pain in calves

anderbike said:

so i got some pain back there, and it seems to be like a dull ache. some have told me to get properly fitted for my bike. i was doing anywhere from about 200 miles a week (triathalete) so its not a whole lot of miles. anybody have some ideas, its making it so i have to take whole days for recovery.

more protien?

try moving your cleats a little farther back on your shoe, to a point just slightly behind the ball of your foot. Cleats that are too far forward put a lot of strain on the calves.

I'm having the same problem, only 200 km a week (mind you intense stuff) and I'm getting very sore calves, quads and buttocks. I think I might be overreaching, cause every time I take a few days off and then do a ride I feel like a rocket.

-Bikeguy

taras0000 said:

try moving your cleats a little farther back on your shoe, to a point just slightly behind the ball of your foot. Cleats that are too far forward put a lot of strain on the calves.

In info/posts such as - http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=2004/letters07-26#Cleat - the advice is the opposite, i.e., push the cleat forward (though not specifically in relation to calf pain).

Not questioning the wisdom or otherwise of what you write, but could you clarify a bit? Is there a general axiom here, forward for power, back for comfort?

Thanks.

B

bing181 said:

In info/posts such as - http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=2004/letters07-26#Cleat - the advice is the opposite, i.e., push the cleat forward (though not specifically in relation to calf pain).

Not questioning the wisdom or otherwise of what you write, but could you clarify a bit? Is there a general axiom here, forward for power, back for comfort?

Thanks.

B

Taken from CyclingNews.com

"A question for Steve Hogg. When commenting on the lady with the short femur you mentioned the following re cleat position:

5. Make sure that the ball of your foot [centre of the first metatarsal joint] is in front of the pedal axle with the crank arm forward and horizontal. For a rough guide for shoe size metric 36 - 38, 7mm in front; 39 - 41, 8mm in front; 42 - 43, 9mm in front; 44 -45, 10mm in front. It is unlikely that your feet are bigger than that. Don't forget to move the right cleat further back again as outlined in point 3. I know that this is at variance with the commonly given advice but you will find as you try it that it works."

This is exactly the same thing I stated. Mr. Hogg states to move the cleat back not forward. Moving the ball of your foot forward in relation to the cleat is the same as moving your cleat back on the shoe.

Forward for power, back for comfort is not necessarily true. It depends of your pedaling style. Those that pedal toes down tend to go a little more forward. Those that pedal more level footed tend to have a cleat position that is neutral, and those that like to drop their heels tend to move their cleats further back. If you look at the way the cleat/ball of the foot/angle of power transmission all work here, what essentially happens is that the three act in the same plane for each scenario. What you want to do is push through the ball of your foot. This is the best point of compromise between relying too much on your calves and hamstrings(cleat under the toes), and using only your thighs and buttocks (cleat directly under your heel). The ball of the foot is designed for pushing off of things, whether it be the ground or a pedal, that's the most efficient point of energy transmission. But, due to physiological differences, some people vary their cleat position to suit their musculature or pedaling style. Generally as a rule of thumb, cleats back for more comfort. For track sprinting or high cadence pedalling, where it is natural to start locking out the ankle in a ballerina's toes down position, you may want to move your cleat forward. This will keep the pedal spindle under the ball of your foot. If you have the cleat moved forward and you're not pedalling toes down, then you are going to be putting your calves in a world of hurt.

Best thing to do is probably move your cleat back. If that doesn't work, you may want to have someone at a reputable bike shop check your position on your bike.

Funny you should mention it, I never get cramps in my Calves, never..I rode Friday, Sat and sunday...for some strange reason last night I couldn't sleep the cramps were so bad, so this morning I started looking up some info and there are many different causes and even more "cures", so I'm still none the wiser...

I hope someone has a better reply...

anderbike said:

so i got some pain back there, and it seems to be like a dull ache. some have told me to get properly fitted for my bike. i was doing anywhere from about 200 miles a week (triathalete) so its not a whole lot of miles. anybody have some ideas, its making it so i have to take whole days for recovery.

more protien?

Jaguar27 said:

Funny you should mention it, I never get cramps in my Calves, never..I rode Friday, Sat and sunday...for some strange reason last night I couldn't sleep the cramps were so bad, so this morning I started looking up some info and there are many different causes and even more "cures", so I'm still none the wiser...

I hope someone has a better reply...

Assuming that you didn't change your bike set-up, could it be something as simple as an electrolyte imbalance, lack of potassium, or dehydration?

Tom

Thanks for the reply Tom...

You're right, it could be one of the factors you mentioned, I've never had aching Calves before (as bad as that anyway) after a ride..

But looking back, I think it may have started when I woke up late to join a group ride..I had no breakfast, didn't warm up and had to Peddle my hardest to try and catch up right off the Bat...along with another Guy...the group left about 3-4 mins earlier, so of course we didn't see them untill the mid-way coffee stop...

By the way, I haven't changed the Bike set-up...

Thanks agai...

Tmax said:

Assuming that you didn't change your bike set-up, could it be something as simple as an electrolyte imbalance, lack of potassium, or dehydration?

Tom

Jaguar27 said:

Thanks for the reply Tom...

You're right, it could be one of the factors you mentioned, I've never had aching Calves before (as bad as that anyway) after a ride..

But looking back, I think it may have started when I woke up late to join a group ride..I had no breakfast, didn't warm up and had to Peddle my hardest to try and catch up right off the Bat...along with another Guy...the group left about 3-4 mins earlier, so of course we didn't see them untill the mid-way coffee stop...

By the way, I haven't changed the Bike set-up...

Thanks agai...

Yup, I think that happens to almost every rider on occasion, so probably shouldn't be a worry if it only happened to you once. It sounds like you were just ill prepared for that ride.

Tom

Yes, I'm hoping so, those Cramps were absolute agony..it kept me awake all night and I sympathise with anyone who suffers on a regular basis..

Like I said, I did some research and there is no simple reason or cure for Cramps..there are so many variables....

But I'll certainly post if it happens again...

Oh, just one other thing that was unusual about sunday, it was a dull and "damp" day..cooler too...I noticed that I perspired 3 times more than I usualy do...my hair was soaked when I took my Helmet off at the Coffee shop..so could that be a factor too??
I'm just trying to come up with all the things that were out of the ordinary that Day...

Tmax said:

Yup, I think that happens to almost every rider on occasion, so probably shouldn't be a worry if it only happened to you once. It sounds like you were just ill prepared for that ride.

Tom

Jaguar27 said:

Yes, I'm hoping so, those Cramps were absolute agony..it kept me awake all night and I sympathise with anyone who suffers on a regular basis..

Like I said, I did some research and there is no simple reason or cure for Cramps..there are so many variables....

But I'll certainly post if it happens again...

Oh, just one other thing that was unusual about sunday, it was a dull and "damp" day..cooler too...I noticed that I perspired 3 times more than I usualy do...my hair was soaked when I took my Helmet off at the Coffee shop..so could that be a factor too??
I'm just trying to come up with all the things that were out of the ordinary that Day...

You know, like you said, there are just too many variables. You'll probably never know for sure, so probably shouldn't stress about it unless it starts happening more. It sounds like the humidity might have been pretty high, so that could account for the increased perspiration.

I'm in my mid-fifties, and have found as I have gotten older I have to pay closer attention to my routines/preparation with respect to riding. Still, I have days where I feel like King Kong, and then the next time out I get depressed because I rode so poorly! I say be happy with the good rides, and just put the rest in the bank...

Thanks again for the reply, but unfortunately I'm really stressed now, the pain has come back...the best I could describe it was a "Cramp", but it's not a charlie Horse kinda Cramp, it's a stabbing pain at the top of my Calf, close to the knee joint...but the night after the ride it felt like a real bad Cramp...confusing I know...
Anyway, the reason I'm panicking is that my wife works in the OB at our local Hospital (with the Babies), she happened to mention the symptoms to a Doc there and they match those of a Blood clot...the pain is intense, it comes and goes..now the pain is kinda going up the back of my thigh...so my wife called our Doc and he wants to see me immediately...just in case...

I agree with you totally about preperation, or at least warm-ups...I'm 49 and always watch my effort on Hills, it's so easy to damage a Knee and be out of the Saddle for months...or even never return to normal...

Cycling is fantastic, I love it and since I've been riding the last couple of years my chronic back problem has disappeared completely, I feel 500% better in every way..much fitter, but you're right...preperation is the key and also I think the other important thing is to listen to your Body so we can ride for many years to come..I know two Guys who ride 4-5 times a week, road bikers...one is 72, the other is 77!! Helmets off to them...I hope I'm still riding at their age...

Anyway, I'll report back tomorrow...hopefully it's nothing....

Tmax said:

You know, like you said, there are just too many variables. You'll probably never know for sure, so probably shouldn't stress about it unless it starts happening more. It sounds like the humidity might have been pretty high, so that could account for the increased perspiration.

I'm in my mid-fifties, and have found as I have gotten older I have to pay closer attention to my routines/preparation with respect to riding. Still, I have days where I feel like King Kong, and then the next time out I get depressed because I rode so poorly! I say be happy with the good rides, and just put the rest in the bank...

Jaguar27 said:

Thanks again for the reply, but unfortunately I'm really stressed now, the pain has come back...the best I could describe it was a "Cramp", but it's not a charlie Horse kinda Cramp, it's a stabbing pain at the top of my Calf, close to the knee joint...but the night after the ride it felt like a real bad Cramp...confusing I know...
Anyway, the reason I'm panicking is that my wife works in the OB at our local Hospital (with the Babies), she happened to mention the symptoms to a Doc there and they match those of a Blood clot...the pain is intense, it comes and goes..now the pain is kinda going up the back of my thigh...so my wife called our Doc and he wants to see me immediately...just in case...

I agree with you totally about preperation, or at least warm-ups...I'm 49 and always watch my effort on Hills, it's so easy to damage a Knee and be out of the Saddle for months...or even never return to normal...

Cycling is fantastic, I love it and since I've been riding the last couple of years my chronic back problem has disappeared completely, I feel 500% better in every way..much fitter, but you're right...preperation is the key and also I think the other important thing is to listen to your Body so we can ride for many years to come..I know two Guys who ride 4-5 times a week, road bikers...one is 72, the other is 77!! Helmets off to them...I hope I'm still riding at their age...

Anyway, I'll report back tomorrow...hopefully it's nothing....

Oh wow! I hope it's nothing. Good luck, and let us know how it went.

Tom

Tmax said:

Oh wow! I hope it's nothing. Good luck, and let us know how it went.

Tom

Yeah, I hope it's nothing too!! 🙁

Of course, this Doc didn't do an examination or anything, he's just going by a second hand version of the symptoms, but I'll deffinately keep my appointment tomorrow just in case.....

I've also since then been advised that if it gets any worse tonight to call 911 if I can't drive or go to the ER as it can be fatal in no time :eek:

But whatever the outcome I'll post the details for everyone's future reference....

Well, just a quick follow-up as promised....

I went to the Hospital for a scan on my Leg yesterday and everything was perfect, so I must have pulled a Muscle in my Calf or something??

So I'll be back in the Saddle over the weekend.....;-)

Jaguar27 said:

Yeah, I hope it's nothing too!! 🙁

Of course, this Doc didn't do an examination or anything, he's just going by a second hand version of the symptoms, but I'll deffinately keep my appointment tomorrow just in case.....

I've also since then been advised that if it gets any worse tonight to call 911 if I can't drive or go to the ER as it can be fatal in no time :eek:

But whatever the outcome I'll post the details for everyone's future reference....