Biking Shortening Hamstrings?

[Highy]

Stand at the bottom of the stairs , put either foot on the bottom step , pull your foot upwards and feel your hamstring pulling.
Are you sure your seat is not to far forward?

Thanks Daz, I'll try that.

Seemed less tight yesterday when I ran and afterwards - I think that could be more to do with the stretches than having upped the revs on the bike, which I'm finding difficult to maintain. I seem to settle down to a natural cadence if there is such a thing and have to make an effort to pick the revs up again.

How do I check to see if the seat is to far forward? - it's almost at the back of the seat rails as it is.

[Highy]

Had a cadence sensor on a fixed I used to have and clocked 182 with a 67" gear - it hurt a lot!

flippin eck Ady!

how fast was that?

[Ady In Accy]

Bike racing would have uniformity by allowing people to use what they like, under the definition of 'bicycle.' You say the guidelines are 'necessary' then you say the weight guidelines move with the times. In other words there's no necessity about it.

It's getting worse than formula one, where "nothing ever happens, nothing happens at all, the needle returns to the start of the song, and we all sing along like before."

UCI regs create a level playing field and allow for new technology and developments within their guidelines. A bicycle within racing is as defined by the UCI. A weight limit of 30 years ago would not be relevent now which is why the guidlines have moved on.
I prefer the Del Amitri version.

flippin eck Ady!

how fast was that?

It was only the cadence reading that stood out, can't remember the speed. I was with 6 other guys on geared bikes on the Sunday run and they got away on the descent down into Bentham and I didn't catch up until the A683. There is a fixed gear calculator on the Sheldon site where these things can be worked out given the gear and wheel size.

[idler]

http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/

I always fancied getting 200rpm (before I got the fear that is!). On a 69" that works out just over 40mph, so should be entirely possible. Just not by me.

Although funnily enough I find it easier to really spin at the bottom of shallower hills than in the middle of really steep hills.

[Highy]

Been doing the stretches for a week now along with biking in a lower gear.

The hamstrings seem less tight as a result, thanks for the advice.

Off to Lakes for a week, guess that's when I'm really going to find out if it's made a difference.

Still interested in knowing how to check if my seat's too far forward - can somebody tell me how to check please?

[monkeynut]

A plumline from your knee when the pedals are at 90 decs should drop through the BB
its a old way but it works for some folk

[nobbut a lad]

Ask Sheldon. That page also contains a link to this interesting article by Keith Bontrager. The conventional wisdom is that the knee should be directly over the pedal spindle when the cranks are horizontal but Keith argues against that.

[Highy]

Thanks for the link Nobbut

Some good bike related stuff there - not sure about the dodgy beard though!

[nikalas]

Plenty of innovation going on in design of triathlon specific bikes that are outside of the tape measures and blazers of the UCI. Good article on www.slowtwitch.com on aerodynamics/bike positioning of the top guys at Kona this year.

Fixed wise, have hit the magic 200rpm on a 72" gear coming off the Cat and Fiddle into Buxton... pretty scary!

[fellboy]

i find it hard to motivate myself to take the time stretching, but now i cycle to work every day i do my stretching after i have clocked in, it seems a lot easier knowing your being paid for it