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Am I shrinking, tightening hamstring?
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I have been riding the same set up, bike, shorts, shoes, cleats etc for the last couple of years. Over the last few weeks I have found it necessary to lower my saddle three times. I am guessing my hamstrings are shortening, any one else experienced this?
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Re: Am I shrinking, tightening hamstring? [mikemelbrooks] [ In reply to ]
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mikemelbrooks wrote:
I have been riding the same set up, bike, shorts, shoes, cleats etc for the last couple of years. Over the last few weeks I have found it necessary to lower my saddle three times. I am guessing my hamstrings are shortening, any one else experienced this?
What else has could have changed?
A few possibilities that seem like they could be pertinent, there's probably others:
  • Different frequency, duration and/or terrain for rides (Probably not - I suspect you'd have mentioned it)
  • One or both cleats slipped aft on the shoe
  • Saddle rails slipped aft in the clamp
  • Nothing has changed except your perception

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Re: Am I shrinking, tightening hamstring? [Ai_1] [ In reply to ]
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I have been training much more inside as I have to shield at the moment I guess I am not walking so much, my cleats and saddle are torqued up tight.
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Re: Am I shrinking, tightening hamstring? [mikemelbrooks] [ In reply to ]
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mikemelbrooks wrote:
I have been training much more inside as I have to shield at the moment I guess I am not walking so much, my cleats and saddle are torqued up tight.
I wouldn't rule out the possibility that you simply prefer a lower saddle indoors, and you've become more aware of it as you're doing more indoor riding.
Is it safe to assume you're using a trainer rather than rollers? We certainly move differently on a trainer with the bike rigidly restrained compared with normal riding where the bike has considerably less inertia than the rider and is free to move significantly beneath them. Trainers on rocker boards or with some movement built in are a bit better but probably still not a close match for road riding.
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Re: Am I shrinking, tightening hamstring? [mikemelbrooks] [ In reply to ]
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I tend to find that during winter months where I ride exclusively inside on the trainer, my hamstrings get tighter because I am not as focused on riding with my heel down. Riding outside my wattage will vary more because of the terrain, climbing steep hills as an example. Short bursts of high watts, lengthening the hamstring, with heel down.
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