Cycling is a fantastic cardiovascular exercise that not only improves overall fitness but also gives one a sense of freedom. Injury always finds a way of spoiling the party, however, and it is our duty as participants to make the body a priority. Stretching for cyclists is one of the best ways to mitigate strains, pains, and other setbacks that like to tag along after spending time on the bike. 

Do I Really Need to Stretch as a Cyclist?

Whether you're a seasoned cyclist or a beginner just starting out, integrating a comprehensive stretching routine into your cycling regimen is important for optimizing performance and preventing injury. 

Something that stretching helps account for is the imbalance between different tissues in the body. As cyclists, we sit on the bike and stay in much the same position(s) for prolonged periods of time. This causes our body to adapt to these positions by shortening certain muscles and lengthening others, in an effort to make it easier for us.

Our body is smart, and it’s always trying to help us (even though it doesn’t always feel like it). But think about it, if you’re spending hours sitting on a bike - folded in half, hips cramped up, shoulders rounded forward - is it any surprise that our body becomes more and more accustomed to being in this particular shape?

Paradoxically, while this may help us initially become more efficient and comfortable, it can quickly become a self-defeating system. Our body is almost too good at adjusting to the environments we put it in, and the result can be faulty postures, weak muscles, or tight and spasmed areas of the body that wreak havoc and cause us pain. Stretching can help us fix this.

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Let us explore some of the benefits of stretching for cyclists, and then provide some practical tips to help you create an effective stretching routine.

Does Stretching Make You Faster?

It certainly can, and in a number of ways, too. When a joint can move through its functional range of motion (by way of flexible, healthy muscle action), movement becomes a two-way street of efficiency that best maximizes power and endurance. You are otherwise bound by restrictive tissue that is harder to move and more likely to tear

A common analogy used is a rubber band. A cold, stiff rubber band is harder to stretch, and more likely to wear out and even snap right in half. A warm, pliable rubber band can be stretched much further, and has a more powerful and efficient recoil that can be repeated over and over again without much repercussion.  

The repetitive nature of cycling makes this an important mechanism. The number of revolutions one will perform on any given ride quickly runs into the thousands, even tens of thousands. Speed comes from power, and how powerful each one of those strokes is can be largely dependent on the efficiency of your muscle contractions; positively influenced by flexibility.

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Is Stretching Good for Injury Prevention?

It can be, depending on when and how you do it. There are two main forms of stretching; static stretching (which is what most people are familiar with) and dynamic stretching. Both are somewhat poorly understood, even among professionals. It’s critical that they’re performed at the right time and in the right way to make sure you’re not working against yourself.

Static Stretching

This is when you are holding a stretched position for 30 seconds or more. This type of stretching relaxes the muscles and makes them less excitable, which can be great in terms of increasing flexibility, but not good in terms of producing power. As a result, this type of stretching should be avoided immediately prior to cycling, but is great to do on off days or post-ride.

Dynamic Stretching

This type of stretching involves moving a joint through its range of motion. Stretching through movement, in simple terms. Dynamic stretching actually improves the performance of muscles prior to physical activity, and is good to incorporate into a cycling warm up or before doing a strength training session.

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If done properly, stretching can help balance out the tissues in your body for better posture and movement. The hip flexors tend to get very tight in cyclists, for example, because the hip is always in a semi to fully-flexed position while riding. Tight hip flexors will pull on the lumbar spine, tilt the pelvis forward, overstretch the core muscles and stress the lower back. 

Creating a Stretching Routine for Cyclists

Dynamic Cyclist was created by cyclists, for cyclists, to help them ride pain-free through a balanced and well designed stretching program. Our interactive platform contains hundreds of HD streamed follow-along routines led by world class instructors, and they can all be done at home with little to no equipment. 

If you’re interested in joining our community, try us out for 7-days FREE by clicking here and signing up for a trial. We take the guesswork out of training and make it fun, too! 

In the meantime, here are some simple tips you can follow to start creating your own unique stretching regimen at home.

Target Problem Areas for Cyclists

If you’re ever unsure where to start, just refer to this list of common tight areas for cyclists, and do stretches that work on them specifically:

• Quadriceps
• Hip flexors
• Chest
• Anterior deltoid (front of shoulder)
• Adductors (groin)
• Tibialis anterior (shin)

Contrary to popular opinion, areas like the lower back, mid-back, and hamstrings are all areas that get over-stretched on the bike. This overstretching can make these areas feel tight, but not because they need to be stretched more. Instead, they’re trying to prevent you from stretching them any further. Hence their exclusion from the list above!

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Choose Between Static & Dynamic Stretching

Remember from earlier, it is important to do the right type of stretching at the right time. If you’re looking for stretches to help warm-up prior to cycling, do dynamic stretches. If you’re looking for something to improve flexibility post-ride and on your off days, you can create a routine using a selection of static stretches.

Progress Slowly & Give Yourself Time

Many people struggle with flexibility and mobility. When starting a flexibility regimen, consider the amount of time you’ve spent away from stretching your muscles and mobilizing your joints. For most people, that time is significant. With this in mind, be gentle with yourself when it comes to expectations and seeing progress in your movement. 

Gradual progression and the gentle pushing of your body in the right direction is key to seeing improvements over time. Be patient with yourself. Flexibility doesn’t respond well to a go hard or go home type attitude, but instead requires softness, and time that you just have to be willing to invest in order to see results.

  Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist