Road Cycling Essentials

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Dup said:
I went for a run yesterday, first run I've ever undertaken. I've been cycling most of my life up until I was 17 to get where I want to go. Now I'm 25 and had a road bike for 4 months and done about 1000 miles since. I could hardly run a few hundred yards... I pushed on though and I did about 2 miles with a lot of stopping and starting. When I got back I realised my calfs felt like they had been set in concrete and now I can hardly walk today, 24 hours later. The back of my calfs in the middle are like wound up elastic bands and hurt when I walk.

Not quite sure what's going on. I want to go running in the mornings mabe 3 or more times a week, but if I can't walk then argh! Not sure what I've done, got some heat rub on to see if they will loosen up.
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Did you forget to stretch your calves after the run ??
 
I hit a pothole this morning that was hidden from view by a bus until it was too late. I think I was doing about 20mph, but may have started to slow at that point for the approaching roundabout. The hole was about a foot in diameter and three or four inches deep. My bike made a pretty nasty sound but I kept my balance. On pulling over to check the bike I realised the bars had rotated in the pop top holding them in the stem. I checked for other damage but I couldn't see anything else. I suspect the bar slipping absorbed a huge amount of my downward momentum that would otherwise have done wheel or fork damage.

Not having an Allen key with me I came back with the bars in their now considerably rotated position (such that the drop straights actually point upwards at the back). Surprisingly it was quite comfortable; I think I might keep them like this for my next full ride and see how they are over distance.

Unrelated to the above I was out on a group ride on Saturday and a late braker behind me ran into my dérailleur, popping the chain off and causing the gear cable outer to pop out of the retaining mount on the chain stay. Getting it back on again required me to loosen the cable from the dérailleur in order to get enough slack, so I had the fun of reindexing a 10-speed for the first time on Saturday (as well as using the bike as a single speed for the second half of that ride). Fiddly is the word!
 
Richie said:
Did you forget to stretch your calves after the run ??
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After yes, a lot, all night in fact! They felt like this almost immediately after the run. I'm still no different, can halrdly walk still. The same night I wasn't too bad I went bowling and was stretching the whole time and was using a step to push myself up and down by my toes.

I cycled my usual 10 miles yesterday without much problem, could feel my calfs hurting but nothing like trying to walk. I;ve had a very hot bath, I;ve used heat rub and I've used frozen towels... not done a thing.

I think it's a case of not stretching enough before hand really. I'd started off with a walk as I was with the dog and let him do his business but I didn't really stretch that much. Probably why.
 
My calves can hurt for up to 4 days after a run. Mate who does a lot of running told me that cycling shortens the calf muscle, or something like that. Should test it really and add a weekly run into the training regime to see if they start to loosen up. Shame that I hate running and only do it as a last resort.
 
Dup said:
After yes, a lot, all night in fact! They felt like this almost immediately after the run. I'm still no different, can halrdly walk still. The same night I wasn't too bad I went bowling and was stretching the whole time and was using a step to push myself up and down by my toes.

I cycled my usual 10 miles yesterday without much problem, could feel my calfs hurting but nothing like trying to walk. I;ve had a very hot bath, I;ve used heat rub and I've used frozen towels... not done a thing.

I think it's a case of not stretching enough before hand really. I'd started off with a walk as I was with the dog and let him do his business but I didn't really stretch that much. Probably why.
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I don't really stretch before or after I run. Probably bad for me but had no issues yet
 
BAH!
can't get the boardman on cycle to work as halfords isn't on our scheme!
damnit!
anyone got an alternitive?
 
Cyclescheme is the biggest UK provider.
There are loads of bike shops that are signed up to it. Use their website to do a search in your area. Also loads of online stores accept them.

I just bought my bike using the Cyclescheme from a Store in Ireland because it was discounted by 20%. I live in the Midlands, UK :)
 
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