Do you warm up before a recreational ride?

[w00hoo_kent]

Caveman didn't spend several hours a day in front a computer in an office either though

That reminds me of the skit one comedian does about warming up before running and how cats don't do it. I think, has this guy never seen a real cat, they spend 90% of the time they aren't sleeping, stretching.

Anyway, we've all heard the caveman saying "I don't need to run faster than the sabre tooth tiger, I only need to run faster than Og once he's got cramp in his left calf."

No, I don't warm up to go for a cycle as I don't do competition, I just ride slowly. (for the first bit, yup, just the first bit, honest.).

 

[Hacienda71]

I warm naturally as part of a recreational ride, normally the first ten miles or so I now I am not at my optimum and then I feel about right, but I don't do anything specific.

Race or TT and I will do a specific warm up though with a few sprints included to speed up the process so I feel ready on the start line.

 

[mustang1]

My warm up consists of coming down the stairs. And I'm always confused: are you supposed to warm down or cool down afterwards? Ok I'll stop being a pedantic git.

It probably depends on how YOU feel. If you get a backache, then try something different. Like a few others suggested, a slow 1.6093km ride and then gradually build it up.

Of course different people have various ideas of what "recreational" means. I don't like to categorize so if I get on my bike and ride slow, some people call that recreational. If I ride fast, some people call it training. And if I don't wave at other cyclists, then they usually go to their chosen bike forum and complain about the fat git (who does he think he is?) not waving back.

Edit: corrected grammar.

 

[matiz]

I sometimes have a stroll down to the paper shop before a ride,that seems to do the trick.

 

[Fubar]

So I was wondering whether people do any form of warm up before going for a ride. I never really have but I've been thinking perhaps I should recently.
Though it's gotten better I tend to get lower back pain after riding for 40 minutes or so (maybe nearer 60 mins the last few weeks) and at some point I'm expecting it to prevent me from going to much further unless I address it.

For a good 20 years I played competitive club cricket as a bowler (Under 11s was still competitive ). For that I always warmed up but it was kind of obvious, competitive sport, lots of load being put through the body at specific points etc... warmup was essential to perform well and avoid injury.
As an aside, I'm guessing all the cricket has had a bearing on the state of my back... I've never been the fittest guy around and I hardly missed a Saturday league match for probably 6 years or so and bowled a lot of overs.

I'd never really thought of doing the same before a ride. I only ride for recreation, I enjoy it, like getting out in the countryside, it means I can see more than going for a hike and without the competitive element warming up seemed a bit OTT.

What do other people do?

I never used to bother but after getting cramp several times after about 3-4 hours in the saddle I've started doing 10 minutes of stretching/rolling before and after a ride, which does seem to have helped.

 

[ayceejay]

The most common cause of lower back pain is tight hamstrings: cycling causes tight hamstrings.
I suggest you do some stretching after your ride when you are warm.

 

[RedRider]

I don't warm up but have experienced non bike related lower back pain on and off over the years
I find a few gentle 'cat stretches' help and perhaps a stretch where you hug your knees to your chest and rock gently. Might be worth looking into Pilates or yoga

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Caveman didn't spend several hours a day in front a computer in an office either though

Jesus H, what did they do all day then!?

 

[winjim]

For a long leisure ride generally take it easy until I get out of town, as I'm riding slowly round a residential area anyway, then ramp up the effort once I get out to the country. Usually takes a few miles to get into my stride. Commute is a short ride down a dual carriageway so hell for leather all the way.

 

[steveindenmark]

I just start off nice and easy. I am that age where if I warmed up I would be knackered before I start.

 

[Wafer]

Jesus H, what did they do all day then!?

Moaned about politics and people not waving

 

[ColinJ]

Generally I don't warm up first. On the valley roads, I don't need to because I can just take it easy until I feel ready to make more of an effort.

There is a problem, however, when I am exiting the valley by one of the steeper roads. I can be doing long stretches of 10-25% within a mile of setting off, so no time to warm up on the bike. 3 examples of the problem ...

1. Birchcliffe Rd
2. Heptonstall Rd
3. Church Lane/Mytholm Steeps

The Season of Mists audax goes up Heptonstall Rd almost immediately from event HQ and it is always cold at that time on an October morning so I do a 4 or 5 mile pre-event warm-up ride along the valley after signing on.

I'm thinking of doing a 15 minute warm-up on my static bike at home before steep starts in future.

 

[xxDarkRiderxx]

Never warm up for recreational rides, or rides with the club.... I suppose the 20 minutes it takes to get to a club ride is a warm up anyway.

 

[Crackle]

If you don't have a specific problem you probably don't need to warm up on the bike but if you do, as User9609 says and as I do myself, stretching, foam rolling etc, might be necessary but equally it might be bike fit or just a sore back which you might need to stretch independently of anything else. Again I stretch my back once a day now which has cured many problems I used to have. So perm any one from five.

 

[jazzkat]

I'm a bit like Colin, I've got two choices when I leave the house. I either turn right and go down the 15% hill into town then on the flat for about 10 miles before the terrain gets more interesting or my usual route, making a left turn to continue straight up the 15% for the next 1/2 mile, before going back down at some lick. But at least from there the route is less boring.
I probably should warm up, but I think it's already been said before, by the time I've been up and down the stairs a few times - loo (again), maybe change my glasses, maybe my gloves, maybe put an extra layer on after going out to see how cold it is - I'm plenty warm for the ride.