Top 5 Stretches To Do After A Ride | Cycling Fitness 

The end made me laugh and forget what I just learned.

I stretch at least 30 minutes after every ride. Combining cycling with yoga really helps with the flexibility :)

I even stretch mid-ride. If I'm able to coast I do things like: - One hand on handle bar, straighten back, reach opposite hand around my back. Maybe tilt my head slightly away from the reaching shoulder. (helps loosen shoulders) - If I'm coasting I'll stand on the pedals, lean forward with a straight back. Straighten the legs and really push my glutes UP. If I do it properly it seems to help stretch my hamstrings and calves a bit. - Look down at water bottles for a second, look up, down, repeat. Stretches the back of the neck. - Put chin down closer to chest, twist head left then right and repeat a few times. Keep the chin down toward your body. This seems to really help stretch the side of your neck/shoulders hope that helps. No one asked, but thought I'd offer it up. My friend took my suggestion to stretch during his rides and said he felt a difference in how much looser he was post-ride.

I like that you included bloopers I feel like a lot of people take their fitness tutorial videos too seriously and forget to have fun with it 🙂 Great video!

The bloopers are good:). Stretches are quick to do, thanks:)

Can we have a compilation vid of the curly haired fella doing his laugh. It cheers me up no end, makes me smile out loud. Gaz

Two guys in spandex having way to much fun...

When I first started cycling I never used to stretch afterwards, and then would wonder why I struggled so much on my run the next day. Then a friend who is an experienced triathlete said that it was his ritual after every ride. So from that moment on I started to do stretches and I have never looked back. I find that It makes a huge difference the next day. I will, however, point out that I am in my 40's. You could probably get away with not stretching when you're younger, but when you're older, it's a must. I also take a protein shake with high carb content (recovery drink) immediately after a ride too as I find this also helps a great deal.

This Video was really helpful after my home exercise bike workout.

I'm learning cycling from you guys and some other sources, thanks for the informative and hilarious content. You've got another cycler on the road, and another sub! Love the bloopers, "well, it is another leg". That part had me crying 😂

Matt's laugh keeps getting better and better

I can't thank you enough. Few months ago I pushed myself bit too hard to the point I could barely come back from my target location. After I finally managed to get back home I googled how to stretch after cycling, followed your instructions. Didn't feel a bit of pain in days after...

Cute and helpful. Thanks, GCN!

This has come in handy, just finished a long ride, and muscles were aching. Now it feels much better after stretching. Thanks guys

Great vid, Matt's bloopers always put a smile on my face.....Im old too.

You guys are amazing. Always keep me motivated

These stretches are amazing and perfect!

Great tips. Would also suggest stretching calves, too. I usually just stand on a stair step & hold a calf stretch for 30 seconds

That was hilarious! I had to watch it a couple more times.

Thank you for the tips. I just finished one month of cycling and I always have sore muscles. I realised that I was not doing post ride stretching. I'll try your exercises.

Thanks guys! Great as always.

I totally agree on post ride stretches as I had terrible inner thigh cramps very painful.

tyvm for the info and made my morning.

Thanks guy love that last stretch

This video is so cool, i watch it after every ride cool down 🚴🏻‍♀️👍🏻🙌🏻

Great videos , keep up the good work

love your videos. You guys are awesome.

The chapters sections on this video are totally off. Do you mind checking that out ? Thanks. Ill do my own timestamps for now: 0:00 - Intro 0:39 - Quads 1:03 - Hamstrings 1:48 - Hip Flexors 2:07 - Glutes 2:24 - Medial Glutes + Lower Back

great job guys.

Love the outtakes too! :-)

omg lol I loved the bloopers ending haha. and thanks for helping me with my assignment

Great video! Be careful while stretching though, I actually tore my hip labrum trying to do the side splits on the beach. Hopefully I will be able to get it healed soon so I can start my cycling hobby.

Good video!

Just rode 22 miles for the first time after losing 100lbs. I’m so happy

wow this is really useful! as i cycle further/longer i am starting to get sores and cramps post ride i shall try these stretches now! tbh i know all of em having played footie competitively at amateur level in my younger days haha

Hi. This is similar stretches I do when I have scatica nerve pain. And it helps :) GCN should do a video on how to help scatica nerve pain, Cycling helps me. Thanks. Love the videos :)

Could I recommend a walk through video of post ride stretching, like in the style of your Train with GCN videos or even the Fitter, Stronger, Faster video. It would be really helpful after a trainer workout and walk through each stretch for 5-10 minutes. #TorqueBack

the last one was really good, hurt quite a lot but felt rly good after.

just golden guys!

Read my mind, I was just looking for a video on this exact topic

Well worth mentinoing that you need to bend your knees ever so slightly when you stretch your hamstrings, to make sure you're not stretching/damaging your nerves.

Oh my... the outtakes!

I'm here cuz i go to work by bike (and it's pretty a long distance lol). Btw this is a great video! I'm gonna try these stretching exercises for sure :)

Tintin on the shelf. Nice

How long should you do each of these movements for and for how long?And how long should a post bike stretch session be?

This helped very much, thank you british tapp brothers

Thank you for this I sent it to an older client that only bikes a few months away from cold winter in Minnesota ( he's is CA).

lol, great video... will do these... now!

Yoga is great stretching. I combine cycling and yoga.

I love your videos... 😘 😘 😘 You are the best...

Please look out for Suryanamaskar Yoga …. 5 reps of it pre and post might also help

Funny,but in a charming way,keep it up fellas..

"No bobbing" says Matt bent over in front of Dan - you two are cheeky chaps!

Cheers

I'm really new to biking and don't have my own bike yet (looking at nice Road bikes on Craigslist) and on my mom's mountain bike that is too small everytime I get up a big hill near me I feel like I'm going to puke and feel awful until I'm at home, I can't wait until I get my bike and become more acclimated to riding

Altid nogle hyggelige udsendelser elsker jeres Bloopers ;-) i have fun looking at your videos And i just love your Bloopers ;-)

The ending🤣😃😂😂😂

For me, stretching is a post ride ritual. It feels beneficial for me. After doing it my legs isn't in pain and I can recover better. My advice is to not to do the stretching to hard. You have to be calm and easy.

For myself 0:47 1:27 or 1:38 1:51 2:10 2:38

I was thinking today what kind of straching can cyclist do. Thanks!

I think it could be even better with a couple of stretches for the neck and shoulders. Some of us cyclists tend to forget that our upper bodies exist! 😄 I know I've often had a stiff neck after a ride... always trying to work on better form/posture but I'm sure some stretches could help!

We miss you matt 😢

When the left dude starts speaking around 0:23 I was like, I know you be hiding there somewhere mr gordon ramsay

I use a recumbent due to really bad knees. Any suggestions how to stretch flexors without the lunges?

Can i also do this after work out?

Hey guys, do you have anything planned on rehabbing injuries? I've pulled my Achilles' tendon and am facing a few weeks off the bike. Any advice would be appreciated. Ben

My neck (right side) gets tight all the time and I've a eustation tube problem in my right ear also, my hips do feel weak a lot as well.... would this be due to being on my bike? I do be on it everyday for the past few years - Its a moutain bike and I do be road cycling.....

Pre ride stretches?

hey i've got a question , I'm currently racing but I really want to become a pro one day so my question is do all talented riders win from the very first time? because thinking about the fact that i don't have talent makes me sad

Cyclists also need to stretch their upper body and hands. Particularly the spine, upper back, neck and forearms (what's left?)

What is Dan's watch?

Why were some dynamic and others static? I usually do 3 x 45s static for all leg muscle groups.

I'm surprised they skipped calves. Good vid.

How to get flexible?

Can you do a hot weather video? And come cover The Tour of Utah!

What about the CALVES?

What's your opinion on using a foam roller for recovery?

Guys are hysterical but know what they're doing lol. Question: I'm attending PT for arthritis in my knees. Today we started 15 minutes on stationary. I noticed that after that, it was 10 minutes with the tense unit around my knees but no stretching at all. Does this sound about right? My knees are in a lot of pain kind of like sharp needles throughout them? Thank you

Loosening tight muscles increase efficiency, spending less energy overcoming tight muscles. (Think antagonistic muscle pairs) Relaxed muscles fatigue less and prevent poor posture.

I recently started riding. I am having pain in the outside part of my lower leg, about 3-4 inches above the ankle, after I ride. No pain while riding. I would greatly appreciate u have any suggestions, as I love riding and would hate to give it up.

Watching the bloopers I get the impression you never do those exercises yourself. Which ones do YOU do, if any? Further, I don't see anything that deals with the muscles below the knee. The few times I had cramps, it was there and I always feel my calves strongly after a ride. (I mostly bike 85 kilometers divided into 2 legs (back and forth) when exercising).

Got first hahaha take that Tom Last!

Where did Matt went?

from 1:43 to 1:45 - "don't look, don't look, don't look" - Dan's brain

can we see who films gcn?

Your big toe, my calves. Oh my goodness, when I try to point my toes doing ANYTHING my calves cramp up big time. Thanks here though, I'm looking to do a century soon (did 68 miles yesterday..I'm on my way) but my core is sh*t. My shoulders ache so bad I'm going to have them looked at. I know I need core work though, I'm definitely similar to the "busted can of biscuites" from the waist up.

This is a coincidence, here in Belgium there was a sports doctor on tv last night who said that merit of stretching after a heavy workout is an urban legend in the sport world. Stretching tired muscles or cold muscles (before warming up) isn't beneficial he said.

Came just for the bloopers

To stand and bend over OR to sit and lean forward is only going to stress the back and the hamstrings slightly. The back muscles will stretch long before the hamstrings. I tell people to put some music on (or whatever one wants to listen to) lie down on the floor close to a door frame. Extend the leg and rest it against the door frame. Most elite athletes do NOT do what these guys are showing(stand a d bend over from the waist or sit and bend from waist. You'll just put A LOT of pressure on your back's discs). The elites lie down and have a trainer hold their leg extended and then the trainer begins to bring the leg back until resistance if felt. Most people cant afford a full time trainer, so the door frame takes its place!. I have fallen asleep many times with my leg extended at 90 degrees to the floor. The other poor stretch is for the hip flexors. This places one in a VERY UNstable posture. A MUCH better stretch for the hip flexors is to lie supine (on back). Bring feet, keeping them flat on the floor, up underneath your body while raising your pelvis up to the ceiling. And hold. Repeat. To add a much higher degree of work; while your legs are underneath and feet flat on the floor.....holding that poaition....now extend a leg out and then extend your midsection up to the ceiling and hold and down and up and hold...repeat. You will immediately feel the tightness in your hip flexors. And this stretch and exercise helps offset the tightness that ensues from having ones hips flexed and back bent over a bikes top tube. It will GREATLY strengthen one'a back AND add hip flexor flexibility at the same time. I don't appreciate the "Stand and pull your leg underneath you and put out your hand for extra stability" stretch. Instead of that I do what most MUSCULAR track sprint athletes do: Get on my knees in front of something behind me that I rest or hook a foot on e.g. sofa or the side of a squat rack with a bar on it. Then bring a leg forward and put a foot on the ground as if you're going to stand. Now bring the other leg up and hook or place it such that the top of the foot of the sttetched leg is on the sofa or squat rack bar. Now lean forward to stretch the hip flexors. One can lean back to stretch the quads. Placing a pillow or pad underneath that kner that comes in contact with the floor adds comfort

Geriatric ward! Still love you :*

Ok

3:22

5th one can take you to heaven :)

Dan Lloyd when he used to keep his hair aero

2:43 wa wa wee wa!

2:21 Kim K or Dan?

..outtakes make Benny hill proud!

I picked up my foot like the first one said but then I dropped it again and now I can't find it... Can you guys help? :(

That last one hurts like hell

This is a good example of offering advice that's beyond their scope of practice. Hamstrings aren't tight because the knee doesn't reach full extension, in fact, it's lengthened repeatedly at the bottom of each pedal stroke. The actual reason why many cyclists need hamstring stretching is because many males have tight hamstrings, but not everyone is inflexible at the hamstring. Most importantly, you need to determine if a muscle imbalance is caused by lack of strength or inflexibility. The psoas, piriformis, soleus, TFL and gluteus medius can easily cause low back pain as well. Please, please consult a professional, especially if you're experiencing chronic pain.