Weak legs for bicycling - should I give it more time, or is there no hope?
August 13, 2011 5:28 PM Subscribe
Weak legs for bicycling - should I give it more time, or is there no hope?
For the past 2 years, I've been bicycling to work about 2 days a week. It's a 2.7 mile commute, and I had used a 7-speed cruiser, because I like a comfortable upright ride, even if it means going more slowly.
Last year I became interested in Dutch bicycles, and I liked the way that they had all the features you could want in a commuter bike - full chain case, internal hub gearing, fenders, mudflaps, generator-powered lights, and the ability to hold a lot of weight. I particularly liked the WorkCycles Oma, although I had read that some people didn't like the fact that it was so heavy. I didn't want to buy it without trying it, so I waited for a year until I was in Portland for a convention, where I found a bike shop that carried it. I tried out the bike, riding around the corner a few times, and didn't feel like the weight was an issue. If any of you are familiar with the blog "Let's Go Ride a Bike," one of the bloggers has this exact bike and she always raves about it. Plus these are the bikes that supposedly everyone in the Netherlands rides (often with heavy loads and/or children on them), and I thought, if they can all handle it, so can I.
Now I fully admit that part of the reason I liked this bike was that I liked the idea of having a fully-equipped, very high quality bike. Sort of like having a "luxury bike" in the same way that some people have luxury cars. And perhaps some of that feeling clouded my judgement, but I honestly did not feel like the weight would be a problem. My area (a suburb of Buffalo) isn't super flat, but I wouldn't call it very hilly either. Also, one of the main features I liked was the front carrier rack (mounted to the tube rather than the handle bars) which would allow me to easily transport heavier items, such as bags of groceries. I have never seen a non-"Dutch" bike that had something like that.
I decided to start riding to work Monday/Wednesday/Friday for a couple of weeks to get used to the bike, and gradually work up to every day. The idea was that this would more-or-less replace my car for work commuting and local errands.
First week: So far so good. I also work out at the office gym on my lunch hour, doing strength training M/W/F.
Second week: On Monday, I was doing some squats with dumbbells, when my legs started really hurting. I figured I had overestimated how much weight I should use, and didn't think much of it - often when beginning a new stage in my workout book (as I was that day) I would be a little extra sore.
That Wednesday, I rode to work, and decided to forgo working my legs at the gym because they were still a bit sore. On Friday, they were feeling mostly better so I tried some more leg exercises, but they quickly started hurting so I stopped. All weekend they were very sore (I had a hard time walking), and I just assumed they were still recovering from the gym.
Third week: On Monday, I again avoided doing any leg exercises at the gym, but rode the bike. When I arrived, I was feeling sore and wobbly, and that's when I started wondering if the problem was the bike and not the gym.
On Wednesday, I removed the front rack and switched to panniers (to save some weight) and pedaled in a very low gear. Still my legs were feeling sore in the morning, and when I got home in the afternoon, I almost couldn't feel them. When getting up from the dinner table, one of my legs almost buckled under me.
I feel that I have always had weak legs. At the gym, I can do a chin-up (just one so far), can do 15 push-ups on my toes (rather than my knees), and lots of things with my arms - I've even gotten compliments on my muscle tone. But I've always had difficulty building up strength in my legs. They still tend to get a lot more sore after workouts than my arms, and the amount of weight and/or reps that I can do has only increased a very tiny amount from when I first started. I'm wondering if I simply have really weak legs, and no amount of exercise will help that, and getting a heavy bike was a mistake.
I do have 2 hills on my way to work, although I couldn't tell you the size or angle - is there a way to measure it? They aren't so steep that I had ever previously felt like I had to get off the bike and walk up, although I am able to coast pretty fast going down. Anyway, I'm assuming that my legs don't like going up those hills on a heavy bike, even after I switch to a low gear.
Yesterday was the end of my third week. I skipped the gym and the bike yesterday, although I did use it today to go to the grocery store (1.5 miles each way, and no hills at all). I was hoping after 2 days off I would feel better. And Goddamn if they didn’t start feeling sore again. As I was riding, I could feel the "burn" in my quads that one would normally expect during a strenuous workout, even though I was still going slowly and at a low gear. Right now, they don't hurt as bad as last weekend, but the soreness seems to be way out of proportion to my level of activity. (Really, I know I sound like a wimp, but I'm not. If I was riding several miles each day, at a high gear or high speed, I would expect to feel like this. But I'm only doing a few miles at an easy pace and low gear.)
I posted this question to a forum on utility cycling, and got a few pieces of advice. For the most part, people felt like I could work up the strength if I gave it more time, and that possibly my legs still haven't recovered from that initial round of squats at the gym 2 weeks ago. That almost makes sense, because of how I was able to ride for the first week with no problems. Someone made some suggestions about the saddle height, which I will look into, but didn't have a chance today. One person did mention that if I seriously felt like I couldn't work up strength in my legs, it might be worth seeing a doctor.
So, YANMD, but I was wondering if anyone thinks I might be physically unable to build up leg strength - has anyone heard of such a thing? If that's the case, then I just made a very expensive mistake and will have to look into selling the bike - although since there isn't a big market for these kinds of bikes in Buffalo, I don't know how I'll manage to do that.
Or do you think that it's just a matter of taking a few more days off, and that my legs still haven't recovered from the gym a few weeks ago? (Although if that's the case, how long will it take? It's been over a week since I attempted any kind of squats or leg exercises. It seems like it's taking a *really* long time to recover. What am I supposed to do, go on bed rest for 2 weeks? This is getting ridiculous.)
Although I’m upset about probably having wasted my money, what hurts more is the fact that I used to enjoy bicycling. During spring and summer I used to do lots of weekend errands by bicycle and I enjoyed it. I was even hoping to be “car free” at some point – using my bike for almost everything and borrowing my husband’s car occasionally. Now, just thinking about riding almost makes my legs hurt. I’m thinking that if it’s this much work to get used to the bicycle, then I don’t even want the damn thing. I’m thinking I should sell it, and then just get some fenders put on my cruiser and get a trailer for hauling loads.
So I guess my question is, is it possible that I really do have some condition with my legs that prevents them from gaining strength, or should I assume they are just taking a really long time to recover from that gym workout, and keep riding to build up my strength? I guess I come across as a baby who can't handle a little discomfort, but this whole thing has really thrown me for a loop because I never experienced anything like this with my cruiser.
For the past 2 years, I've been bicycling to work about 2 days a week. It's a 2.7 mile commute, and I had used a 7-speed cruiser, because I like a comfortable upright ride, even if it means going more slowly.
Last year I became interested in Dutch bicycles, and I liked the way that they had all the features you could want in a commuter bike - full chain case, internal hub gearing, fenders, mudflaps, generator-powered lights, and the ability to hold a lot of weight. I particularly liked the WorkCycles Oma, although I had read that some people didn't like the fact that it was so heavy. I didn't want to buy it without trying it, so I waited for a year until I was in Portland for a convention, where I found a bike shop that carried it. I tried out the bike, riding around the corner a few times, and didn't feel like the weight was an issue. If any of you are familiar with the blog "Let's Go Ride a Bike," one of the bloggers has this exact bike and she always raves about it. Plus these are the bikes that supposedly everyone in the Netherlands rides (often with heavy loads and/or children on them), and I thought, if they can all handle it, so can I.
Now I fully admit that part of the reason I liked this bike was that I liked the idea of having a fully-equipped, very high quality bike. Sort of like having a "luxury bike" in the same way that some people have luxury cars. And perhaps some of that feeling clouded my judgement, but I honestly did not feel like the weight would be a problem. My area (a suburb of Buffalo) isn't super flat, but I wouldn't call it very hilly either. Also, one of the main features I liked was the front carrier rack (mounted to the tube rather than the handle bars) which would allow me to easily transport heavier items, such as bags of groceries. I have never seen a non-"Dutch" bike that had something like that.
I decided to start riding to work Monday/Wednesday/Friday for a couple of weeks to get used to the bike, and gradually work up to every day. The idea was that this would more-or-less replace my car for work commuting and local errands.
First week: So far so good. I also work out at the office gym on my lunch hour, doing strength training M/W/F.
Second week: On Monday, I was doing some squats with dumbbells, when my legs started really hurting. I figured I had overestimated how much weight I should use, and didn't think much of it - often when beginning a new stage in my workout book (as I was that day) I would be a little extra sore.
That Wednesday, I rode to work, and decided to forgo working my legs at the gym because they were still a bit sore. On Friday, they were feeling mostly better so I tried some more leg exercises, but they quickly started hurting so I stopped. All weekend they were very sore (I had a hard time walking), and I just assumed they were still recovering from the gym.
Third week: On Monday, I again avoided doing any leg exercises at the gym, but rode the bike. When I arrived, I was feeling sore and wobbly, and that's when I started wondering if the problem was the bike and not the gym.
On Wednesday, I removed the front rack and switched to panniers (to save some weight) and pedaled in a very low gear. Still my legs were feeling sore in the morning, and when I got home in the afternoon, I almost couldn't feel them. When getting up from the dinner table, one of my legs almost buckled under me.
I feel that I have always had weak legs. At the gym, I can do a chin-up (just one so far), can do 15 push-ups on my toes (rather than my knees), and lots of things with my arms - I've even gotten compliments on my muscle tone. But I've always had difficulty building up strength in my legs. They still tend to get a lot more sore after workouts than my arms, and the amount of weight and/or reps that I can do has only increased a very tiny amount from when I first started. I'm wondering if I simply have really weak legs, and no amount of exercise will help that, and getting a heavy bike was a mistake.
I do have 2 hills on my way to work, although I couldn't tell you the size or angle - is there a way to measure it? They aren't so steep that I had ever previously felt like I had to get off the bike and walk up, although I am able to coast pretty fast going down. Anyway, I'm assuming that my legs don't like going up those hills on a heavy bike, even after I switch to a low gear.
Yesterday was the end of my third week. I skipped the gym and the bike yesterday, although I did use it today to go to the grocery store (1.5 miles each way, and no hills at all). I was hoping after 2 days off I would feel better. And Goddamn if they didn’t start feeling sore again. As I was riding, I could feel the "burn" in my quads that one would normally expect during a strenuous workout, even though I was still going slowly and at a low gear. Right now, they don't hurt as bad as last weekend, but the soreness seems to be way out of proportion to my level of activity. (Really, I know I sound like a wimp, but I'm not. If I was riding several miles each day, at a high gear or high speed, I would expect to feel like this. But I'm only doing a few miles at an easy pace and low gear.)
I posted this question to a forum on utility cycling, and got a few pieces of advice. For the most part, people felt like I could work up the strength if I gave it more time, and that possibly my legs still haven't recovered from that initial round of squats at the gym 2 weeks ago. That almost makes sense, because of how I was able to ride for the first week with no problems. Someone made some suggestions about the saddle height, which I will look into, but didn't have a chance today. One person did mention that if I seriously felt like I couldn't work up strength in my legs, it might be worth seeing a doctor.
So, YANMD, but I was wondering if anyone thinks I might be physically unable to build up leg strength - has anyone heard of such a thing? If that's the case, then I just made a very expensive mistake and will have to look into selling the bike - although since there isn't a big market for these kinds of bikes in Buffalo, I don't know how I'll manage to do that.
Or do you think that it's just a matter of taking a few more days off, and that my legs still haven't recovered from the gym a few weeks ago? (Although if that's the case, how long will it take? It's been over a week since I attempted any kind of squats or leg exercises. It seems like it's taking a *really* long time to recover. What am I supposed to do, go on bed rest for 2 weeks? This is getting ridiculous.)
Although I’m upset about probably having wasted my money, what hurts more is the fact that I used to enjoy bicycling. During spring and summer I used to do lots of weekend errands by bicycle and I enjoyed it. I was even hoping to be “car free” at some point – using my bike for almost everything and borrowing my husband’s car occasionally. Now, just thinking about riding almost makes my legs hurt. I’m thinking that if it’s this much work to get used to the bicycle, then I don’t even want the damn thing. I’m thinking I should sell it, and then just get some fenders put on my cruiser and get a trailer for hauling loads.
So I guess my question is, is it possible that I really do have some condition with my legs that prevents them from gaining strength, or should I assume they are just taking a really long time to recover from that gym workout, and keep riding to build up my strength? I guess I come across as a baby who can't handle a little discomfort, but this whole thing has really thrown me for a loop because I never experienced anything like this with my cruiser.
1. if you hurt, do not keep doing it. That's a sure-fire way to injury.
2. are you sure the bike is fit/adjusted properly to you? My first reading of your description says "there's got to be something wrong with her setup." Examples: if you're sitting too low you put tons on force on your knees/quads and they can end up aching. Likewise if you're sitting too far back you'll use your quads a lot more than your hamstrings. Changes in handlebars or handlebar height can do the same thing since you'll subconsciously shift your tail on the seat to avoid uncomfortable hands, etc. It takes fairly little change from your old bike's seat position to make you really notice that you're using different muscles. Fixing your seat / bar position is fairly easy if you have a good bike shop or a knowledgeable friend. Bring both bikes and compare.
3. I've never heard of someone unable to build leg strength, but I have known people who over-trained without realizing it and stopped gaining strength until they were mindful and recovered. Describe the pain, please. Is it in the muscles? joints? Do your legs feel "tight"? How long does the feeling last? How is your sleep? etc.
4. it doesn't take a lot of additional weight to make you sit up and notice. Imagine doing a normal walk through the grocery store; now imagine it with a gallon of milk in each hand. Adding ten or more pounds to your ride all at once can seriously throw you.
5. if it turns out to be a strength thing, consider changing the types of exercise you're doing. I totally love just going out and riding, but I also find that "just riding" contributes very little to my fitness level. Paying a little attention to proper rest days (very light rides) and mixing in little bits of designed exercise into my "just riding" has done wonders for me.
Good luck and please don't hurt yourself! Get back to riding fun if you can. :)
posted by introp at 5:50 PM on August 13, 2011
2. are you sure the bike is fit/adjusted properly to you? My first reading of your description says "there's got to be something wrong with her setup." Examples: if you're sitting too low you put tons on force on your knees/quads and they can end up aching. Likewise if you're sitting too far back you'll use your quads a lot more than your hamstrings. Changes in handlebars or handlebar height can do the same thing since you'll subconsciously shift your tail on the seat to avoid uncomfortable hands, etc. It takes fairly little change from your old bike's seat position to make you really notice that you're using different muscles. Fixing your seat / bar position is fairly easy if you have a good bike shop or a knowledgeable friend. Bring both bikes and compare.
3. I've never heard of someone unable to build leg strength, but I have known people who over-trained without realizing it and stopped gaining strength until they were mindful and recovered. Describe the pain, please. Is it in the muscles? joints? Do your legs feel "tight"? How long does the feeling last? How is your sleep? etc.
4. it doesn't take a lot of additional weight to make you sit up and notice. Imagine doing a normal walk through the grocery store; now imagine it with a gallon of milk in each hand. Adding ten or more pounds to your ride all at once can seriously throw you.
5. if it turns out to be a strength thing, consider changing the types of exercise you're doing. I totally love just going out and riding, but I also find that "just riding" contributes very little to my fitness level. Paying a little attention to proper rest days (very light rides) and mixing in little bits of designed exercise into my "just riding" has done wonders for me.
Good luck and please don't hurt yourself! Get back to riding fun if you can. :)
posted by introp at 5:50 PM on August 13, 2011
Recovery. You can't get stronger without recovery.
posted by nathancaswell at 5:52 PM on August 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by nathancaswell at 5:52 PM on August 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
All this presumes that you have your bike adjusted properly, and are eating/sleeping healthy. You biked & work out, so I'm fine assuming that, but check that first.
Putting my scenario on the table: I ride a Kona Ute, it's about 39 pounds, making it about 5 lighter than yours. Generally just around town/errands, as well as 30 miles (about 15 mi/hr) 2-4 times a week. Been riding it for 3 years.
This bike is a serious step up in weight from your old bike. Quite possibly twice as much. It will take some getting used to. My bike is about 20% of my weight, and I'm fat. Odds are you're carrying a bike at least a quarter of your weight. I can't emphasize how much that changes things.
And then on top of that you're doing weighted squats? You're overtraining, probably not resting enough.
Finally, don't assume that the geometry of your cruiser and the geometry of your new bike are the same - well I don't want to assume it, you can check of course. But my bike, and from pictures your bike, is aggressively upright, if that's a valid concept. It's a different feeling. My good friend, who is much fitter than I am, and does things like bike touring across new zealand, tried out my Ute to ride up a (big) hill and get some boxes, and his was feeling it later that day.
tl;dr: keep riding (maybe a break right now), make sure you're in in alignment, and cut back on the leg training - you won't need it as much.
posted by Lemurrhea at 6:05 PM on August 13, 2011
Putting my scenario on the table: I ride a Kona Ute, it's about 39 pounds, making it about 5 lighter than yours. Generally just around town/errands, as well as 30 miles (about 15 mi/hr) 2-4 times a week. Been riding it for 3 years.
This bike is a serious step up in weight from your old bike. Quite possibly twice as much. It will take some getting used to. My bike is about 20% of my weight, and I'm fat. Odds are you're carrying a bike at least a quarter of your weight. I can't emphasize how much that changes things.
And then on top of that you're doing weighted squats? You're overtraining, probably not resting enough.
Finally, don't assume that the geometry of your cruiser and the geometry of your new bike are the same - well I don't want to assume it, you can check of course. But my bike, and from pictures your bike, is aggressively upright, if that's a valid concept. It's a different feeling. My good friend, who is much fitter than I am, and does things like bike touring across new zealand, tried out my Ute to ride up a (big) hill and get some boxes, and his was feeling it later that day.
tl;dr: keep riding (maybe a break right now), make sure you're in in alignment, and cut back on the leg training - you won't need it as much.
posted by Lemurrhea at 6:05 PM on August 13, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks for the replies so far. I just raised the seat a bit now - my husband was a bit annoyed having to suddenly look through all his tools in the garage at 9:00 at night for the right size wrench, but I told him I wanted to take care of this now. I raised it a half inch, and was still able to reach the peddles with only a slight bend, so I'll see if that makes a difference for next time.
Describing the pain: The only place that has been hurting is the muscles in the front of my thighs - the quads. It's hard to describe the exact feeling. Last weekend (after my second week with the bike), it was almost a fairly sharp pain in the center front of each thigh - even walking was hurting, and it lasted throughout the weekend. This past week, I had this sort of rubbery/wobbly feeling for an hour or two after riding - culminating on Wednesday when my leg almost collapsed under me when I was getting up from the dinner table. In general, it's been an achy, tight feeling - I tend to feel like I want to rub/massage that area. It was happening intermittently on Thursday and Friday, but gone today until I rode to the store. Now I've had it all afternoon/evening.
I do see what you all mean about the overtraining. I realize it was a mistake to start a new phase in my workout while still getting used to the bike, so I will give that up for the time being. Although, I haven't done any kind of leg exercises in the gym since last Friday, so I had thought I would be better by now. But maybe continuing to ride has prevented full recovery? I actually felt good today, which is why I decided to ride to the store, but I guess I still wasn't quite ready. So I'm not sure now how I'll be able to tell when I should start riding again.
As for eating and sleeping, I do eat quite a bit of protein - which I had been doing because of my gym workouts. For example, I don't eat cereal for breakfast - instead I'll have sardines on toast, or Greek yogurt and fruit, or an egg & sausage burrito, etc. Lunches could consist of any of the breakfast items (but not the same thing twice in one day) or else a tuna wrap, turkey sandwich, etc. I think I get enough sleep - generally 7 hours. I don't always fall asleep well, for one thing because I tend to be an anxious person (as you could probably tell) and also I have sleep apnea and sometimes it's difficult to sleep comfortably with the machine. But I do have a prescription to Ambien, and about once a week or so, I'll take 2.5 mg if I'm not falling asleep after a period of time. So I generally don't get less than 7 hours.
posted by LaurenIpsum at 6:29 PM on August 13, 2011
Describing the pain: The only place that has been hurting is the muscles in the front of my thighs - the quads. It's hard to describe the exact feeling. Last weekend (after my second week with the bike), it was almost a fairly sharp pain in the center front of each thigh - even walking was hurting, and it lasted throughout the weekend. This past week, I had this sort of rubbery/wobbly feeling for an hour or two after riding - culminating on Wednesday when my leg almost collapsed under me when I was getting up from the dinner table. In general, it's been an achy, tight feeling - I tend to feel like I want to rub/massage that area. It was happening intermittently on Thursday and Friday, but gone today until I rode to the store. Now I've had it all afternoon/evening.
I do see what you all mean about the overtraining. I realize it was a mistake to start a new phase in my workout while still getting used to the bike, so I will give that up for the time being. Although, I haven't done any kind of leg exercises in the gym since last Friday, so I had thought I would be better by now. But maybe continuing to ride has prevented full recovery? I actually felt good today, which is why I decided to ride to the store, but I guess I still wasn't quite ready. So I'm not sure now how I'll be able to tell when I should start riding again.
As for eating and sleeping, I do eat quite a bit of protein - which I had been doing because of my gym workouts. For example, I don't eat cereal for breakfast - instead I'll have sardines on toast, or Greek yogurt and fruit, or an egg & sausage burrito, etc. Lunches could consist of any of the breakfast items (but not the same thing twice in one day) or else a tuna wrap, turkey sandwich, etc. I think I get enough sleep - generally 7 hours. I don't always fall asleep well, for one thing because I tend to be an anxious person (as you could probably tell) and also I have sleep apnea and sometimes it's difficult to sleep comfortably with the machine. But I do have a prescription to Ambien, and about once a week or so, I'll take 2.5 mg if I'm not falling asleep after a period of time. So I generally don't get less than 7 hours.
posted by LaurenIpsum at 6:29 PM on August 13, 2011
When you go up hills, do you shift into an easy gear and keep your butt on the saddle, or do you stand and pedal? When you're not on hills, how much do you get out of the saddle?
I ask because cruisers (and your town bike from looking at it) tend to have a well-sloped seat tube. That is, your feet are way out in front of you, so it's like you're sitting upright in a chair. (At least, compared to a more aggressive road bike. With an upright seat tube, you're angled well to put a lot of force on the pedals even while in the saddle.) That's not a good angle for your quads-- it's tougher, even though an upright position is more comfortable on the flats.
Try getting out of the saddle more, if you're not doing so already, rather than shifting down. Or do both. It's also good for your flexibility to not be pedaling in the same position the whole time. It'll all get easier-- just take it easy, and try this.
(Granted, if you're already tired from doing squats, standing will feel like a major chore. In that case, try getting out of the saddle more once you've fully recovered.)
The kind of muscle you want to build is slow-twitch-- you'll gain it by doing a lot of low-intensity reps, so anything you can do to lower the intensity and increase the distance will help.
posted by supercres at 6:37 PM on August 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
I ask because cruisers (and your town bike from looking at it) tend to have a well-sloped seat tube. That is, your feet are way out in front of you, so it's like you're sitting upright in a chair. (At least, compared to a more aggressive road bike. With an upright seat tube, you're angled well to put a lot of force on the pedals even while in the saddle.) That's not a good angle for your quads-- it's tougher, even though an upright position is more comfortable on the flats.
Try getting out of the saddle more, if you're not doing so already, rather than shifting down. Or do both. It's also good for your flexibility to not be pedaling in the same position the whole time. It'll all get easier-- just take it easy, and try this.
(Granted, if you're already tired from doing squats, standing will feel like a major chore. In that case, try getting out of the saddle more once you've fully recovered.)
The kind of muscle you want to build is slow-twitch-- you'll gain it by doing a lot of low-intensity reps, so anything you can do to lower the intensity and increase the distance will help.
posted by supercres at 6:37 PM on August 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
As mentioned above, make sure you're sleeping properly and eating plenty of protein. Overtraining seems like a likely hypothesis; all of the coaches I've spoken to have recommended increasing intensity and volume of activity by no more than 10% per week to prevent injury. I was foolish enough to try a high-intensity cycling program and a weightlifting program simultaneously, and even sleeping 10 hours nightly and eating 4-5 meals daily wasn't enough for me to recover properly.
Regarding cycling form, one of the most important things you can do is to get your bike professionally fitted. Many high-end road bike shops will offer this service. It may be expensive, but the difference it makes is astounding. Perhaps it is incorrect to generalize this from road bikes to cruisers, but I figure it's worth mentioning. Otherwise, just try to target the highest comfortable cadence you can with your bicycle's gearing. 80 rpm or higher will result in building more slow-twitch than fast-twitch muscle, and it will put more of the load onto your cardiovascular system than on your legs.
Just make sure that you're always distinguishing muscle pain from joint/connective tissue pain. The former is typically either lactic acid buildup, which is normal, or sometimes related to overtraining, while the latter is typically a result of improper form or bike fit. Joint pain can add up to serious injury over time, so please don't ignore it.
You can measure the length and gradient of hills with either a GPS-enabled cycling computer or a smartphone app such as Strava or MapMyRide. If you're patient, try entering your commute into gmap-pedometer.
Ride safely, and HTFU enjoy yourself. :-)
posted by pmugowsky at 7:13 PM on August 13, 2011
Regarding cycling form, one of the most important things you can do is to get your bike professionally fitted. Many high-end road bike shops will offer this service. It may be expensive, but the difference it makes is astounding. Perhaps it is incorrect to generalize this from road bikes to cruisers, but I figure it's worth mentioning. Otherwise, just try to target the highest comfortable cadence you can with your bicycle's gearing. 80 rpm or higher will result in building more slow-twitch than fast-twitch muscle, and it will put more of the load onto your cardiovascular system than on your legs.
Just make sure that you're always distinguishing muscle pain from joint/connective tissue pain. The former is typically either lactic acid buildup, which is normal, or sometimes related to overtraining, while the latter is typically a result of improper form or bike fit. Joint pain can add up to serious injury over time, so please don't ignore it.
You can measure the length and gradient of hills with either a GPS-enabled cycling computer or a smartphone app such as Strava or MapMyRide. If you're patient, try entering your commute into gmap-pedometer.
Ride safely, and HTFU enjoy yourself. :-)
posted by pmugowsky at 7:13 PM on August 13, 2011
doing strength training M/W/F
That is too much. You're not letting your body recover from the previous workout before you get into the next one, guaranteeing the downward spiral you're experiencing. Take a week off, if possible switch to Monday/Thursday and gear down on the bike (as in, take your time, and go slower in an easier gear) when you get back into it.
Overtraining is real, and you will injure yourself if you continue to do this. You are trying to do something you'll be able to do easily in a year, provided you take your time getting there.
posted by mhoye at 7:16 PM on August 13, 2011
That is too much. You're not letting your body recover from the previous workout before you get into the next one, guaranteeing the downward spiral you're experiencing. Take a week off, if possible switch to Monday/Thursday and gear down on the bike (as in, take your time, and go slower in an easier gear) when you get back into it.
Overtraining is real, and you will injure yourself if you continue to do this. You are trying to do something you'll be able to do easily in a year, provided you take your time getting there.
posted by mhoye at 7:16 PM on August 13, 2011
I have never felt "sharp pain" from riding hard. I have, however, felt it when I badly strained my quad. When the pain went away, I exercised normally and it immediately came back. It took a few weeks of rest to heal and even then I started up very slowly and did a lot of stretching. Your case sounds much more like an injury than weakness.
posted by bread-eater at 7:18 PM on August 13, 2011
posted by bread-eater at 7:18 PM on August 13, 2011
I disagree with mhoye; strength training every other day is perfectly acceptable, and is a foundational part of many successful fitness programs (e.g. P90X).
From your description of the pain it sounds like you're just beating the hell out of your quads, and haven't exercised that area much recently until you started with the squats and the heavier bike. That often leads to DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) which can hurt like hell for a week, easy. But, as long as it's just the muscle hurting, and you're not experiencing any joint issues or sharp stabbing pains (it should feel more like an ache, and make sitting down and getting up difficult), you should be fine.
After a really, really good quads workout when I haven't done quads in too long, I frequently (and this is too much information) have to use the wall and assorted bathroom furniture to claw my way back to a standing position off the toilet because the muscles are just not responsive to my needs. Laughing and crying all the while. But over time that goes away and even hardcore workouts just make your muscles buzz and burn.
I would also add that you should try to find the person at your gym (note: probably not one of the personal trainers) who has been doing squats for many years, and ask them to critique your form and help you. Because it's possible you're overdoing that too.
posted by felix at 8:50 PM on August 13, 2011
From your description of the pain it sounds like you're just beating the hell out of your quads, and haven't exercised that area much recently until you started with the squats and the heavier bike. That often leads to DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) which can hurt like hell for a week, easy. But, as long as it's just the muscle hurting, and you're not experiencing any joint issues or sharp stabbing pains (it should feel more like an ache, and make sitting down and getting up difficult), you should be fine.
After a really, really good quads workout when I haven't done quads in too long, I frequently (and this is too much information) have to use the wall and assorted bathroom furniture to claw my way back to a standing position off the toilet because the muscles are just not responsive to my needs. Laughing and crying all the while. But over time that goes away and even hardcore workouts just make your muscles buzz and burn.
I would also add that you should try to find the person at your gym (note: probably not one of the personal trainers) who has been doing squats for many years, and ask them to critique your form and help you. Because it's possible you're overdoing that too.
posted by felix at 8:50 PM on August 13, 2011
Personally, I think your bike is to heavy for you, and you should sell it an get a lighter bike that you will actually enjoy riding.
However, I don't think there's anything seriously wrong with your legs other than you may have done too much, too soon and it sounds like you may have at least one, if not two, pulled quads. A pulled quad takes weeks to recover from, not just a couple of days of rest. Take at least a week off of legs workouts then ease back into it, maybe riding every other day for a week and skipping the legs workouts at the gym until you can ride without feeling sore later. A low level of muscle tiredness soreness is okay, but stiffness sharp pain means you're overdoing things.
posted by emd3737 at 1:05 AM on August 14, 2011
However, I don't think there's anything seriously wrong with your legs other than you may have done too much, too soon and it sounds like you may have at least one, if not two, pulled quads. A pulled quad takes weeks to recover from, not just a couple of days of rest. Take at least a week off of legs workouts then ease back into it, maybe riding every other day for a week and skipping the legs workouts at the gym until you can ride without feeling sore later. A low level of muscle tiredness soreness is okay, but stiffness sharp pain means you're overdoing things.
posted by emd3737 at 1:05 AM on August 14, 2011
As someone who just cycled 45 miles on a brand new road bike that's far too small (damn certain bike/automotive accessories chain in the UK!), I can tell you your setup makes a massive difference. Hills that I could have easily conquered on my mountain bike became utterly impossible, my knees rebelled against my legs and I seem to have no sensation in the left side of my left hand.
Of course, it's more important that a road bike's anatomically fitted to within a millimetre, but the same rules apply. AFAIK you're meant to be able stretch your leg all the way out when the pedal's in its lowest position.
posted by hnnrs at 3:18 PM on August 14, 2011
Of course, it's more important that a road bike's anatomically fitted to within a millimetre, but the same rules apply. AFAIK you're meant to be able stretch your leg all the way out when the pedal's in its lowest position.
posted by hnnrs at 3:18 PM on August 14, 2011
I know nothing about strength training and don't do any, but I have the same exact bike. It took me some weeks for my body to get used to going up mild hills (even in low gear). After probably a month or two of just occasional or regular riding my quads got to where I don't have any muscle pain of any kind after moderate-length trips. Based on my experience getting used to riding this kind of bike from essentially no riding, the squats seem like a much more likely candidate than the bike.
I suspect riding another bike isn't going to be much easier, and certainly not if you would need to wear a backpack. This bike should also have no trouble getting you through the winter, so keep that in mind if you are thinking of getting rid of it.
It seems to me that going slowly and in a low gear might actually make things worse, as you are pedalling much more.
The Dutch set the saddle high enough that they can barely touch the ground.
posted by parudox at 4:02 PM on August 14, 2011
I suspect riding another bike isn't going to be much easier, and certainly not if you would need to wear a backpack. This bike should also have no trouble getting you through the winter, so keep that in mind if you are thinking of getting rid of it.
It seems to me that going slowly and in a low gear might actually make things worse, as you are pedalling much more.
The Dutch set the saddle high enough that they can barely touch the ground.
posted by parudox at 4:02 PM on August 14, 2011
What everyone else said about overtraining, above. Take some time off.
I took a 6-month break from cycling and was feeling very weak when I got back on the bike. Hills were murder. I started stair climbing (real stairs; I live in a 20 story apt. building) and after several weeks of hard work, I am climbing stairs much stronger AND I'm feeling a lot better pedaling up the hills.
You can get stronger. Rest, proper bike adjustment, and a good attitude will help. Worst case, ditch that heavy bike and get something lighter :)
posted by dudeman at 6:34 PM on August 14, 2011
I took a 6-month break from cycling and was feeling very weak when I got back on the bike. Hills were murder. I started stair climbing (real stairs; I live in a 20 story apt. building) and after several weeks of hard work, I am climbing stairs much stronger AND I'm feeling a lot better pedaling up the hills.
You can get stronger. Rest, proper bike adjustment, and a good attitude will help. Worst case, ditch that heavy bike and get something lighter :)
posted by dudeman at 6:34 PM on August 14, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! It's sounding like the issue is a combination of overtraining plus continuing to cycle.
I've been working out in the gym for over 2 years, but not always cycling too. It's happened before that I've gotten sore legs from a workout, but I guess in this case, the fact that I was cycling on top of that prevented me from recovering. So, I'm going to take this week off from both the gym and the bike, and see how things go next week.
posted by LaurenIpsum at 7:29 PM on August 14, 2011
I've been working out in the gym for over 2 years, but not always cycling too. It's happened before that I've gotten sore legs from a workout, but I guess in this case, the fact that I was cycling on top of that prevented me from recovering. So, I'm going to take this week off from both the gym and the bike, and see how things go next week.
posted by LaurenIpsum at 7:29 PM on August 14, 2011
This reply is a little bit late, but there's some silly advice here (and some good advice), and I wanted to point out a couple of important things. Most important of all is that it's very unlikely that you're overtrained. Overtraining is very rare, and is usually accompanied by a number of symptoms far beyond soreness and muscle fatigue, none of which you seem to be experiencing. On top of that, you really have to load up on the training in order to end up overtrained -- a few weeks of cycling a few miles per day and a doing a few sets of lifting at the gym is very, very unlikely to lead to overtraining.
The discomfort your are feeling is likely the result of some combination of injury, poor bike fit, or overreaching.
Overreaching is essentially what's necessary in order to stimulate adaptation to new training load. You push your muscles a bit, which causes what people call micro-trauma, and in response your muscles grow back a bit stronger than they were before. This process can leave you feeling very sore -- even experienced cyclists might spend weeks being sore when they increase training volume -- and it requires patience. You cannot grow new muscles overnight. A few weeks of a new bike/training program/etc. is not enough. You'll probably be at least a little bit sore after riding for some time to come.
Poor bike fit, in particular improper saddle height, can definitely result in strain in the knees and quads. Many riders set their saddle too low, and this is especially possible on a tall Dutch style bike. There's a good chance that you won't be able to touch the ground with the saddle at the right height. In fact, if you can touch the ground with anything other than your toes when sitting on the saddle, you very well might have the saddle too low. So take the bike to a good shop and ask them to take a look at the fit for you and get this right. Good fit really important for both everyday comfort and long term injury prevention.
Finally, injury is definitely a possibility, and the fact that you described the pain as 'sharp' makes this more likely. If you're riding with a bad fit, then this is even more true. Normal pain from cycling is rarely sharp -- sharp pains are almost always the result of an injury of some kind. So it would also be worthwhile to see a doctor, ideally someone with some sports medicine experience, to make sure you're not really hurt before you continue cycling. If you're really injured, it may take a long time to recover fully.
posted by dseaton at 4:34 AM on August 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
The discomfort your are feeling is likely the result of some combination of injury, poor bike fit, or overreaching.
Overreaching is essentially what's necessary in order to stimulate adaptation to new training load. You push your muscles a bit, which causes what people call micro-trauma, and in response your muscles grow back a bit stronger than they were before. This process can leave you feeling very sore -- even experienced cyclists might spend weeks being sore when they increase training volume -- and it requires patience. You cannot grow new muscles overnight. A few weeks of a new bike/training program/etc. is not enough. You'll probably be at least a little bit sore after riding for some time to come.
Poor bike fit, in particular improper saddle height, can definitely result in strain in the knees and quads. Many riders set their saddle too low, and this is especially possible on a tall Dutch style bike. There's a good chance that you won't be able to touch the ground with the saddle at the right height. In fact, if you can touch the ground with anything other than your toes when sitting on the saddle, you very well might have the saddle too low. So take the bike to a good shop and ask them to take a look at the fit for you and get this right. Good fit really important for both everyday comfort and long term injury prevention.
Finally, injury is definitely a possibility, and the fact that you described the pain as 'sharp' makes this more likely. If you're riding with a bad fit, then this is even more true. Normal pain from cycling is rarely sharp -- sharp pains are almost always the result of an injury of some kind. So it would also be worthwhile to see a doctor, ideally someone with some sports medicine experience, to make sure you're not really hurt before you continue cycling. If you're really injured, it may take a long time to recover fully.
posted by dseaton at 4:34 AM on August 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
As someone who just did RAGBRAI, and had to bail on the hills entirely, I can identify. Some of it was a too-heavy city bike with inadequate gearing for the hills (even my girlfriend's mountain bike, a twenty-year-old Cannondale, is noticeably lighter than mine), some of it was too-heavy me, some of it was that I trained on a route that was mostly flat, with at most a few modest slopes.
Also, re: parudox: It seems to me that going slowly and in a low gear might actually make things worse, as you are pedalling much more.
In a word, no. Pedaling too slow and in too high of a gear can cause permanent damage to your legs. Take your time up the slopes and gradually work up to a higher gear.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:37 AM on August 15, 2011
Also, re: parudox: It seems to me that going slowly and in a low gear might actually make things worse, as you are pedalling much more.
In a word, no. Pedaling too slow and in too high of a gear can cause permanent damage to your legs. Take your time up the slopes and gradually work up to a higher gear.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:37 AM on August 15, 2011
If this isn't a real injury, which you might want to see a doctor if you really are hurt and not just in pain, then you're not going to be able to do both activities at the same time for now. After your break, drop the gym program for the time being. You're body isn't going to accommodate or acclimate to both programs in a suitable manner for you. Like any other program, you're going to have to build up to riding your bike. You can add in your gym program later once you've acclimated well enough to riding your bike at least a couple of times a week. If you can, try to start small and work you way up to larger and more frequent rides.
posted by P.o.B. at 1:38 PM on August 15, 2011
posted by P.o.B. at 1:38 PM on August 15, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
It would be super unusual for you to be unable to gain strength in your legs. If you're feeling muscle pain, that generally (up to a point) means that the workout was successful and your body is trying to rebuild the micro-tears in your musculature.
Is it possible that you are eating/drinking/sleeping all wrong? If you are trying to get stronger, 90% of that is at the dinner table. If you are not ingesting enough protein, then it's possible that your body is starving and unable to heal the exercise damage. Also, if you're not getting a decent amount of sleep, then your body might not be spending enough time in recovery mode.
Lay off the bike until your legs feel better, and then work up with smaller rides to build your confidence. If your legs don't feel better within a week or two and your first ride is a disaster again, see a doctor.
posted by felix at 5:46 PM on August 13, 2011