Foam roller ! A revelation !!!
bristolpete
Posts: 2,255
Been on the forum for years, been a road bike rider since I was 13 on and off, women and bands aside, and now sadly ebbing towards my mid forties ! A funny thing, but over the years my employment has always been 'a standing up job' which I think has a huge impact on performance on a bike in relation to concrete fatigue as I cant stand on anti-fatigue matting all day.
Sometimes you get on a bike and your legs are shafted before you turn a pedal. Hard to explain unless you have the misfortune of spending excessive time on your feet.
However, 3/4 weeks ago I thought about finally buying a foam roller and frankly it has been incredible. First few sessions were abject pain as clearly a lot of tension on my quads but over the last few weeks, after working a roller session into my day - morning and night, along with a pre and post ride roll the difference is marked.
Climbing today, I did 3000 feet in 30 miles, typical Devon riding, but due to the rolling the 'threshold' in my legs takes a lot longer to kick in and in fact I feel like a much better bike rider.
I also roll my back and shoulders after watching the England Rugby team do some roller work and again deffo helps with reach and easing tension in the mid to upper back and trapezius area if spending 2 hours + in the saddle.
Anyway, I just wanted to share a valid, but cheap find which may help other forum users. The caveat to this is I have actually now bought two foam rollers, one smooth the other gridded for a slightly more aggressive roll on the legs. £30 all in and worth every penny. No idea why it took so long, just assumed it was cobswallop :shock:
Nice one.
Sometimes you get on a bike and your legs are shafted before you turn a pedal. Hard to explain unless you have the misfortune of spending excessive time on your feet.
However, 3/4 weeks ago I thought about finally buying a foam roller and frankly it has been incredible. First few sessions were abject pain as clearly a lot of tension on my quads but over the last few weeks, after working a roller session into my day - morning and night, along with a pre and post ride roll the difference is marked.
Climbing today, I did 3000 feet in 30 miles, typical Devon riding, but due to the rolling the 'threshold' in my legs takes a lot longer to kick in and in fact I feel like a much better bike rider.
I also roll my back and shoulders after watching the England Rugby team do some roller work and again deffo helps with reach and easing tension in the mid to upper back and trapezius area if spending 2 hours + in the saddle.
Anyway, I just wanted to share a valid, but cheap find which may help other forum users. The caveat to this is I have actually now bought two foam rollers, one smooth the other gridded for a slightly more aggressive roll on the legs. £30 all in and worth every penny. No idea why it took so long, just assumed it was cobswallop :shock:
Nice one.
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Rollers, stretching and quality sleep ....... Ensures I can ride longer and more often.“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”
Desmond Tutu0 -
Been on the forum for years, been a road bike rider since I was 13 on and off, women and bands aside, and now sadly ebbing towards my mid forties ! A funny thing, but over the years my employment has always been 'a standing up job' which I think has a huge impact on performance on a bike in relation to concrete fatigue as I cant stand on anti-fatigue matting all day.
Sometimes you get on a bike and your legs are shafted before you turn a pedal. Hard to explain unless you have the misfortune of spending excessive time on your feet.
However, 3/4 weeks ago I thought about finally buying a foam roller and frankly it has been incredible. First few sessions were abject pain as clearly a lot of tension on my quads but over the last few weeks, after working a roller session into my day - morning and night, along with a pre and post ride roll the difference is marked.
Climbing today, I did 3000 feet in 30 miles, typical Devon riding, but due to the rolling the 'threshold' in my legs takes a lot longer to kick in and in fact I feel like a much better bike rider.
I also roll my back and shoulders after watching the England Rugby team do some roller work and again deffo helps with reach and easing tension in the mid to upper back and trapezius area if spending 2 hours + in the saddle.
Anyway, I just wanted to share a valid, but cheap find which may help other forum users. The caveat to this is I have actually now bought two foam rollers, one smooth the other gridded for a slightly more aggressive roll on the legs. £30 all in and worth every penny. No idea why it took so long, just assumed it was cobswallop :shock:
Nice one.
I used my wife's over the weekend having spent months just looking at it suspiciously. My back was in bits for some reason (unusual) and 20 mins twice over the weekend rolling on it certainly had a positive effect. It may have cleared up anyway, but the cracking and popping i got from my back suggests it did something. Can you recommend any particuarly sessions for leg work?0 -
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Brilliant thanks. Dan Martin got quite used to the camera come the end.0 -
Interesting! I'm a postie so walk around 50 miles per week just on delivery, plus all my indoor work is on my feet too. I absolutely hammered around my delivery today as it was ridiculously busy and was flat out for 5hrs (9hrs in all). I was going to do an FTP test to get ready for another round of TrainerRoad but I'm far too fatigued.
I do the odd bit of running too and that kills my legs for days, I'll get a roller and give it a go.0 -
I bought one a couple of weeks back but only used it for the 1st time on Sunday - iyah - it hurt but going to persevere as you have :-)0
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Interesting! I'm a postie so walk around 50 miles per week just on delivery, plus all my indoor work is on my feet too. I absolutely hammered around my delivery today as it was ridiculously busy and was flat out for 5hrs (9hrs in all). I was going to do an FTP test to get ready for another round of TrainerRoad but I'm far too fatigued.
I do the odd bit of running too and that kills my legs for days, I'll get a roller and give it a go.
Cool !
This is the first one I bought and very good as some cheaper rollers too soft -
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2386399.htm
I then bought a muscle mauler from Amazon - good and slightly different in feel.
First sessions agony, but after a couple of weeks marked improvement in feeling and of course technique, rather than looking like a drunk failed gymnast I now have form and no doubt good for the core. I am sure you know where I am coming from then with reference to being tired before you even get on the bike. The mind and spirit is willing but the legs just find it hard going. Riding with guys who are chained to a desk is tough as fresh legs but no doubt sitting down all day has its issues.
I think you can eek out and stretch the muscles akin to a rolling pin on bread dough, but you will still get the tearing of the muscle riding and the repairing DOMS next day type thing which can be managed with protein, hot and cold baths, ibubrofen, compression if required etc - all the stuff we do as bike riders with a roller thrown in for good measure before and after the ride.
Give it a go and let us know - just note that the first few rolls which find the trigger points and knots.0 -
I bought one a couple of weeks back but only used it for the 1st time on Sunday - iyah - it hurt but going to persevere as you have :-)
Do so and let us know how it goes.0 -
Rollers, stretching and quality sleep ....... Ensures I can ride longer and more often.
And keeps those curls looking lovely!0 -
Well, I got one of these at the beginning of the week and have been using it every day after work, doing the routine in the Dan Martin vid (bloody hell it hurts!). I went out today and felt a definite difference, I've done the same 36.5 mile route for the last 3 weeks as my mrs is due to have our baby any day. The last two weeks my legs have been absolutely shot the last couple of miles home, it's a rolling route with around 1800ft of elevation and a few stiff 12-14% climbs thrown in too. Conditions were pretty much identical, next to no wind and a 7am start, I've worked 6 days as I have the last couple of weeks.
I got caught at some heavy roadworks today with long queues, plus a couple of smaller roadworks with red lights, and still averaged the same speed as last week (17.3mph, the week before I was a minute slower). Most noticeable though was I didn't feel anywhere near as much fatigue in my legs. There's a short hill just before I get home and I was 40 seconds quicker up there today. I had another session with the roller after I got home and feel nowhere near the fatigue I have been feeling.
The quickest I've done the route was 2hrs 4 mins earlier in the year, but I'd done the sustained power build plan on TR and was stronger than I am now as I just haven't put the miles in this year. Without the roadworks today I'd have been around 2hrs 5 (I was 2hrs 6-something) which is pretty close.
It doesn't prove anything yet, but I'm certainly a convert and will keep using the roller every day.0 -
Just to say that this prompted me to buy a roller.
Ow.0 -
Well, I got one of these at the beginning of the week and have been using it every day after work, doing the routine in the Dan Martin vid (bloody hell it hurts!). I went out today and felt a definite difference, I've done the same 36.5 mile route for the last 3 weeks as my mrs is due to have our baby any day. The last two weeks my legs have been absolutely shot the last couple of miles home, it's a rolling route with around 1800ft of elevation and a few stiff 12-14% climbs thrown in too. Conditions were pretty much identical, next to no wind and a 7am start, I've worked 6 days as I have the last couple of weeks.
I got caught at some heavy roadworks today with long queues, plus a couple of smaller roadworks with red lights, and still averaged the same speed as last week (17.3mph, the week before I was a minute slower). Most noticeable though was I didn't feel anywhere near as much fatigue in my legs. There's a short hill just before I get home and I was 40 seconds quicker up there today. I had another session with the roller after I got home and feel nowhere near the fatigue I have been feeling.
The quickest I've done the route was 2hrs 4 mins earlier in the year, but I'd done the sustained power build plan on TR and was stronger than I am now as I just haven't put the miles in this year. Without the roadworks today I'd have been around 2hrs 5 (I was 2hrs 6-something) which is pretty close.
It doesn't prove anything yet, but I'm certainly a convert and will keep using the roller every day.
Brilliant, pleased to hear it. Chuffed to bits as I feel the same in my legs. The anecdotal evidence comes from what your legs tell you, not what we write on a forum, but frankly, the roller has been the best bike related purchase I have ever made and I have spent some silly money over the years. Keep rolling and you will enjoy the benefits....0 -
Just to say that this prompted me to buy a roller.
Ow.
Haha it's hard to believe how much it can hurt isn't it. I've convinced my mate to get one, he bought one then sent me a message with: 'what kind of medieval torture device is a foam roller' 0 -
Just to say that this prompted me to buy a roller.
Ow.
Haha it's hard to believe how much it can hurt isn't it. I've convinced my mate to get one, he bought one then sent me a message with: 'what kind of medieval torture device is a foam roller'
Any further updates on this ? Did a solid 84 miles on Monday and been rolling all week in prep for the next bimble.0 -
Just reading this older thread as suffer from quad pain. Pain is not felt when I’m on the bike but whenever I go for a run or do circuit training. Muscles go into a spasm after a couple of miles or so. I’ve got a roller and I’m going to use it more for sure. Wonder how long people roll for per session?
Any other suggestions gratefully received!0
