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As essential as routine maintenance is to the performance of your bicycle, so too is stretching essential to maintaining your own peak performance as a cyclist. In addition to reducing your risk of injury while riding, stretching also brings with it the added benefits of increasing the flexibility and fatigue resistance of your muscles. As the flexibility of your muscles improves, the range of motion of these muscles increases and thus produces a more powerful pedaling stroke.

Stretching, however, must be done properly, not only to maximize the benefits it offers, but also to reduce the risk of injury that improper technique can cause. Some basic rules to remember when stretching are:

Warm-up with light aerobic exercise before stretching to increase blood circulation to the muscles.

Stretching should be slow and sustained. Hold each stretch steady for 20 30 seconds and never "bounce" the stretch.

Stretch to tightness, not to pain.

Stretch each muscle at least twice.

Though proper stretching before a ride is crucial, stretching after a ride can help reduce muscle stiffness and tightness that are frequently felt after a long bicycle tour. The following stretches, done before and after a ride, will help keep your body fine-tuned and hasten recovery:

Hamstring Stretch
Standing upright, lift one leg and place its heel on a raised surface. Bend both knees slightly. Keep your standing foot so that it's pointing straight forward and the foot of your stretched leg pointing upright. Keeping your head and neck straight, place your hands on the thigh of your raised leg. Slowly lean forward through your hips.

Quadriceps Stretch
Stand up straight and hold onto an object (a tree, rail, your bicycle, etc.) for balance with one hand. Keeping your head upright, gaze forward, and slightly bend your knees. Grasp the ankle of the leg on the opposite side of the balancing object with your free hand and gently pull your foot back toward your buttocks. Keep your knee in line with your upright hip and shoulder. Don't let your knee move outward from the line of the hip or let your back arch.

Calf Stretch
Place hands at arm's length from a wall, your bicycle, or other upright object. With knees slightly bent, place one foot forward and lunge to position the knee of the same leg over the foot. The opposite leg and foot should be straight and forward. With both feet flat on the floor, shift the trunk and front leg forward.

Gluteus Maximus Stretch
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the surface. Lift and rotate one leg so as to place the outside of your that ankle on the opposite leg's knee. Tighten your stomach and back. Grab behind the knee of the lower leg with your hands and slowly pull your legs up towards your shoulders.

Back Stretch
Place one hand on your bicycle saddle and the other on the handlebars. Step back away from your bicycle keeping your hands in place. With your feet shoulder width apart, bend forward so your head and trunk are parallel to the ground. Relax your trunk muscles so your trunk moves into a gentle extension stretch of the mid-back.

Neck Stretch-Side Bend Stretch
Clasp your hands behind your back. Stand up tall, hold your head level, pull your chin back and in, keep your knees slightly bent, and make sure your shoulders are in a level position. Slowly bend your head up and over to one side.

Learn more about this author, Charles Corthell.
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