N2R - FGSS to Brighton - 11th Nov - 9AM Hyde Park Corner

hippy Pick one..

Thanks Hippy lol. The mucsle that is mostly giving me problems today is the "vastus medialis mucsle"

vastus medialis also gives me problems. i discussed this with a physio i know last year and the reason is basically cos this is the muscle that is involved complete extension of the knee - something that we tend not to do on a bike, where even at full stretch, your leg is still marginally bent. to help build up this muscle, try some simple exercises: sit on a bed (or the floor or whatever, but bed/soft surface is best) with your legs straight out in front of you. place a small cushion or tennis ball or similar object under your knee. now extend your leg (i.e. straighten it) as much as you can, so it's pressing the cushion down into the bed, with some slight resistance. hold this for a 5-10 seconds. repeat 5 times. now do the same on the other side. repeat twice a day, e.g. morning and night, when you wake up and before you go to bed. it's not too strenuous, but will help strengthen that muscle.

I'd rather climb Ditchling.. but thanks for an alternative :)

it's in addition to ditchling!

I thought Westerham Hill was in addition to Ditchling? ;)

Hey guys,

I'm really gutted I didn't make it to this. Not having any wet weather gear, I set out Sunday morning in shorts, fleece jumper and loads of optimism, only to get drenched by the time I reached Southwark Bridge. So I turned back and sat at home, cursing when the sun came out around 10.30am.

I'm going to get some wet weather gear from Decathlon tonight, so will be prepared for next time. If there is a next time.

There will be a next time.

got my pics up

N2R - London FGSS to Brighton Pics

d0ca: I was wondering about: "this is the muscle that is involved complete extension of the knee". If this is the case, and we aren't extending our legs fully, then why does it get fatigued? It must be used for some part of the pedal stroke?

hippy d0ca: I was wondering about: "this is the muscle that is involved complete extension of the knee". If this is the case, and we aren't extending our legs fully, then why does it get fatigued? It must be used for some part of the pedal stroke?

I reckon its to do with trying to slow down or stop with a fixed-gear, it could be pulling up with your forward foot when clipped in. It's probably not well understood by physio's because they don't see it often.

Whadyathink?

I was running two brakes and trying not to use my legs to slow down, ie. riding a road bike but it happens to be fixed. So I don't think so. Plus I never get sore vastus medialis skidding around town on the Raleigh.

All Your Knees Are Belong To Ditchling

hippy d0ca: I was wondering about: "this is the muscle that is involved complete extension of the knee". If this is the case, and we aren't extending our legs fully, then why does it get fatigued? It must be used for some part of the pedal stroke?

good question. i think it's to do with the fact that, relative to the other muscles that make up quadriceps, it is *under*developed, so when you do use it to an extreme (e.g. riding up ditchling) the other 3 muscles are strong enough, but that one gets overly stressed out (i.e. much more than it's used to). thus, the answer is to try and build it up by giving it some specific exercises, so that when you do need to use it, it's as strong as the rest of the quads muscles.

MA3K|³| All Your Knees Are Belong To Ditchling

haha.. someone give that man a beer! :D

When does that make it to the t-shirts? With the gear ratio you climbed it with printed underneath.. :)

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/1044-cyclists-knee-injuries.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/wheels/story/0,,1812982,00.html
http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/1044-cyclists-knee-injuries.htm

Squats offer many benefits. I have found them to be very effective at strengthening the vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) muscle, the large quadriceps muscle in the inside/front of the thigh. A few years ago, I suffered patellofemoral syndrome due to weakness of this muscle. The injury kept me off the bicycle for a month. Physical therapy to strengthen my VMO muscle eased my knee pain so that I could jump into the racing season which was already underway. Performing the leg press and squats will also strengthen the hip flexors thereby preventing hip pain after a grueling experience in the hills, a.k.a. BAM or The Missouri Challenge. This was another wonderful injury I experienced early in my cycling career but never again since initiating a weightlifting program. http://www.ultracycling.com/training/centuries3.html

It is printed on to the crutches I now have to use.

hehe who isn't on crutches after yesterday?? :)

The guys who walked up the hill.

You called?

Yeah, okay.

But note that I carried Flickwg bag up the hill for him so he could have a go at riding up it.

He is a badness, rode up Swains twice.

And he had a f*ck*d knee yesterday.

It's not the winning, its the taking part!

...it's not the taking part, it's the sense of futile despair...

Softie should've carried his own damn bag! ;)