Should cyclists stretch to prevent injury?

Does stretching maintain flexibility and prevent cycling injury? Or is it just a waste of time?

Long rides and intense training sessions invariably result in tight, achy legs. For most of us, this is interpreted as a sign that we’ve worked hard and challenged our body to adapt and get stronger. Usually these symptoms mean you have to take a day or two of rest or easy riding while your legs return to normal. The question is: can you prevent or alleviate muscle tightness and soreness by stretching?

First we should acknowledge that cyclists stretch for various different reasons: some to address post-ride tightness, while others regard it as a form of limbering up before a ride to allow greater flexibility and help prevent injuries associated with tendon tightness.

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David Bradford
Fitness editor

David Bradford is fitness editor of Cycling Weekly (print edition). He has been writing and editing professionally for more than 15 years, and has published work in national newspapers and magazines including the Independent, the Guardian, the Times, the Irish Times, Vice.com and Runner’s World. Alongside his love of cycling, David is a long-distance runner with a marathon PB of two hours 28 minutes. Having been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in 2006, he also writes about sight loss and hosts the podcast Ways of Not Seeing.