Foam Roller for tired Quadricep muscles ?

Raffles

Unfortunately I suffer from tired quads when it comes to uphills after about 40 miles cycling :oops: . I was out yesterday on a half century and there was a tailwind behind me for the first two thirds of the ride, riding on the flats at a very easy 28 mph was hardly any effort and it was great. There was a loop at about the 38 miles mark which fed me straight into the headwind and it felt like riding whilst towing a car. When it came to uphill sections , it felt like lead was flowing through my legs instead of blood and the turning power through the cranks was obliterated. I still completed the solo 50 in a 18.5 mph average ,but its frustrating when those quads start flagging. Ive been doing some reading concerning the quad muscles and came across an article about using a foam roller before and after rides on that muscle group. Do any of you guys use foam rollers and is there any value in having one ? The club rides tend to average 20 + mph and I could really do with something to help my quads for those too.

big_p

my missus uses a foam roller, i've got to tell you, it doesn't look like fun, she does some right old complaining, says it hurts like hell, i tell her to stop doing it then but she just carries on............go figure ?????

Raffles

big p wrote:

my missus uses a foam roller, i've got to tell you, it doesn't look like fun, she does some right old complaining,

No such thing as a wife who doesnt do this mate , part of their genetics

TheEnglishman

I'm loving my foam roller. It really helps, especially after a ride. There's tons of youtube vids on how to use them and they come with some fairly comprehensive instructions.

And yes, hurts like hell the first few times then it gets easier - well, much less painful. I got the 'hardcore' one with the plastic pipe in the middle

big_p

yeah, she has a hard cored version too.

Calpol

I have one too.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trigger-Point-Grid-Foamroller-Grip/dp/B0040EKZDY/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1345992358&sr=8-10. I use it to keep my ITB problems in check. Like you my quads are knackered after about 35 miles so just rolled them out after todays ride. Time will tell if it helps. Certainly helps ITB and for tight calves. My advice would be to get a half decent one as the cheapos from ebay don't last long.

Valy

Do you get a tired feeling very quickly when you start going hard?

I'm getting this too atm and I think it's just the muscles being tired and needing a massage/hot bath. A foam roller does hurt like ****ing hell but I guess after a few times it should get better. A warm/hot bath (depending how you like your heat) does work wonders though. When doing long rides back to back I found it really helped me the next day as the legs felt less fatigued.

GATES

buy a stick i have one of these and a foam roller but much prefair the stick works wonders

http://www.the-stick.co.uk/

Rod11

I'm another great lover of the foam roller (well, I actually use a piece of large diameter PVC pipe cos I'm hardore ). Works wonders after a long ride, not just your quads but on your IT band and calfs, even your back and arms. Never tried it before a ride though. It does hurt to start with or if your muscles are really tight, but it's a nice kind of pain, in a slightly masochistic way!

Raffles

I self massaged my quads and calves using tescos baby oil to loosen up those muscles last night (wife was watching casualty and told me to take a hike ) . It helped somewhat and then I tried the grabbing my foot and pulling it back up towards the butt. This helped stretch that muscle also and I think ill do those stretches pre ride and see if they help. Im a 42 yr old geezer and Im trying to finish rides exactly how some of the others, both young and quite a bit older do ........evidently without quads that are feeling like tonne weights :?