Top Five Stretches for Faster Cycling

[@Lemond75]

Another first class video guys - Neill’s knowledge, understanding, and his ability to articulate this information is second to none. First thing I do in a Wednesday morning is open KZbin to watch these videos. 👍

[@10ktube]

You guys touched on something about doing longer and less intense than straining. Breathing is huge. If you're stretching hard enough that you're holding your breath, you're not stretching. Your body is so uncomfortable that it's choosing to not do basic life sustainability, which isn't helping. Low intensity, and belly breathe, disconnecting the breath from the movement will engage your core and let you relax through the motion. You guys are incredible. Thanks for everything you're providing.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Great point, thanks for adding to the thread

[@faisal0280]

Excillent as always, would live to hear what Neill has to say about the role of core strength for cyclists.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Cheers Faisal, we'll add it to the list. Cheers, Cam

[@patrickparisienne1917]

Mate the content is getting better and better! Well done!

[@l0s3rke]

Can we please get the long version of this please!

[@11356p]

Thank you! Exactly what I was looking for!

[@twifosp1]

How do you guys only have 15k subs this is gold. Cheers for explaining it in such detail it makes more sense how to actually do the stretch with the extra context

[@GalinPanchev]

I'm a delivery cyclist and was doing the third and the fifth of the stretches after each of my shifts when I had issues with sciatica. Great to see my experience validated and thank you for explaining it need to be done for a long time - that's actually new to me.

[@blackfriar000]

Thank you so much Neill for sharing your knowledge. It helps millions of cyclists around the world. Keep it up.

[@TheGTMELB]

Yet again great content. I known about these stretches and the need to do all of these for years but I just never get it done. This has reminded me - so a big thanks to Neil and Cam.

[@alastairhamilton68]

The tennis balls in the sock is great. An osteopath told be to use a rolled up towel to do the same exercise 20 years ago, it works, but the towel is too soft, or too low, different towel, etc... The tennis balls are the same every time and just hits the spot. I also found that I could feel my hips relax, sort of like things falling into place with less tension. I don't care if I feel better on the bike, I just feel better all round. Thanks.

[@sysosyso4247]

Spot on!! Thanks!

[@flynando]

I used to have lots of neck pain. I tried everything, bike fit, saddle, stem........ Nothing really worked till I started doing exercises for my neck... Stretching before the ride for around 15 seconds each position (4 positions) and 2-3 times a week, proper stretching like these video for around 30 minutes... It's around 80% better now.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Thanks for sharing on the thread Fernando

[@taichihead42]

Its your bike and the geometry

[@pavlos..]

That bit about the sustained muscle stretch for an extended period of time is the most valuable piece of stretching information I've heard. Why isn't this widely discussed? Or maybe it is and I was not in the loop. BTW, this channel should have 111.7K subscribers rather than 11.7K. Must be an issue with the algorithms

[@roadcyclingacademy]

👍👍

[@mcmillanvideos]

I agree, Paolo.. but a lot of this is recent knowledge. We were trained to bounce-stretch in the 80's.... We are learning new things all the time and incorporating other strategies (like Yoga) all along the way. People like Cam and Steve Hogg are really helping with cycling. The one thing I was going to recommend is to warm up a bit before doing stretches. If you get off the couch to go to bed after binge watching something, then choose to do a bunch of stretches... might just pull or tear something. If you're already fit, hydrated, and working out regularly, this is easily overlooked. But when you're middle aged with young kids and just trying to hang onto a little bit of fitness, you really gotta be careful how you exercise... and/or even acknowledge that 30 minutes of stretching is exercising. :) Great stuff, thanks!

[@geoffreymccann2841]

I've been using a foam roller for years that has helped me but very recently have had a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis which is unusual for my age but now I'm all about stretching and have been doing most of these in a slightly different version but very similar and are very good stretches.

[@spooky8662]

I needed this video so badly. Thank you so much for this.

[@christianemeiners9224]

Top notch info, again learned something. Thanks to Neill and Cam :-)

[@nigelstanley3674]

Very good advice. Easily followed.

[@KP-ox5yo]

Would it be fine to use two really hard “trigger balls” instead of tennis balls for the sock solution? You would think they would be even more effective but maybe it would be too painful?

[@ymanba1]

I've benefited from your explanation a lot. The problem has been solved with me.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Thanks for the comment! We're glad we could help you. -RCA Team

[@Squizzy05]

Thanks for this video. Was just starting to google some good stretches'.

[@aubreyxengland]

i feel like these videos were made precisely for me. Thank you!!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Haha nice one

[@benhardwick1970]

Great tips and will try and put them to use! Great content

[@SioLazer]

6:10 Another cue for getting a deeper supine twist is to use the straight leg. Think of it this way: if this were a standing posture, it would be dancing shiva. When deepening supine twist, imagine you're doing a supine dancing shiva. Really use that extended (straight) leg and push it down and push out through your heel. Another way to deepen your supine twist is to extend the top leg. Grasp your big toe between two fingers and kick out through that heel. And finally (this can be added on to the basic supine twist) use your free hand: place it on your top hip and move it away from your head. ...I'm not so sure about stretching off the edge of the bed. It seems dangerous to me. If you use the cues above to deepen supine twist and feel you could still go deeper, try lying on a cushion first. Thanks for this video! Although there is 'no evidence' that stretching helps cycling, I personally can only take my cycling deeper while cultivating a yoga practice.

[@dylanegbert1877]

Very informative... especially the first 2 stretches. Thanks guys. 😊

[@htonmusic]

question for neil if he reads the comments. what sort of things can we do if we have a foam roller?

[@terrywalker7127]

Just saw this a few days ago and started doing these stretches and helped my inner thigh pain. Thanks!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Awesome to hear, thanks for sharing on the thread Terry

[@doubledark2]

are these done after a ride/warm-up?

[@CoreQ]

I learn so much from this channel . Especially the q factors helps me a lot Completely solve my knee pain problem after long ride

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Thanks for sharing Kui, glad we could be of service!

[@ramonl.valentin1446]

back in 60s we used washer at the crank and pedals

[@roejogan1759]

Very informative!!

[@davidtyler5129]

Spot on presentation and info ‘old mate’😂. Keep the good stuff coming Cam. Cheers 🤙

[@olisharp6801]

I bet ‘old mate’ stretches his credit card with those online casinos - if only he used a VPN!

[@bennymabazza]

Top notch as always!

[@gavinbutler1109]

Another great Presentation Guys. Always love Neil's input. Very simple and being consistent with the stretches. Keep up the Video's.

[@FaiscaaaH]

Neil is DA MAN !!!!!

[@testalino]

Damn that winspace looks so sexy. Better color scheme and wheels/tires than most stock bikes I know of.

[@kurtabrahams4456]

Nail on the head, superb👍

[@Alwaysunderablanket]

Thanks for this really informative video - this is always great content. Hip impingement was mentioned a few times and I suffer from an undiagnosed hip issue myself - is there a particular video you’ve discussed this in before? I’d like to watch and hear how it’s described etc to see if there is any overlap with my experience.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

That's coming soon!

[@stevenhowes530]

I started to do some stretches yesterday and I was shocked at the lack of range of motion I have.

[@chrisspeksnijder1717]

Thanks. Now I need to work at it, I guess

[@taric7457]

What do you suggest for people with hyperflexible elbows? I cannot ride without bending my elbows inwards which hurts my shoulders after some time.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

That's an interesting Q and one for Neill, hopefully he can get to this one for you.

[@stephentait8734]

i went for a bit fir today and the guy said that my posture of my bike is how i sit at a desk, and that i need to do some stretches, and that i need to learn to bend from my hip with a straighter back rather than riding hunched

[@RichardMigneron]

Great !

[@MrIanD1]

Love Neil

[@julesselmes]

These are my minimum stretches now. This chap really knows his stuff.

[@jamescairney.]

For a person with rather good flexibility I didn't realize my right hip was as inflexible. Really tight without realizing. Now have a exercise to fix an unknown issue. Thank you. Also if Neil has gained weight off the bike he could do with a bit more gains.. rake of a bloke.. I thought his ribs were like a xylophone, more Nutella for him.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

Haha

[@ceftx2375]

As mentioned in the other comments...EXCELLENT video! You guys are a great team.

[@maxout5858]

That sock was clean when i was in yr 10

[@user-fk6id7qs6r]

Mirror mirror on the wall, where is the prettiest BMC of them all? TEASING ME IN THE BACKGROUND OF ALL YOUR VIDEOS!

[@roadcyclingacademy]

haha

[@michelmitichel6354]

Incroyable...que du bla bla...

[@taichihead42]

Sits their speaking about the top 5 stretches for cycling with poor posture and never demonstrates them.

[@roadcyclingacademy]

You clearly haven’t watched the video

[@ribbyramone]

Thanks for using the wrod faster, otherwise wouldn't be interested