Cycling and flexibility

lost_in_thought
lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
edited May 2009 in Commuting chat
No, this has nothing to do with DDD's thread!

I have had a 'biometric assessment' today, and apparently I am hypermobile. Now, this might explain the surprise of people like physios etc.when I say that I cycle a lot yet am still relatively flexible, or it might not.

So, I wonder if cycling really does affect flexibility, and I have little to do today, so I thought I'd do a poll.

Apparently, the type of flexibility that cyclists are worst at is the touching your toes type, so that's what I've done... and you should presume this is with bare feet.

Vote! I'm curious!
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Comments

  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    I'm super flexible but that's cause of years of kickboxing and the like

    cycling does tighten the hammys up though
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Erm. Somewhere between 'I can touch my toes!' and 'Palms flat on the floor or better', just to be awkward :P
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    JonGinge wrote:
    Erm. Somewhere between 'I can touch my toes!' and 'Palms flat on the floor or better', just to be awkward :P

    Pick one! You don't get two votes... this is a democracy, damn it! :P
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,695
    Palms flat on the floor, in shoes, with orthotic insoles. So, really, it's palms flat plus an inch.
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    Oh dear, I'm rubbish! I put halfway down shins, but really I was just hitting my cankles (calf-ankles).
    4537512329_a78cc710e6_o.gif4537512331_ec1ef42fea_o.gif
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    apparently I am hypermobile!

    Is that like a Superhero? Or do you eat lots of sweeties?

    As for me - years of Yoga (yes, yoga, men do yoga!) Did it while I was racing motorbikes - my wife suggested it as I was getting knackered during a race.....yes, yoga and motorbikes go together.... :oops: They are tough manly things....
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    JonGinge wrote:
    Erm. Somewhere between 'I can touch my toes!' and 'Palms flat on the floor or better', just to be awkward :P

    Pick one! You don't get two votes... this is a democracy, damn it! :P
    :lol: I'm saying palms but if I damage myself* trying I'm blaming you.

    * can I claim physio charges on expenses?
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    edited May 2009
    Shins. I think. I'm going to the staff toilet to try it out....

    Edit: Yep, shins.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    gtvlusso wrote:
    apparently I am hypermobile!

    Is that like a Superhero? Or do you eat lots of sweeties?

    As for me - years of Yoga (yes, yoga, men do yoga!) Did it while I was racing motorbikes - my wife suggested it as I was getting knackered during a race.....yes, yoga and motorbikes go together.... :oops: They are tough manly things....

    So, Palms on the floor for me...or hands under my feet.
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    gtvlusso wrote:
    apparently I am hypermobile!

    Is that like a Superhero? Or do you eat lots of sweeties?

    According to the nice doctor it means my connective tissue type is different to other people's in that it's looser or more lax. :shock:

    But yes, I am also a superhero and eater of sweeties! :P
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    JonGinge wrote:
    Erm. Somewhere between 'I can touch my toes!' and 'Palms flat on the floor or better', just to be awkward :P

    Ditto.

    Its a spurious measure of hamstring and hip flexibility though. A lot of the extension comes from my back. Lying flat on the floor and having someone raise your leg(s) is a better measure.

    If you are worried LiT, just hang around for 10 years or so. I can assure you that you will be less flexible then.
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Shins. I think. I'm going to the staff toilet to try it out....

    Edit: Yep, shins.
    Dude, it doesn't dramatically change the result if you leave your trousers on.
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    JonGinge wrote:
    Erm. Somewhere between 'I can touch my toes!' and 'Palms flat on the floor or better', just to be awkward :P

    Ditto.

    Its a spurious measure of hamstring and hip flexibility though. A lot of the extension comes from my back. Lying flat on the floor and having someone raise your leg(s) is a better measure.

    If you are worried LiT, just hang around for 10 years or so. I can assure you that you will be less flexible then.

    Oh no, not worried, I think it's a good thing.

    And yes, you're right re hamstring/hip flexibility tests, but it's a 2-person test and not everyone has a PA as understanding as mine... :P
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    gtvlusso wrote:
    apparently I am hypermobile!

    Is that like a Superhero? Or do you eat lots of sweeties?

    According to the nice doctor it means my connective tissue type is different to other people's in that it's looser or more lax. :shock:

    But yes, I am also a superhero and eater of sweeties! :P
    And for my hat trick of posts....

    I knew someone once who didn't produce one of the 7 types of collagen found in the body. She was forever dislocating things. Seriously, she had to do stuff at the gym to shorten and tighten muscles.
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,695
    gtvlusso wrote:
    apparently I am hypermobile!

    Is that like a Superhero? Or do you eat lots of sweeties?

    According to the nice doctor it means my connective tissue type is different to other people's in that it's looser or more lax. :shock:

    But yes, I am also a superhero and eater of sweeties! :P
    And for my hat trick of posts....

    I knew someone once who didn't produce one of the 7 types of collagen found in the body. She was forever dislocating things. Seriously, she had to do stuff at the gym to shorten and tighten muscles.
    I do that...
  • boneyjoe
    boneyjoe Posts: 369
    edited May 2009
    Pls post some pics! :D
    Scott Scale 20 (for xc racing)
    Gary Fisher HKEK (for commuting)
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    boneyjoe wrote:
    Pls post some pics! :D

    Of...?
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    JonGinge wrote:
    Erm. Somewhere between 'I can touch my toes!' and 'Palms flat on the floor or better', just to be awkward :P

    +1, that best describes me. When I'm running 2/3 times a week my hams loosen up, probably due to the extra stretching.
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • boneyjoe
    boneyjoe Posts: 369
    Would be good to see some feats of hypermobility if possible.
    Scott Scale 20 (for xc racing)
    Gary Fisher HKEK (for commuting)
  • King Donut
    King Donut Posts: 498
    Ankles.

    But I've got 36 inch inside leg and, as i was told at a recent bike fitting, short arms [I'm trying to measure them now with a 15cm ruler].
    That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
  • Feltup
    Feltup Posts: 1,340
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Shins. I think. I'm going to the staff toilet to try it out....

    Edit: Yep, shins.
    Dude, it doesn't dramatically change the result if you leave your trousers on.

    :D
    Short hairy legged roadie FCN 4 or 5 in my baggies.

    Felt F55 - 2007
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    Peugeot Tourmalet - 1983 - taken more hits than Mohammed Ali
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    boneyjoe wrote:
    Would be good to see some feats of hypermobility if possible.
    You may not have noticed, but the "R" and "Y" on a keyboard are quite close together, Bonerjoe.
  • boneyjoe
    boneyjoe Posts: 369
    For the cause of serious scientific discussion, of course! :D Some people, where are their minds...
    Scott Scale 20 (for xc racing)
    Gary Fisher HKEK (for commuting)
  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    Sort of halfway between touching toes and flat on the floor - I can touch the floor with my knuckles which may mean
    a) I am more flexible than I thought
    b) I am more closely related to gorillas than I thought

    :shock:
  • I used to be shins for years but since starting to stretch before playing squash I am now ankles. I don't play squash very often so even a little stretching seems to have improved my flexibility.
    Is there an evolutionary advantage to being able to touch your toes?
    No-one wanted to eat Patagonia Toothfish so they renamed it Chilean Sea Bass and now it's in danger of over fishing!
  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    Oh dear 28 years of cycling I can only just get past the knees. Also cannot straighten my leg past 4-5" off the ground. :roll:
  • mudcovered
    mudcovered Posts: 725
    Palms flat for me. Mind you thats got nothing to do with cycling :D . I also do Ashtanga Yoga. Before I started doing that I couldn't even touch my toes.

    Mike
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    I used to be shins for years but since starting to stretch before playing squash I am now ankles. I don't play squash very often so even a little stretching seems to have improved my flexibility.
    Is there an evolutionary advantage to being able to touch your toes?
    I believe that, earlier in human evolution, before hip geometry changed to enable bipedal motion, this level of flexibility was helpful for genital hygine.

    Cats can still touch their toes, for example. So can dogs, but its a bit more of a faff.
  • tardington
    tardington Posts: 1,379
    LiT can you get through a tennis racket? With out the strings in btw.
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    tardie wrote:
    LiT can you get through a tennis racket? With out the strings in btw.

    Definitely not! :lol: