Different bike = calve muscles sore.

ben@31

Hi,

I have a few different bikes. While the roads been wet, full of crud and road salt I've be regularly using a cheaper winter bike. I've done a lot of mileage no problem.

Had a week off due to bad man flu.

Then over the weekend because the weather was ok and it's been a while, I decided to get my other better spec'd road bike out.

Now my calve muscles are feeling very tight. I've never had this from cycling before. Bizarrely this is the only bike that had a bike fit when I bought it ( but how good a fit, is a different question). Any ideas why my calves are all of a sudden in bits? Does a slightly different position or geometry use the calves more? I remember seeing a diagram of a crank showing at what angles certain muscles kick in, I would have thought the degrees when the calves are used would be standard across all bikes.

Thanks.

MountainMonster

Sounds to me like either the cleats are in the wrong position, or possibly the saddle. Either way, you shouldn't be having pain in the calves from it.

Is it the same shoes you are wearing across all bikes? If so, then the saddle with probably be out of adjustment a bit, either vertically or horizontally.

g00se

You're not using different shoes are you? Cleat positions further forward will use the calf more (or is it the other way around)?

If the saddle is a lot higher, that may do it too? You may end up using your ankles more to get the rotation which means you're pulling on your calves to a greater extent.

It may have been that your calves were used to this before but after a winter being stretched less, they're not quite as extensible at the moment?

Zerotails99

Possibly unrelated to the bike ride all together?

cougie

Probably down to the man flu if thats the only thing different to what you've done in the past ?

Bikes don't grow normally.

sloppyschleckonds

^whs

rjsmith

Either that or the saddle is a bit too high on the different bike. At the start of the season if you haven't ridden it you might not be as supple so it is more noticeable? Have you put a thicker saddle on maybe?

Monty Dog

Probably down to being forced to ride in a toes-down position or a more pronounced 'ankling' whilst pedalling - check saddle height and layback, plus crank length between bikes

Frank Wilson

Calf muscles

Muscles in my calves