not a great long term grinder. Short bursts I'm great at, long climbs are a death march for me.
I'm never going to be great, after 10 years I concentrate on the most fun, with a good workout. And try not to crash.
Hope that helps a bit, Jim (creak)C |
| I just put... | BCRider
Apr 3, 2002 4:43 PM | | ...my bike into the box of the truck and lift it out at the end of the drive. Does that count? Oh, and let's not forget the deep stretches needed to put on the leg armour..... :o)
Hey Jim, I'm glad to hear that there's hope for my poor 48 year old bod. I've promised myself that I'm gonna start exploring the North Shore this summer. I'll probably walk half of it but I just have to go see it. I've been told that most of the Terrible Tricks have easier ways around them. I'm counting on that.... and the easier trails as well. |
| here's an example in living colour... | JimC
Apr 3, 2002 5:56 PM | | right after this was taken I wisely bailed in second thoughts and chicken-ness. Apparentely when yer 55, it takes several years to recover from near-death experiences. Yep, I walk stuff, discretion is the better part of bailing, and you live to ride another day.
Jim <--chicken extraordinaire! |
| So the C stands for chicken does it?....... :o) (nm) | BCRider
Apr 3, 2002 7:30 PM | | |
| Oops... meant to add... | BCRider
Apr 3, 2002 7:35 PM | | Stupid brain.... who put that nm in the line above....
Anyway, I just wanted to add that at my skill level I wouldn't even try to walk that with the bike on my shoulder. I'd just sigh, huck the bike over the edge and then scrabble down with as much dignity as I could manage and then look around knowingly and ride off before someone saw me.
Hope to see you on the mountain this summer. I'll be the one carrying the bike and shaking my head :o) |
| re: How do you guys warm up prior to riding? | Mikey
Apr 3, 2002 5:18 PM | | I stretch about 10-15 minutes into the ride. I don't hammer in the beginning - I go relatively easy. After about 15 minutes I'll stretch. Like someone else said, I usually don't get really into my zone until about 45 minutes. |
| stretch out and play around... | slant
Apr 3, 2002 11:04 PM | | I usually stretch before a ride, and I always mess around in the parkinglot doing wheelies and stupid stuff for 5mins or so before I hit the trail... I usually take it easy for the first 1/4mi or so and then I start to crank it... |
| re: How do you guys warm up prior to riding? | wg
Apr 3, 2002 11:31 PM | | Strech for about 5-10 min then I tend to ride to "the ride". About 4-5 miles of bike path and road. |
| re: How do you guys warm up prior to riding? | MountainYodel
Apr 4, 2002 1:15 AM | | Stretching is always important, but for the type of muscle used involved in mountain biking, the stretching is probably more important post ride than it is pre ride. What's more important is to get the blood flowing first. If you have access to some flat trail area to do some light spinning for a few mintues before you start your climbs that is helpful. After you do some light spinning, then you can get off the bike and do some light stretching.
I don't have the option of any flat spinning before a ride as I live on a hill and it's pretty much straight up from my house. In fact, the first 30 minutes of any ride involves a lot of granny gear work. So I do some exercises to get the blood flow going which includes running in place or on the treadmill, jumping jacks, push-ups, light weights or whatever it takes to prepare for those first 30 minutes. A little light stretching is usually welcomed, but the majority of stretching is post ride.
If I avoid any warm-up and just start spinning right up that first 30 minute ride, it's not a problem as I pace myself accordingly, but I notice I am more efficient if I already have gotten my body into some aerobic activity for 15 - 20 minutes before hopping on the bike and heading up the hill.
Find a routine that seems to work well for you and which your body responds in the most efficient manner. Whether it is golfing, throwing a baseball, riding a bike, singing an opera, kicking a football or whatever - some form of warming up is usually beneficial and used by professionals.
--M.Y. |
| espresso, then pedal to the trailhead, arrive ready to rock | club
Apr 4, 2002 7:00 AM | | nothing like a relaxing road spin to get the juices flowing for the singletrack fun to come |
| re: How do you guys warm up prior to riding? | Spinarooni
Apr 4, 2002 9:46 AM | | Smoke a bowl and listen to tunes while I get dressed in lycra. Thats right, lycra. |
| re: How do you guys warm up prior to riding? | FM
Apr 4, 2002 11:24 AM | | I take a few big bong hits.
Seriously though, I've been riding 2x weekly for 11 years, and spent 2-3 years road and mountain racing, and I have to agree that stretching while cold can easily do you more harm than good. I like to start easy, ride at a social pace for 20 minor so, stretch and then bring the business.
Stretching/massage AFTER the ride, and the next day, is where it does me the most good. |
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