Cycling UK Forum

Trying to get back into walking (not giving up cycling) and just did Edale skyline circuit. It's me lower legs wot hurts! Ended up limping, alternating with funny walks (Groucho Marx style bended knee prowl) down Lose Hill . The rest of me seemed OK.
I'm much fitter as a cyclist.
Does cycling atrophy your lower leg muscles?

Cycling can shorten the calves and hamstrings,try touching toes,no cheating, legs straight and thigh muscles activated for hams.
Standing on a step and then sloooowwwly letting the heels sink so the feet are tilted upward,again with legs straight.
The key word though is "gently" until sure how far to push it.
If done regular the hams and calves get more supple and lengthened for walking.

You use different muscles.

If I go a couple of months without mountain walking i.e. 5+ hours in the hills, I hobble for several days whether or not I am cycling fit

Cycling uses a restricted range of movement. You don't carry round a spare set of "different muscles" to use for each, you use the same muscles differently.
To offset the restricted range of movement of cycling, you need to stretch....calf, hams definately, quads and inner thigh does no harm either. (Adductors or abductors, I can never remember...inner thigh, anyway)

reohn2 wrote:Cycling can shorten the calves and hamstrings,try touching toes,no cheating, legs straight and thigh muscles activated for hams.

I have no idea what these muscle groups are, I pay no attention to stretching exercises.

I can touch my toes with legs straight, I can even touch the ground.
(just tried now!)

Walking hurts after a while, especially walking down hills - it hurts my knees, it always has done. Up hills is completely different!

I find it's my medials/lats that get it... If I train hard or do lots of miles, when I next run or hillwalk, I get cramping of the medial/lat muscles. I've tried strectching, cross training etc all have no effect. If I really do loads of mileage (>500 miles per week), I can even get this cramping when driving or walking around normally.

Answers on a postcard please...

Ride a singlespeed. When you get to a very steep hill you have to get off and walk. That way you get some walking and cycling

Apparently cycling does little for leg bone strength and density. It seems that walking or running sends a shock wave up your leg which strengthens the bone; cycling doesn't do this.
Also cycling involves movement in quite a restricted arc - there is little or no lateral movement - so a particular set of muscles will be developed and others not developed, potentially causing problems.
I do "side leg" exercises a few times a week (lifting each leg to the side with light weights attached), to counteract this. These are the muscles which come into play when skiing.
Cycling is excellent aerobic exercise but ideally should be supplemented with other activities.
jonty

531colin wrote:Cycling uses a restricted range of movement. You don't carry round a spare set of "different muscles" to use for each, you use the same muscles differently.
To offset the restricted range of movement of cycling, you need to stretch....calf, hams definately, quads

+1 and well put Colin!

Cycling does seem to shorten calves, hams and quads

Mick F wrote:I have no idea what these muscle groups are, I pay no attention to stretching exercises.

I can touch my toes with legs straight, I can even touch the ground.
(just tried now!)

Walking hurts after a while, especially walking down hills - it hurts my knees, it always has done. Up hills is completely different!

100% Campagnolo muscles

Mick F wrote:

reohn2 wrote:Cycling can shorten the calves and hamstrings,try touching toes,no cheating, legs straight and thigh muscles activated for hams.

I have no idea what these muscle groups are, I pay no attention to stretching exercises.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamstring

Calves
http://www.achillestendon.com/

I can touch my toes with legs straight, I can even touch the ground.
(just tried now!)

Mick if you were really supple you should be able atleast to put the palms of the hands flat on the floor as in the touching toes stretch,don't try it,it may take time,better to spend time "hanging in" feet apart (as wide as your shoulders) ever so slightly turned in, thigh mucles activated,hands folded over your head,then bend forward from the waist and hang in for four or five minutes,after which you can allow the arms to slowly unfold.Try it,but don't push it! gently does it.

Walking hurts after a while, especially walking down hills - it hurts my knees, it always has done. Up hills is completely different!

Walking down hill hurts because you're knees are old and the cartilage is worn and has lost some(probably most of its cushioning effect,think suspension) and the arthritic nodules are pressing against the bone,think a rough stone pushing through a latex glove against the bones in the back of you're hand.
You go up well because you are using the same muscles as you do when cycling.
At the risk of repeating myself ad nauseum stretching is good for you because it makes the body supple and flexible,think willow tree in the wind,its able to bend when it needs to,think Yoga!

Jonty wrote:Apparently cycling does little for leg bone strength and density. It seems that walking or running sends a shock wave up your leg which strengthens the bone; cycling doesn't do this.

Old news that.

http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/ex ... rosis.html

Generally cyclists are good at walking up hills, and poor at walking down them.

The main problem is that walking downhill uses the muscles in eccentric contraction - i.e the muscles are resisting motion (gravity) rather than causing it. It's not something you ever do when cycling, apart from leg braking on fixed, so you aren't in the least bit used to it.
It's also better at causing sore muscles than normal overexercise.

reohn2 wrote:Mick if you were really supple you should be able atleast to put the palms of the hands flat on the floor as in the touching toes stretch,don't try it,it may take time,better to spend time "hanging in" feet apart (as wide as your shoulders) ever so slightly turned in, thigh mucles activated,hands folded over your head,then bend forward from the waist and hang in for four or five minutes,after which you can allow the arms to slowly unfold.Try it,but don't push it! gently does it.

I cannot put my palms on the floor, my belly gets in the way!
If I lost a couple of stone, I'm sure I could do it.

reohn2 wrote:Walking down hill hurts because you're knees are old

No.
Not true, unless I was born old!
My knees have ALWAYS hurt walking down hill.

I can run down hills and run down stairs without pain, the problem is holding back and going down in a controlled fashion.

Perhaps I was born to be a cyclist.

Mick F wrote:

reohn2 wrote:Walking down hill hurts because you're knees are old

No.
Not true, unless I was born old!
My knees have ALWAYS hurt walking down hill.

I can run down hills and run down stairs without pain, the problem is holding back and going down in a controlled fashion.

Perhaps I was born to be a cyclist.

Ah! its simple then,you're genetically imperfect