Calf cramps - bumpy road

larkim

I know that cramps have a myriad of different causes, such as poor electrolytes, hydration, tiredness etc etc.

But has anyone experienced calf cramps which seem to appear solely when riding through potholes / bumps in the road?

I'm building up mileage on my first road bike (Triban 3) and every time I go out my left calf gets a nasty cramp at some point during the ride. It always seems to coincide with hitting a poor part of the road surface (how do you guys cope with the roads without suspension!!) which I think makes me tense my legs either in anticipation of the bump or as a consequence of hitting it. Fortunately I only have toe loops on the pedals so I can get the foot out easily and ride along like an idiot with one leg sticking out until I can stop safely and stretch it out.

Is this a common cause of cramps? Or is it just me?

Matt

fat_cat

That's a new one on me.

Without wishing to state the obvious pot holes are best avoided. Easier said than done I know when some road surfaces look like the surface of the moon! But try a stear around the worst of it.

Also avoid tensing up, try and keep relaxed (this will help you keep your balance too!). Standing on the pedals / getting out of the saddle also helps, both from a streching, and comfort standpoint if it's a particularly big bump / hole.

ugo.santalucia

No...

the roads are not so bumpy and if they were the first parts to hurt would be your hands, arms and shoulders, as they act as your shock absorbers

larkim

As I say, I don't think its so much the bumps themselves (I'm not thinking of full on potholes, its the sort of cracks and holes that I'd expect to see riders crank on through), its more the tensing up for balance rather than continuing to pedal through them which seems to coincide.

It could be nothing at all to do with that, but I do definitely tense up prior to hitting a small hole. Not helped by the fact that the mileage I am able to get in at the moment is primarily in the evenings, so whilst I do see the holes coming, I'm not seeing them from 40yds away and gently moving out of their way.

I don't find myself standing up much, so that's possibly an area to explore - I'm still getting used to a) pedalling along at 23mph on the hoods without 100% confidence that I can apply full brake pressure should I need to and b) trying to get down on the drops where I can (whereby I can't shift up gears as readily as the descent to a smaller rear sprocket is controlled by the small shifters on the hoods!).

Still, managed 10 miles in the dark at 17+mph (straight after a 2.5 mile trail run with a 2.5 mile trail run after the ride too), so I must be making some progress!

Matt

ugo.santalucia

larkim wrote:

As I say, I don't think its so much the bumps themselves (I'm not thinking of full on potholes, its the sort of cracks and holes that I'd expect to see riders crank on through), its more the tensing up for balance rather than continuing to pedal through them which seems to coincide.

It could be nothing at all to do with that, but I do definitely tense up prior to hitting a small hole. Not helped by the fact that the mileage I am able to get in at the moment is primarily in the evenings, so whilst I do see the holes coming, I'm not seeing them from 40yds away and gently moving out of their way.

I don't find myself standing up much, so that's possibly an area to explore - I'm still getting used to a) pedalling along at 23mph on the hoods without 100% confidence that I can apply full brake pressure should I need to and b) trying to get down on the drops where I can (whereby I can't shift up gears as readily as the descent to a smaller rear sprocket is controlled by the small shifters on the hoods!).

Still, managed 10 miles in the dark at 17+mph (straight after a 2.5 mile trail run with a 2.5 mile trail run after the ride too), so I must be making some progress!

Matt

If you cycle in the dark in winter, you're probably on the wrong bike... you need some real big tyres to do that... 32 or 37 mm is what I would (and do) use... those hop on most shallow holes

larkim

Possibly, but I've only got one budget! When I say "in the dark" I do mean on generally lit roads, with sections where my bike lights (a pair of 600 lumen torches) have to take the strain.

I could ride the MTB instead (I've got 32mm tyres for that in the garage) but I need to get used to the roadie for a duathlon in March. So I'm picking my nights (dry, not icy) and making the best of it.

Having said all that, I did manage 20miles last night at a reasonable pace with no cramps, no matter what bumps I went over. I was a bit more relaxed, so perhaps that was all I needed.

Matt

Initialised

larkim wrote:

But has anyone experienced calf cramps which seem to appear solely when riding through potholes / bumps in the road?

I did a down hill MTB course on the ski slopes at Cairngorm a couple of years back (on a Specialized Rockhopper hardtail). Granted I rode 25 miles to the base station first but I was amazed at how much pain the main descent caused in my calves and thighs, I did a lot of it clipped in and you end up steering the rear end with your legs.

Since then my approach to bumpy ground, especially on descents has been to adopt the MTB attack position, up out of the seat, pedals at quarter to three hands on the drops elbows out to the side and relaxed, your arms and legs are the suspension.

The cramps are probably from tensing up and resisting the bumps rather than relaxing and floating over them.

keef66

Curiously enough I got cramp in both feet last night as I rattled over a particularly rough patch of road; I was aware at the time that I'd tensed up in response to the sudden battering so you may have something there.

Feet were still cramping when I got back home, so I took the excuse to down half a bag of salted peanuts and a whisky mac as a recovery snack. Seemed to do the trick!

larkim

That's my kind of recovery snack! Though perhaps a whole bag would be more my style...

ugo.santalucia

keef66 wrote:

Curiously enough I got cramp in both feet last night as I rattled over a particularly rough patch of road; I was aware at the time that I'd tensed up in response to the sudden battering so you may have something there.

Feet were still cramping when I got back home, so I took the excuse to down half a bag of salted peanuts and a whisky mac as a recovery snack. Seemed to do the trick!

Winter cramps on short rides are highly unlikely to be due to lack of electrolytes... more like serious lack of form... I know the current trend is never to leave the house without plenty of fluids, even if just going to the newsagent, but it's over cautious, trust me

keef66

Whatever the initial cause I always find that ingesting something salty stops the cramps recurring. Had I not had the peanuts I'm pretty certain I'd have been having cramps in my feet when I went to bed.

It's definitely not lack of activity; I'm out 3 times a week in spite of the weather at the moment

bobtbuilder

larkim wrote:

As I say, I don't think its so much the bumps themselves (I'm not thinking of full on potholes, its the sort of cracks and holes that I'd expect to see riders crank on through), its more the tensing up for balance rather than continuing to pedal through them which seems to coincide.

Matt

Matt, I think you've answered your own question. I imagine that you are tensing your muscles in preparation for a bump and that tensing is causing the cramps.

ugo.santalucia

keef66 wrote:

Whatever the initial cause I always find that ingesting something salty stops the cramps recurring. Had I not had the peanuts I'm pretty certain I'd have been having cramps in my feet when I went to bed.

It's definitely not lack of activity; I'm out 3 times a week in spite of the weather at the moment

Feet cramps have nothing to do with electrolytes and if the cramps disappear when you eat salt is probably a coincidence... they would disappear if you take vitamin C, eat M&Ms or watch a show on the sofa. Feet cramps have to do with shoes, circulation, pedals, cleats, lots of reasons, but not electrolytes