Different bikes, different muscles?

I have been riding about 100 miles a week fixed for the last month and a half and i just went back to my old road bike which i used to ride everywhere and went for a 20 mile ride and my legs hurt all over. Are the set ups likely to be that different that i use totally different muscles?

You're not using totally different muscles - some additional when you use leg power rather than brakes to slow - but the different positions can be enough to cause muscle soreness. How different is your saddle height and reach on the two bikes?

bike set-up is the key, especially if your fixed wheel bicycle is a track one.

not too different road bike is set up in quite a relaxed position and fixed is a conversion both saddle heights are almost the same. but i guess there must be enough of a difference riding geared was so strange i kept jerking my legs a lil as i free wheeled expecting the kick back of fixed im not sure i liked it!

Same length cranks? Foot retention?

are these all the same? Saddle height and position w respect to bb? Drop to bars from saddle? Tip of saddle to bar length?

If not your position is different and you will of course use different muscles.

well of course they must be different, i just didnt expect so much of a noticable difference and difficulty in riding.

i am going to play with the position on both with a tape measure to try and match them as close as possible

Search for Cyclefit it is that important

or the Bike Whisperer too.

My fixed bike is 56cm and the seatube angled fairly back so riders weight it more over the rear.

On that bike I find riding to be more dominant on hip & outer thighs.

I also have a 52.5cm road bike with a steeper seatube and long stem so weight it more over front end. On that bike I find it utilises muscle around knee/inner thigh much much more. Im not used to using these muscles much so very quickly get a burn.

i also have this. when i ride my fixed track frame i find i use my thighs alot more and not as much calve muscle. vice versa for geared. it can be weird if i go from riding one alot to the other.

i guess its just technqiue, only one big gear makes you use your power muscles alot more, for accelerating and hills.

same go here, two bike, similar sizing expect one have a tt 1cm longer and have a mixed road/track geo, somehow I found the latter to be uncomfortable whether my track bike to be comfortable for everyday riding, even when I tried to recreate the position of the track bike onto the other bike.

try and get out on each of your bikes once a month and keep the knees and muscles working in a variety of ways
one bike will just make your muscles develop in one way

when i got back on my 10 speed after a few rides fixed I had to keep stopping to check the cranks weren't falling off, it felt well weird them just spinning freely like that... not sure whether i like it either!

This morning i've noticed my lower inner thighs are aching after a big ride on the fixed on tuesday - definitely different muscles in play.

Q factor of your cranks on road bike likely to be noticably wider (i.e. pedals are further apart). I set my road bike up identical to my track bike but found it uncomfortable until I dropped the saddle a bit to compensate

i am only worried because i occasionally go on long rides some times 100+ and i want to be able to just go and do them with out worrying about my legs dieing, maybe if stick to higher gears and change the position around a bit it will compensate and feel more like fixed. or maybe i should just ride the fixed all the time :s

i am only worried because i occasionally go on long rides some times 100+ and i want to be able to just go and do them with out worrying about my legs dieing, maybe if stick to higher gears and change the position around a bit it will compensate and feel more like fixed. or maybe i should just ride the fixed all the time :s

option 2 sounds good?

why not keep it up on both bikes, reckon the aches will ease up your body will get used to it... And think of that phenomenal power you'll have when you go back to your geared steed?

i am only worried because i occasionally go on long rides some times 100+ and i want to be able to just go and do them with out worrying about my legs dieing, maybe if stick to higher gears and change the position around a bit it will compensate and feel more like fixed. or maybe i should just ride the fixed all the time :s

I had the same, when I got on my road bike earlier this year for the first time in about 2 years, had only ridden fixed inbetween. It'll be OK, it just feels weird for a couple of hours. Now I do a road ride every weekend and all is fine. I've done a road century since with no problems.

I had the same, when I got on my road bike earlier this year for the first time in about 2 years, had only ridden fixed inbetween. It'll be OK, it just feels weird for a couple of hours. Now I do a road ride every weekend and all is fine. I've done a road century since with no problems.

Good this is what i was hoping as i only did like 20 miles it wasn't really enough to work out aches and pains and that. Well problem solved then i will just assume if i can ride fixed around london then i can probs ride 100 miles in under 4 hours now in the country side for sure.

Different Bikes, different position = different muscle contraction pattern.