painful legs after cycling

[up hill struggle]

ive got a small problem with fatigue. Ive got arthritis in my knees & a other places & a few years ago i had an accident on a motorcycle which shattered my left knee & had a few ops to sort it out & its as good as its gonna get.

doctors & physio both agree that cycling & swimming the two best activities for me but i cant swim so that leaves cycling.

after the ops & when the arthritis kicked in i just made lazy ness my number one sporting activity as a result i suffer from fatigue at the best of times like walk the dogs a little to far or go up & down the stairs a few times close together and the legs would start to get tired & sore.

now that im cycling again muscle pains in my legs have been plaguing me after almost every ride & kinda holding me back from progressing in distance and pace.

the paths im riding are mainly flat tarmac with occasional hills not steep by any means but although i got a bit of advice few weeks ago & have been spinning in lower gears in stead of grinding the bigger gears im still having alot of fatigue in the legs specifically calve muscles and just above my knees just feels like im constantly tearing muscle fiber a few days of not riding feels normal again but once i get off the bike it starts again getting worse every few days until i have a few days off again.

things had started to get easier few weeks ago while riding the mountain bike but then got rid of the mountain bike (repeated problems lead to getting a refund) & i paid down on a new ridgeback hybrid which is a much better bike and better suited for what i will use it for.

So had a 2 week break from the bike before getting the hybrid during which i came down with a bug & broke 2 fingers, ive had the new ridgeback for almost two weeks now and rode it all but 3 days but really suffering with the leg pains.

Im almost embarrassed to say that im only doing about 8 miles a day at a slow & steady pace trying to build up slowly to bigger rides & still suffering & ive been wondering if it is worth trying a simple recovery drink just to help the muscle in the leg get used to the work that is being asked of them.

it may be worth pointing out that ive also made changes to my diet over the last few weeks (sensible changes) like cut out sugar, eating good breakfast cut down coffee to 2-3 cups from 10+ cups per day cut out fried food & take aways & no alcohol (not that i drank much away) drinking 2-3 litres of water per day to make up for the difference in coffee intake, also lost a stone in weight over the last 6 weeks down to 16 & 1/2 stone now.

part of me thinks the on going pains are also being exaggerated by the changes that ive made in diet as well & my body is just going to take time to get used to difference in diet & activity level, that in mind is there anything you can recommend to ease things, even milk after rides as ive heard this can help.,

 

[ColinJ]

Are you sure that your bike is set up properly? If (for example) your saddle is significantly too low then that wouldn't be helping your legs much.

It sounds like more rest between rides might help. If your legs hurt then making them hurt more isn't going help them stop hurting! (That probably sounds obvious put like that, but that is what you are doing ...)

 

[TheJDog]

I hate to say htfu, since you seem to have had your fair share of woes, but it does sound like ordinary muscular pain from exerting muscles that aren't used to it. They'll get used to it.

 

[up hill struggle]

Are you sure that your bike is set up properly? If (for example) your saddle is significantly too low then that wouldn't be helping your legs much.

It sounds like more rest between rides might help. If your legs hurt then making them hurt more isn't going help them stop hurting! (That probably sounds obvious put like that, but that is what you are doing ...)

yeah bike setup correctly this time. I learned the hard way with the mountain bike after not realizing id set the seat 2" lower than i had previously had it set & f***ed the legs up completely for about 48 hours. Got the lbs to set seat height this time, but even raised that by another 1.5" after a few rides until i got it a perfect height and then marked it for future settings. Wife suggested to ride every other day until it stopped hurting every time.

just kinda feels like a easy excuse not to get out there and do something. If it was bigger millage i wouldn't feel like such a pussy about it, but only doing 8 miles kinda makes me feel like whats the point.

if ya know what i mean.

 

[slowmotion]

uhs, there's nothing wrong with riding eight miles. When I started, I really thought that I might die four miles into a five mile trip. It gradually got better.

 

[annedonnelly]

Why not do as your wife suggests and ride every other day for a while? But there's nothing to stop you going for a walk on the other days so that you do keep those legs moving.

Seems like you've made a lot of lifestyle changes all at once so well done on that and losing the weight.

 

[cyberknight]

Are you sure that your bike is set up properly? If (for example) your saddle is significantly too low then that wouldn't be helping your legs much.

It sounds like more rest between rides might help. If your legs hurt then making them hurt more isn't going help them stop hurting! (That probably sounds obvious put like that, but that is what you are doing ...)

I was going to suggest the same , my thighs ache even if the saddle is a few mm to low , i can instantly feel the change .
Are you stretching your legs after riding ?

 

[Shut Up Legs]

My legs ache daily, and I've been cycling all my life . Sometimes I forget what it's like for them not to hurt.

 

[cyberknight]

My legs ache daily, and I've been cycling all my life . Sometimes I forget what it's like for them not to hurt.

Reminds me of something i heard /read /saw somewhere about runners who `s legs hurt constantly , one day a runner says their legs fele good today and they are asked why dont they go for a run .
"what ? and spoil the feeling ! "

 

[Berties]

Personally if you say your bike is set up correct ,I would seek advice and a few sessions with a biomechanics Physio,who will prescribe a exercise programme to keep you muscles flexible ,not put any access pressure on your joints,

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

+1 to all above. Probably just your legs saying, 'why are you making me do this after all these years?!'

Just tell them to shut up and carry on - they'll soon get the message and stop whinging!

PS I'm not a Doctor so don't take this as official medical advice!

 

[Ganymede]

only doing 8 miles kinda makes me feel like whats the point.

if ya know what i mean.

My commute is 3.5 miles, and so I do 7 miles most days. Doing this has improved my health and fitness significantly - I'm not ripped or hench, I haven't lost masses of weight, but I feel great (and I also have a dodgy knee). I know I have the option to increase my distance any time but I use the bike for transport. You don't have anything to prove, you know - the bike is a tool for fitness, transport and pleasure! - not for beating yourself up about.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

If not going every other day seems wrong, what about doing less, but each day and trying to gradually build up? Perhaps do four miles each day for a month, then add a mile every other day for a month..

You seem to have the desire, which is a massive start so, wrong metaphor but, maybe you're trying to run before you can walk?

Ride steady and within yourself. Finish a ride wanting more.

 

[raleighnut]

Sounds to me also that you're doing too much too soon. You are using muscles that are just not used to this level of work, they need to build up slowly, all that guff about no pain no gain is just utter rubbish. Cycling should be enjoyable even if you're using it as Physio and if you do too much its counter productive. Fitness and distance will come it just takes time, stick at it just a bit more gently and go more on time cycling rather than distance covered.

 

[up hill struggle]

Are you stretching your legs after riding ?

im such a twat! when i started riding the mtb i wasn't stretching but did start after a while after some advice on here which did help, ive been so excited about getting the hybrid after the 2 weeks of not riding that i clean forgot about stretching. By the time i had stopped riding the mtb i was doing 10 miles 4-5 days a week & the combined mileage for my last 2 rides before it packed up for last time was 27 miles which was great for me although i did suffer afterwards. Just been in such as rush to get back on the bike that stretching didn't even pop into my head.

Personally if you say your bike is set up correct ,I would seek advice and a few sessions with a biomechanics Physio,who will prescribe a exercise programme to keep you muscles flexible ,not put any access pressure on your joints,

physio had told me to get in contact when i got round to buying a bike & they would give some training advice, but like everything else in the health service they are over stretched & still waiting for the appointment, just taking a while

If not going every other day seems wrong, what about doing less, but each day and trying to gradually build up? Perhaps do four miles each day for a month, then add a mile every other day for a month.

i think every other day or daily with reduced miles would work even until the school holidays finish & the girls are back in school that way i will have more time on my hands. Im always a bit stressed when i go out & leave the wife to look after the girls, both girls have special needs and the wife has epilepsy, thinking now as i type this im wondering if im pushing myself harder than i think so i can get back home incase anything happens i know im always rushing home incase there giving the wife bother.

think its best to take things easy & either reduce the miles or rides until holidays are finished & knuckle down after that, that way i can concentrate on the rides & building up strength in the legs without being distracted by worrying if things are ok at home while im out (i went to the shops one day about 3 years ago & returned home to find the wife face down on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood after she took a seizure & broke her nose when she collapsed. Luckily the girls were in school at the time so weren't left wondering the house while wife was unconscious but always plays on my mind when i leave her alone with them)

well thanks for the advice & jogging my memory about the stretching, think im to stressed at the moment to make any real progress so just ride as & when i can until the schools start back & try to relax when i do go out.

cheers