When will my legs stop hurting/sore after riding daily?
Zmac31
Posts: 34
Hey Road Bikers,
I am 24 slightly overweight and I have been cycling for a about a month a half getting in about 100-150 miles a week. After Rides it takes a bit of effort to move around. Is this normal. I thought after the first month-ish that it would slow down or stop. It hasn't. Any advice on how to decrease soreness after you cool down from a ride? Will it stop?
Edit: sorry I keep changing the mile range. I mistook some data from strava a bit last week and when I first made this post.
Thank you!
Zach
I am 24 slightly overweight and I have been cycling for a about a month a half getting in about 100-150 miles a week. After Rides it takes a bit of effort to move around. Is this normal. I thought after the first month-ish that it would slow down or stop. It hasn't. Any advice on how to decrease soreness after you cool down from a ride? Will it stop?
Edit: sorry I keep changing the mile range. I mistook some data from strava a bit last week and when I first made this post.
Thank you!
Zach
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Comments
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Cycling for six weeks and already riding 200 miles per week? Maybe build up a bit more slowly....0
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Over time your body will adapt to the effort but in the meantime you may end up overdoing it. building up slowly is useful. Your body will let you know if you have had enough.
You need to give yourself recovery time. for example after yesterday race and to and from ride, I ride slowly today, recovery ride. That helps alot. you are probably overdoing it. Ease up a bit recover and ride some more.http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.0 -
Are you stretching or massaging after rides?
*awaits the usual "Erm, actually, there's no scientific evidence that either is useful, infact you could be causing more dam.....blah blah"
After a costly injury a few years ago, my physio got me on a foam roller to self-massage my ITB after each ride. It hurts like hell, but I don't get half a stiff as i used too.
As for tenderness and aches, if i've had a particually long or hard ride, the sensation will last a day or two. If I ride again, it disappears once the muscles are warm, but the performance is certainly reduced. Give yourself some recovery time.0 -
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Where is it hurting on your legs.
If you have your saddle too low/high and your knees are getting progressively worse, it wont ever get better unless you either
(1) stop
(2) sort your bike fit out
(3) your legs fall off
if its just onset muscle soreness then you just need to ease back, take the odd day off etc etc0 -
Don't ride daily, take a day off to rest.I don't do smileys.
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Hi Zach,
Not knowing about your activity levels before cycling I'd say you might be doing too much too soon.
As other posters have suggested check bike fit, in particular saddle height as too high or low can cause issues.
Good luck0 -
fat daddy wrote:Where is it hurting on your legs.
If you have your saddle too low/high and your knees are getting progressively worse, it wont ever get better unless you either
(1) stop
(2) sort your bike fit out
(3) your legs fall off
if its just onset muscle soreness then you just need to ease back, take the odd day off etc etc
I would say its not any Joints or ligaments. its just pure muscle soreness. Sometimes my right shoulder hurts for like 20 minutes after the ride.0 -
My activity levels were nothing for like 3 years.roadrider75 wrote:Hi Zach,
Not knowing about your activity levels before cycling I'd say you might be doing too much too soon.
As other posters have suggested check bike fit, in particular saddle height as too high or low can cause issues.
Good luck0 -
WOuld muscle soreness around my knees be a symptom or would it be more of a aching/pain.fat daddy wrote:Where is it hurting on your legs.
If you have your saddle too low/high and your knees are getting progressively worse, it wont ever get better unless you either
(1) stop
(2) sort your bike fit out
(3) your legs fall off
if its just onset muscle soreness then you just need to ease back, take the odd day off etc etc0 -
Someone to check out your bike fit would be good.
Are you planning to keep on riding when autumn like we have now turns to winter?0 -
Zmac31 wrote:
How much should I go for in a week?Imposter wrote:Cycling for six weeks and already riding 200 miles per week? Maybe build up a bit more slowly....
Not sure anyone can tell you that, but it seems clear that whatever you are doing now is too much. Unless you have all day everyday to ride/train/recover then I would look at cutting that distance in half for starters then see how you get on.
Also, if you are doing this to lose weight, then you may end up disappointed. Unless you are working on diet as well.0 -
Biking is bad for losing weight?Imposter wrote:Zmac31 wrote:
How much should I go for in a week?Imposter wrote:Cycling for six weeks and already riding 200 miles per week? Maybe build up a bit more slowly....
Not sure anyone can tell you that, but it seems clear that whatever you are doing now is too much. Unless you have all day everyday to ride/train/recover then I would look at cutting that distance in half for starters then see how you get on.
Also, if you are doing this to lose weight, then you may end up disappointed. Unless you are working on diet as well.0 -
I am nothing like your age but I am another to recommend the foam roller. A couple of days rest from time to time also suits me well.
If you want to loose weight you need to change what you eat. I avoid the term "diet" it is too negative.Look at your calorie intake and work out the easiest way to reduce it.
I do not want to presume but I guess when you say you want to loose weight ,you really want to loose fat.
Stick with the cycling,but you will begin to notice bulges on the front of your thighs. These are your quads ,you will have never noticed them before. These and other less noticeable muscles help you go faster. However they dont help you loose weight. Do not expect to see the bathroom scales change quickly.
Motivation can be a problem but you will begin to notice the difference when you look in the mirror. You have already taken the biggest step that most people never do. Good luck.0 -
I've had some decent LVRC results in recent seasons against top class riders ... never had them damned leg muscle bulges though.
Just keep riding OP... might be best for some mudguards when wet and cold hits.0 -
Zmac31 wrote:
Biking is bad for losing weight?Imposter wrote:Zmac31 wrote:
How much should I go for in a week?Imposter wrote:Cycling for six weeks and already riding 200 miles per week? Maybe build up a bit more slowly....
Not sure anyone can tell you that, but it seems clear that whatever you are doing now is too much. Unless you have all day everyday to ride/train/recover then I would look at cutting that distance in half for starters then see how you get on.
Also, if you are doing this to lose weight, then you may end up disappointed. Unless you are working on diet as well.
Unless you are also making other lifestyle changes, you're unlikely to lose significant weight simply through cycling. Weight loss usually starts in the kitchen.0 -
As long as I lose some weight from my stomach/mid section I would love that. So biking by itself will not help me shed fat? I am confused? If I gain muscle weight I am fine with that.lesfirth wrote:I am nothing like your age but I am another to recommend the foam roller. A couple of days rest from time to time also suits me well.
If you want to loose weight you need to change what you eat. I avoid the term "diet" it is too negative.Look at your calorie intake and work out the easiest way to reduce it.
I do not want to presume but I guess when you say you want to loose weight ,you really want to loose fat.
Stick with the cycling,but you will begin to notice bulges on the front of your thighs. These are your quads ,you will have never noticed them before. These and other less noticeable muscles help you go faster. However they dont help you loose weight. Do not expect to see the bathroom scales change quickly.
Motivation can be a problem but you will begin to notice the difference when you look in the mirror. You have already taken the biggest step that most people never do. Good luck.0 -
It's cardiovascular exercise, of course it's going to be good for you in terms of weight loss. However, you need to go hard or long to get into that fat-burning zone. Also, you mid-section doesn't do alot sat on a bike, so if you are specifically trying to lose flab from there, you need additional targeted workouts. Try 50 sit-ups a day. EVERYday.0
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Zmac31 wrote:As long as I lose some weight from my stomach/mid section I would love that. So biking by itself will not help me shed fat? I am confused? If I gain muscle weight I am fine with that.
Weight loss/fat loss is all about calorie management. The most effective way of losing weight is to manage/alter your diet. Cycling and other CV exercise will help with calorie usage and aerobic fitness, but cycling alone will not make the weight fall off you. Visceral/subcutaneous fat is usually the hardest to shift, incidentally - and usually the last place you will begin to lose it.
Also, 'fat burning' doesn't really exist as a 'zone'. You may burn marginally more of your fat reserves on longer, slower rides (compared to shorter, harder rides), but the difference is minimal and the better trained you are, the better you will become at using fat as an energy source. Stick to calorie management both on and off the bike and you won't go far wrong.0 -
There's a lot of negative nellies here aren't there?
You don't need to ride less. You might need to ride a bit easier some days. Listen to your body - injury feels different to tired - if you are injured then yes, take a few days off, don't ride again until that feeling goes away (unless riding at a gentle recovery pace...)
You will almost certainly lose weight in the first 6 months of the new regime. After that it's likely that you'll find yourself eating more and the weight will creep back on (plus your body will have become more efficient at cycling so you won't burn so much fuel when you do it).
I've been riding near daily for four years now, your legs never stop aching, but in time you stop noticing (and it becomes less). Give it another 6 weeks - certainly after 6 months you'll be used to it.
Amusingly enough, I've had the past week off the bike and my legs are aching more now than they usually do - I haven't done any particular exercise, just a few DIY projects and taking my 2 year old son out.0 -
Ab workouts will not remove fat from the abdomen. You cannot remove body fat from certain spots by targeting exercise of those spots. Body fat is removed from all over and your body will decide where to reduce it from. You have absolutely no control of where body fat is removed or laid down.Peat wrote:It's cardiovascular exercise, of course it's going to be good for you in terms of weight loss. However, you need to go hard or long to get into that fat-burning zone. Also, you mid-section doesn't do alot sat on a bike, so if you are specifically trying to lose flab from there, you need additional targeted workouts. Try 50 sit-ups a day. EVERYday.0 -
100-200 miles per week sounds a massive amount for someone who has only been riding for ~6 weeks.
In February, I was averaging ~75 miles, after starting my fitness regime in early January. Typically ~60 minute hilly rides, heart rate typically 160-180 (at 43 my max heart rate seen is 188 in June). At the time, my legs were often quite sore, as I was going out pretty much every day.
Retrospectively, I later installed Stravistix for Google Chrome (http://chrome.google.com/webstore/detai ... pckn?hl=en) to use with the free version of Strava and my Polar H7 heart rate monitor and discovered that I was technically "over-training" according to its "Multisports Fitness Trend" gadget.
Since March, I learned the hard way that I usually need two "rest days" per week, depending upon the type of rides I have been doing.
Weight loss can happen through cycling, but as you increase the intensity and distance of your rides, you will raid the cupboards and fridge in a big way unless you take some food out on your rides to snack on (for a short while I gained weight because of not taking food). I now usually take a big handful of Sainsburys Basics Mixed Fruit (raisins and orange zest?) to peck on from ~45mins into a ride, consequently I began losing weight again and dropped from that temporary rise to 78Kg back down to now being ~74Kg (I was ~90Kg last June when I simply started resisting the cravings for excessive amounts of food when I wasn't doing enough to burn it off).
Some say do long rides at low intensity and a low ~zone 2 heart rate to burn fat, but I've not chosen that route at all, my longest ride this year has been ~53 miles in one day with a heart rate of ~150-188 and trying to keep my average speed at 19mph+ on flat routes and 16mph+ on cat4 hilly routes.
Until my recent right hip joint niggle, it was all going well, but I'm currently taking it quite easy on rides and doing post-ride stretches to hopefully let this niggle repair itself.================
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Zmac31 wrote:
Biking is bad for losing weight?Imposter wrote:Zmac31 wrote:
How much should I go for in a week?Imposter wrote:Cycling for six weeks and already riding 200 miles per week? Maybe build up a bit more slowly....
Not sure anyone can tell you that, but it seems clear that whatever you are doing now is too much. Unless you have all day everyday to ride/train/recover then I would look at cutting that distance in half for starters then see how you get on.
Also, if you are doing this to lose weight, then you may end up disappointed. Unless you are working on diet as well.
The bike riding will definitely burn calories but if you want to lose weight you need to eat clean.0 -
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Thanks for the positive info. I really love the sport!TimothyW wrote:There's a lot of negative nellies here aren't there?
You don't need to ride less. You might need to ride a bit easier some days. Listen to your body - injury feels different to tired - if you are injured then yes, take a few days off, don't ride again until that feeling goes away (unless riding at a gentle recovery pace...)
You will almost certainly lose weight in the first 6 months of the new regime. After that it's likely that you'll find yourself eating more and the weight will creep back on (plus your body will have become more efficient at cycling so you won't burn so much fuel when you do it).
I've been riding near daily for four years now, your legs never stop aching, but in time you stop noticing (and it becomes less). Give it another 6 weeks - certainly after 6 months you'll be used to it.
Amusingly enough, I've had the past week off the bike and my legs are aching more now than they usually do - I haven't done any particular exercise, just a few DIY projects and taking my 2 year old son out.0
