Hamstring cramps

martinperry

A question for the setup experts here.
Just done my first 100 (RL100) No aches or pains whatsoever except for cramping hamstrings climbing around the 80 mile point - managed to spin them out without stopping, but they remained a threat for the rest of the ride, twitching if I tried to climb in too high a gear.
Ive had this before on slightly shorter rides, generally when ive under carbed myself due to inexperience / poor planning.
I assume this is just one of those things due to crap fitness, but wonder if there is any other aspect of my setup that can do with tweaking (setback / crank length/ saddle height etc)
Thanks

mamba80

Firstly, i am no expert in anything
I have found that a slightly high saddle ht caused cramp in H/s
As you tire and push harder gears, i was tending to drop my heel, over extending the leg, a 2 or 3mm drop in saddle fixed it.
oh and reg stretching of hs as well, who is to say what fixed it ?

Herbsman

It's definitely caused by the fact that you are not 'taking on board' enough electrolytes from sports nutrition drinks. You should be drinking 500ml of Chemistry In Cycling® PROCEED™ Electrolyte* per hour - even when not cycling!

*Only £1 per sachet - minimum order 1000 sachets - payment by bank transfer only - PM me for bank details.

Herbsman

martinperry wrote:

A question for the setup experts here.
Just done my first 100 (RL100) No aches or pains whatsoever except for cramping hamstrings climbing around the 80 mile point - managed to spin them out without stopping, but they remained a threat for the rest of the ride, twitching if I tried to climb in too high a gear.
Ive had this before on slightly shorter rides, generally when ive under carbed myself due to inexperience / poor planning.
I assume this is just one of those things due to crap fitness, but wonder if there is any other aspect of my setup that can do with tweaking (setback / crank length/ saddle height etc)
Thanks

Was it both legs or just one?

From my experience, it can sometimes just be caused by riding further and/or harder than you're used to. I got cramp a few times when I first started training, but never any more.

sloppyschleckonds

Herbsman wrote:

It's definitely caused by the fact that you are not 'taking on board' enough electrolytes from sports nutrition drinks. You should be drinking 500ml of Chemistry In Cycling® PROCEED™ Electrolyte* per hour - even when not cycling!

*Only £1 per sachet - minimum order 1000 sachets - payment by bank transfer only - PM me for bank details.

What flavours do you have?

martinperry

Both legs simultaneously - which makes me think its crap fitness more than anything else.
By the way, can you let me know how my $200M is doing now you are out of that spacecraft and back in Nigeria