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Saddle position and tight hamstring
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I've been playing a lot with some saddles lately and trying to optimize my position.Currently using the Adamo Attack,took me some time to get used to it and feels really comfortable besides one small thing - after a hour or so i start getting this tightness in my left hamstring which gets worse and worse..
It takes me out of the aero position for some time,pedaling a bit while standing a few times make things better but just can't get rid of this tightness.

The weird thing is that i feel the tightness only in my left leg (right is perfect), could this be cleat position? is my saddle too high? please critique my position and save my hamstring :-).

Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHZLop6cID0

Sorry for the crappy quality and horrible trainer noise.
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Re: Saddle position and tight hamstring [oper] [ In reply to ]
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Certainly something whacko with your left leg.
Looks like you have had an ankle injury on that side sometime in the past to me as it flexes much less than the right, or it could even be that the right has been injured and is now more flexible.
When you change to a split nose saddle you will generally have to lower it.

If I had to guess I would say you have a very tight left side from some other cause but it is showing up on the bike.

Why did you change your saddle?
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Re: Saddle position and tight hamstring [lyrrad] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks, Actually i never had an injury nor on the left or right hamstring (yet), only some soreness and discomfort due to all the latest saddle changes.
I changed the saddle to try and get more aero and save some watts,with the adamo attack i am able to rotate my pelvis a lot more which gets me the result i wanted.
I did have a regular saddle before (Arione tri 2) which as you said was a lot lower, never had any issues with my hamstring.

But,since i made the change it took my sit bones some time to get used to this saddle(2 months on it already) and now it feels very comfortable.
I do have a problem keeping the same watts as before while aero(10-15 lower on average) and i get this damn left hamstring soreness which is my main problem, i keep convincing myself that i still need more time to get used to this and that the aero increase will be more efficient than the watts lost.
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Re: Saddle position and tight hamstring [oper] [ In reply to ]
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Be careful. You don't want to end up with a hamstring tear.

No coasting in running and no crying in baseball
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Re: Saddle position and tight hamstring [oper] [ In reply to ]
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Pain behind the knee or high hamstring usually indicates your saddle being too high. I tend to ride with my saddle a bit on the low side. Every fit I have had suggested a slightly higher saddle, but I lose 10-15 watts with the higher saddle and no amount of adaptation helps.
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Re: Saddle position and tight hamstring [oper] [ In reply to ]
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You didn't mentioned if you lowered the saddle after change if the old one is lower than the adamo.
If you can't push the same wattage could be the cause it's still too high.
But when I read this you got exactly the opposite of the reason to change the saddle, you didn't say to have had any probs with the old one right.

-shoki
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Re: Saddle position and tight hamstring [shoki] [ In reply to ]
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No problems with power production, but his aerodynamics were less than stellar. The rotation came from bending the lower back rather than hip rotation, which meant a pretty large frontal area.

ZONE3 - We Last Longer
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Re: Saddle position and tight hamstring [oper] [ In reply to ]
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So, several things, but the most glaring is that (by your own design - I assume you have been reading Cobb) you have created an anterior pelvic tilt with changing to the Adamo. The tilt may help you breath better and be more aero but is pulling on your hamstrings and you are using many muscles in a new state. The tilt specifically might also be impacting your watts - less big glutes firing perhaps. So back to the soreness, with the tilt, it could be that you have to adapt to the position or it could be that you lack strength in certain areas (such as the abs) and/or have tightness in the hip-flexors/quads/soleus.

I'd be curious to know if you were doing intervals or hard riding or if you gave yourself time to adapt to the new saddle position. It sometimes takes a while to get used to the new stress, especially with the big hamstring muscles. Also, speaking of the hamstrings, sitting a lot is going to keep them and your hip-flexors, in a shortened state. So if your job/life requires sitting a lot, get up and move. Also try some trigger point massage... get in there and pay attention to the soleus as well (as another poster noted you seem to have something going on so perhaps it is a tight soleus, which can also be pulling the hamstring).

Finally, hydration is hugely important and if you are dehydrated, you tend to feel it first in your hamstrings. In other words, your muscles won't work correctly if your dehydrated and it may sound obvious but I'll state it for the good of your order; riding inside for an hour can dehydrate you.

I hope this helps!
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