Warm up for short rides?

[doginabag]

I have been suffering a pain to the back of my knee for a couple of weeks which shows no sign of shifting so having consulted google doctor I'm pretty certain it is hamstring tendinitis. The symptoms stack up perfectly and the likely causes seem to be exactly what I do (wrong it seems).

I only use my bike for commuting and am not what you may call a particularly fit person. As my rides are very short (approx 1.7 miles/8 minutes, four times a day) and are pretty much my only opportunity to get any real exercise I tend to go balls out. the thinking being that I make the most of what little exercise time I get. So no warm up.

With the turn in the weather and my seemingly poor technique, I can see why I have done myself a mischief.

So I have been reading up on cycling warm ups and it seems that the shorter the ride, the longer the warm up, I can see the logic in that. But it seems most recommended warm up exercises I have found are 20-30 minutes long. That's longer than my actual ride, am I condemning myself to a future of pootling along if I want to avoid this again?

 

[Drago]

A recent mass study of US Marines...several hundred exercised without warm ups for a fair spell, several hundred did warm up for the same period, no difference in injury rates. Believed to be the largest experiment of its type.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Are you mashing the pedals? Maybe commute one lower gear so your legs need to spin more to maintain the same speed. Otherwise would an extra couple of mins on each commute be a problem?

 

[vickster]

Is your bike set up correct, saddle height?

Do you stretch regularly, not just after exercise?

Your riding time doesn’t seem especially quick unless it’s all uphill?

 

[Milkfloat]

My warm up is taking it easy for the first 400 meters until I reach the meeting point - then the gloves are off and we ramp up to 'balls out' speed pretty quickly. I am not a big fan of big warm ups and certainly no stretches.

 

[doginabag]

A recent mass study of US Marines...several hundred exercised without warm ups for a fair spell, several hundred did warm up for the same period, no difference in injury rates. Believed to be the largest experiment of its type.

I wonder if the results would be the same if you replaced 'marines' with 'lardy office workers'?

Are you mashing the pedals? Maybe commute one lower gear so your legs need to spin more to maintain the same speed. Otherwise would an extra couple of mins on each commute be a problem?

You may have a point there, the gears even on the six speed brompton are pretty limited. I tend to flick between 4th and 5th, 4th is all too easy to spin out where as fifth it's easy to get bogged down. Something in between would be ideal, but in absence of that I tend to try and push myself to use the higher gear.
Time isn't a concern, but I try to get the most benefit out of the limited distance I cover, though that may be flawed logic!

Is your bike set up correct, saddle height?

Do you stretch regularly, not just after exercise?

Your riding time doesn’t seem especially quick unless it’s all uphill?

Saddle is set up ok I believe, not had any issues up until now.
Stretching? No not really. I think there was some yoga on the wii fit but that came out 10 years ago, so it's been a while.
You are right, it's not very quick, but it's commuting through central london with a lot of stop/starting on a silly little brompton.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Don't bother with google, see a physio. It certainly opened my eyes.

 

[vickster]

Don't bother with google, see a physio. It certainly opened my eyes.

Yep, if rest and stretching doesn't help. There are some very good physios in London who focus on cycling injuries and would be able to also check the bike is set up ok

Otherwise, get a proper bike

Also, try to do other exercise, even if just brisk walks

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Get a smaller front ring then you may find 5th becomes your Goldilocks gear

 

[hoopdriver]

Stretching and perhaps see about a bike fit. Warming up (or lack of) should not be an issue, especially on such brief rides. A proper bike set up and gentle stretching should see you right. Visit a physio if it doesn’t

 

[si_c]

Whilst this may be controversial advise for a cycling forum, have you tried walking to work? From an exercise perspective a half hour brisk walk will do a lot more for you than an 8 minute bike ride.