Quad Issues

[ethansky]

Hello all,

I am a new cyclist previous regular fell runner who has sought a change in activity. I have had three rides so far the same route 32km (Peak District) - which is a very hilly route. Whenever I train, I train to my maximum effort and generally ache for a few days after. I am 186cm (6ft 2) and 80 kg. I do not have a cyclist physique and my quads and not built for cycling. I have not rode for 2 weeks now and my quads (Vastus Medialis) are still aching when climbing stairs etc. They are also moderately tender when massaged. I am 37 years and of good health and my question really is this to be expected in an absolute beginner? My saddle height has been checked and is correct - Foot position??

any advice or comment would be welcome

 

[crazyjoe101]

"I train to my maximum effort and generally ache for a few days after."
If I do a hard ride I will ache for a day, but I am very conditioned to cycling and younger so 3 days for a beginner at maximum effort sounds normal to me. If I do a hard run I ache for 4 days because I'm not conditioned to it.
"I do not have a cyclist physique and my quads and not built for cycling."
This is just a matter of training, if you continue cycling they'll be built for cycling just fine.
"I have not rode for 2 weeks now and my quads (Vastus Medialis) are still aching when climbing stairs etc. They are also moderately tender when massaged."
You could have overtrained them and sustained some sort of injury perhaps, I'm not in a position to say.

Firstly, do you incorporate a cool down stage at the end of your rides and what is your recovery process after a ride, eg. do you stretch your muscles at all?
Also, how certain are you of your saddle height and position on the bike etc? It took me a long time to get my bike set up properly.

 

[Gravity Aided]

This is from a great book on the subject, Stretching, by Bob Anderson

 

[vickster]

Stretching and foam rolling could help

If persists and you are concerned, see a medic. I expect you just overdid it and have muscle strain

I'm not sure what a cyclist physique is? Hill climbers, sprinters and track cyclists can vary quite a lot both across and within disciplines

 

[ethansky]

I must confess I have done no stretching pre or post ride and when I do stretch I feel extremely tight in the quads / hamstrings and calfs. I feel I may have over done it and I am no longer a 21 year old! If the aches continue I think a medics advice maybe sought!

 

[raleighnut]

It may also be an idea to pull a lower gear and spin the legs a bit more, google 'cadence' for more info.

 

[crazyjoe101]

I must confess I have done no stretching pre or post ride and when I do stretch I feel extremely tight in the quads / hamstrings and calfs. I feel I may have over done it and I am no longer a 21 year old! If the aches continue I think a medics advice maybe sought!

Ignoring whether or not you've got an injury I can say with almost absolute certainty that that's why you ache for 3 days. I'm a bit lazy and always running late so I don't stretch before riding, I just take it easy for the first 10 minutes instead. Pre ride stretching is mostly injury prevention I think, post is mostly for recovery. At the end of every ride I will bring the effort way down and let my heart rate drop and my legs recover, then stretch my hamstrings, quads, calves and glutes within 30 minutes of finishing, using roller the same evening. It's also a good idea to stretch every day and use the roller regularly. It will take you a while to get the muscles flexible but you'll get there in the end.
Google will throw out hundreds of resources on stretches for cyclists depending on how much time you want to sppend of them.

 

[Citius]

Whenever I train, I train to my maximum effort and generally ache for a few days after.

This is not the way to 'train'...

If you are in the early stages of developing your cycling, then lower effort and increased frequency would make much more sense...

 

[Crackle]

Why would you train to your maximum every time, especially on a new activity. Take the principles you probably applied to running and apply them to cycling.

If your quads continue to trouble you after adjusting your riding, stretching and foam rolling will definitely help, especially the latter

 

[boydj]

Every hard ride should be followed by two or three easy rides. Fitness is built in the recovery periods from hard efforts.

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

Slow down and ride some longer miles. Give yer legs a chance to adapt before giving it the full works. And find a flatter route ( if that's possible in The Peak District!) for some nice and easy spinning when those quads are aching!