Cycling and flexibility

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Comments

  • tardington
    tardington Posts: 1,379
    Have you tried? Go on... :wink:
  • boneyjoe
    boneyjoe Posts: 369
    Yes, pls do try, and send pics!
    Scott Scale 20 (for xc racing)
    Gary Fisher HKEK (for commuting)
  • mountainroadie
    mountainroadie Posts: 244
    splits... abs, chest ,and chin on the floor

    does this count
  • richk
    richk Posts: 564
    Just tried it & was surprised that I could (just, lets be honest) touch my toes. Don't think I've done that since I was at school :D
    There is no secret ingredient...
  • laughingboy
    laughingboy Posts: 248
    I am an ankles kind of guy - which is banned in some Islamic countries :wink:

    I am officially rubbish at touching my toes. I put it down to cycling, but a while ago it actually contributed to my having weird discomfort/pain in my foot, somehow or other. My friendly neighbourhood podiatrist made me some insoles, and made me do stretches. Which cured it, until I started cycling again, and forgot about the stretches... :oops:

    Moral? Stretch those hamstrings and calves, folks. :)
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    This is like those surveys were people are asked if they are an above average driver and most of them say they are! 65% effectively super mobile? At something that cyclists are supposed to not be so good at?? To be fair, I'm not stubby legged but I am super flexible (both legs behind my head a doddle!) but I still can't quite get my palms on the floor with my knees properly locked. Not far off though.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • Roastie
    Roastie Posts: 1,968
    I can now consistently touch my toes - a year ago I struggled to get my hands around my ankles.

    Flexibility directly influences how much power you can maintain (how much you lose) when leaning forward. At the moment my lack of flexibility is negatively affecting how aero I can get, hence I am working on it.

    Google Fabian Cancellara and flexibility. Eish!
    David
    Engineered Bicycles
  • mountainroadie
    mountainroadie Posts: 244
    during warm up older {new members} will work with more experienced members
    after warm up
    whilst sitting on the floor legs as far apart as you can i would sit opposite you with my feet on your ankles and pull on your ti {ie white belt,yellow belt} this is how you achive the splits , slowly week by week .
  • prj45
    prj45 Posts: 2,208
    I've just eaten a bowl of pasta the size of my head.

    Can I try this later?
    Photos - Blog - Bike
  • White Line
    White Line Posts: 887
    Ankles baby! It's all about the ankles! *

    I got further than I thought I would. :D

    * The "it" is my fingertips.
    Emiliana the CAAD9
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    mountainroadie wrote:
    during warm up older {new members} will work with more experienced members
    after warm up
    whilst sitting on the floor legs as far apart as you can i would sit opposite you with my feet on your ankles and pull on your ti {ie white belt,yellow belt} this is how you achive the splits , slowly week by week .

    Blah blah martial arts blah.

    Cycling forum!

    Anyhow, seems the members of this forum are a flexible bunch... myth debunked, perhaps?
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • artaxerxes
    artaxerxes Posts: 612
    I can touch my toes (and I hadn't tried it for years) but I made an involuntary 'eek' noise as I did this. Is this natural for people in their 30s?
  • Roastie
    Roastie Posts: 1,968
    linoue wrote:
    I can touch my toes (and I hadn't tried it for years) but I made an involuntary 'eek' noise as I did this. Is this natural for people in their 30s?
    No. Seek medical help immediately.
    David
    Engineered Bicycles
  • tarquin_foxglove
    tarquin_foxglove Posts: 554
    boneyjoe wrote:
    Would be good to see some feats of hyper mobility if possible.

    Try this from the Sun
  • boneyjoe
    boneyjoe Posts: 369
    tarquin_foxglove wrote:
    boneyjoe wrote:
    Would be good to see some feats of hyper mobility if possible.

    Try this from the Sun

    Wowsers - thanks for that! :shock: :shock: :D:D
    Scott Scale 20 (for xc racing)
    Gary Fisher HKEK (for commuting)
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,445
    tarquin_foxglove wrote:
    boneyjoe wrote:
    Would be good to see some feats of hyper mobility if possible.

    Try this from the Sun

    I did that once, fell of my MTB and hit a pile of dumped reinforced concrete with my face 8)
    Saracen Tenet 3 - 2015 - Dead - Replaced with a Hack Frame
    Voodoo Bizango - 2014 - Dead - Hit by a car
    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    To my ankles, well not quite. My fingertips are about 1" above the sticky-outy bit. Now if I lost my counterbalance from the stomach I could go lower no doubt.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    I'm between "touch toes" and "hands flat on floor" - I remembered this thread earlier and tried it in the lift on the way downstairs..........I managed to get my fingers flat. I could feel the stretching in the back of my legs, it was uncomfortable but felt good!
    Who's the daddy?
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    Player of THE GAME
    Giant SCR 3.0 - FCN 5
  • RickyG
    RickyG Posts: 58
    I can get palms on the floor since I used to do sprint hurdles.

    However since doing more cycling I have noticed my hammys getting tighter.... :?
    Strava name: Richard Gawthorpe
  • mountainroadie
    mountainroadie Posts: 244
    yep same here since giving up ITF TAE KWON DO [blah blah yes thanks for that L.I.T ]
    noticed hamstrings and qauds are a lot tighter

    but i do cycle A LOT .
  • NGale
    NGale Posts: 1,866
    Never ever been able to touch my toes, my hamstrings are just too short. even at my most flexible I wasn't able to touch my toes, so personally I don't think cycling really makes much of a difference.
    Officers don't run, it's undignified and panics the men
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    C+ this month has an article on stretches to alleviate the tightness associated with cycling!
    I don't think the article will be online yet as it's in this months issue but they do look quite good and might turn up with some googling!

    The stretches are called:

    Indian Knot
    Door frame hamstring stretch
    Lay back
    Hamstring/PSOAS counter strain
    Ball crab

    The article recommends holding each for 2 minutes :-)
    Who's the daddy?
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    Player of THE GAME
    Giant SCR 3.0 - FCN 5
  • AllTheGear
    AllTheGear Posts: 248
    I've just tried, and can only get halfway down my shins!! I've never been able to touch my toes though. They are a long way away, I'm over 6'0"...
    ... and no idea ...

    FCN: 3
  • _Brun_
    _Brun_ Posts: 1,740
    Never been anywhere near touching my toes. It's the backs of my knees that hurt if I try to get anywhere past half way down the shins. Hurty knees isn't a good thing, so I'm not gonna push it.

    Only been cycling for two years, but I don't think football and running are all that great for flexibility either.

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