# Cramp in right hip when climbing?



## Joffey (15 Jun 2013)

Now every other part of my body is fine, just my right leg and hip cramp up when climbing up hills. Any ideas on how I can't prevent this? 

Thanks


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## albion (15 Jun 2013)

I'm not sure on the word 'cramp' but my right hip/leg joint problem is aggravated by using too high a gear.
I could not bike for a few years until I realised I need a lower gear to always spin, no matter what gradient. 

I'm into my 2nd week of agony at the moment,caused by either twisting getting off the bike or a very short stretch in high gear hill just before dismounting the bike.


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## ASC1951 (21 Jun 2013)

You may need a programme of stretching. After decades where my main exercise has been cycling (and often up big hills in too high a gear), I was starting to get pain in both knees and in the tissues around my right hip joint.
GP - "It's the start of arthritis. You're in your 60s. Do less and take painkillers".
Physio - "Cobblers. You have chronically tight calves, quads and right IT band. That is pulling your kneecaps into the joints. Do these specific stretches, every day, and get a Grid roller or similar and use it."

I found an immediate reduction in discomfort and after eight weeks am pedalling in a more relaxed stroke with a bit more seated power. But it takes me half an hour to go through them and it will be the work of months to undo all the various imbalances. Then the difficulty, as with everything the physio tells me, will be to carry on doing them - less often - after I'm mended.


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## deptfordmarmoset (21 Jun 2013)

ASC1951 said:


> You may need a programme of stretching. After decades where my main exercise has been cycling (and often up big hills in too high a gear), I was starting to get pain in both knees and in the tissues around my right hip joint.
> GP - "It's the start of arthritis. You're in your 60s. Do less and take painkillers".
> Physio - "Cobblers. You have chronically tight calves, quads and right IT band. That is pulling your kneecaps into the joints. Do these specific stretches, every day, and get a Grid roller or similar and use it."
> 
> I found an immediate reduction in discomfort and after eight weeks am pedalling in a more relaxed stroke with a bit more seated power. But it takes me half an hour to go through them and it will be the work of months to undo all the various imbalances. Then the difficulty, as with everything the physio tells me, will be to carry on doing them - less often - after I'm mended.


Very useful advice there, ASC, thanks. I even went off to google ''grid roller''


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## Ningishzidda (21 Jun 2013)

It really curls me up when people say “It hurts when I climb hills on my bicycle.” This indicates they cannot carry a 25lb back pack up some flights of stairs.

The gear on a bike dictates the ‘rise’ per ‘step’.

When you do all the maths, a 1:1 ratio on a 700C wheel bike has a development of 2 metres. On a 10% hill, upward movement will be 200 mm per wheel AND crank rev. On a 20% hill, upward movement will be 200 mm for every pedal stroke ( Half a crank rev ).

A bike with a 32 ring and 32 sprocket will climb a 20% hill with the same effort as carrying a 25lb package up a flight of stairs.

A bike with a 52 inch gear will ride up a 10% with similar effort.

When a cyclist can get a 23lb bike with 2lb of kit up a 10% hill on a 52” gear, that’s when he’s starting to become good.

Starley's Rover safety bike was 25lb, and had a 52" single gear, and I've seen these ridden up a 10% by some mediocre owners of vintage bicycles.


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## oldgreyandslow (21 Jun 2013)

Ningishzidda said:


> It really curls me up when people say “It hurts when I climb hills on my bicycle.” This indicates they cannot carry a 25lb back pack up some flights of stairs.
> 
> The gear on a bike dictates the ‘rise’ per ‘step’.
> 
> ...


 
Blimey, just accept some of us find hills a bit of a challenge and enjoy whinging about it


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## ASC1951 (21 Jun 2013)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Very useful advice there, ASC, thanks. I even went off to google ''grid roller''


 
I've got the Grid Roller and the Quadballer, both via Amazon. They take a bit of getting used to, but I make regular use of both - and despite what the makers claim, my physio and other people who know about this stuff tell me that 'myofascial release' achieves very little unless you combine it with stretching; and then it certainly does.
The stretches prescribed for me were the standing calf stretch against a wall, the standing quad stretch where you grab the top of your foot and bring your heel back under you, the seated hip stretch where you put your (right) foot inside your (left) knee then turn to the (right), and the reclined ITB stretch you see footballers do where you rest the (left) foot on the (right) thigh lock your hands below the (right) knee and pull the leg towards you. I also do a supine calf and hamstring stretch with a towel over the sole of my foot and a straight leg.
These stretches aren't easy to explain in words, but I've had a copy of Stretching by Bob Anderson for years which has lots of handy diagrams.


The OP's problem may be something completely different, but cycling is a very unbalanced form of exercise. Even if you combine it with regular swimming and some running, as I do, you can end up with a static back and powerful but tight hamstrings and quads. You need to stretch as well.


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## Joffey (21 Jun 2013)

Ha, I'm not moaning it hurts when I go up hills as such, just wondering if it could be how my bike is set up, not taking enough fluids etc. 

Thanks for the science lesson though ;-) lol


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## ASC1951 (21 Jun 2013)

Joffey said:


> Ha, I'm not moaning it hurts when I go up hills as such, just wondering if it could be how my bike is set up, not taking enough fluids etc.


 
I suppose it could be bike set-up - I assumed you would have checked that first  - but I wouldn't expect that to affect just one hip. Ditto fluids. If only your right leg hurts, you probably have some muscular imbalance which needs correcting even if that isn't the only cause.


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## Joffey (21 Jun 2013)

I'm only new, I just jumped on the bike pretty much and started riding! Hopefully it will ease off as I get fitter.


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## montage (22 Jun 2013)

Joffey said:


> I'm only new, I just jumped on the bike pretty much and started riding! Hopefully it will ease off as I get fitter.


 

Invest in a bike fit - or at the very least do some serious research online. As you say, hopefully it will ease off as you get fitter


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## Joffey (22 Jun 2013)

Think that's a very good suggestion!


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (26 Jun 2013)

If it is solely in one side and not both, can I suggest you look at your knee position when you are going up hill?

You may find that one knee is further out from the frame than the other when cycling and this can lead to one sided issues such as this - for me it presented itself 6,000km into a world tour as a repetitive ankle injury - I had ruled this out given how far into the tour we were at the time! What it transpired to be was that I was riding slightly out of position holding 1 foot in a slightly different angle at the pedal, the result pushing the knee further out on that side and the hip/knee/big toe alignment out. A few weeks of concentrating on my riding position resolved the issue - now I just double check from time to time. It was only spotted when we saw a physiotherapist who specialised in cycling and took a private referal.

Also check your saddle is aligned correctly. if the nose is very slightly off centre you may not notice any issues until you are 'pushing harder' when going up hill and it could be the cause.


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## ayceejay (26 Jun 2013)

As well as the muscles that serve as the prime movers of legs there are a number of small muscles around the hips with a more specific job and it is these that give the trouble but benefit from appropriate stretches. I have linked to a site that gives the anatomy of these little trouble makers and gives exercises for each.
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/rehabilitation-exercises/stretching-exercises


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## Joffey (27 Jun 2013)

Cheers for them two posts - I'm finding that its getting better but I'll try your suggestions.


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## Ningishzidda (27 Jun 2013)

montage said:


> Invest in a bike fit - or at the very least do some serious research online. As you say, hopefully it will ease off as you get fitter


 
For riding a bike up steep hills, a proper bike fit becomes less important, because the backside is not on the saddle.
What IS important is proper shoe cleat position.


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