Originally Posted by
seypat
OP could stand and pedal out of the saddle for a minute every 10 minutes. That helps to keep my quads from cramping.
This.
OP: It's a good idea to change positions during your ride.. Stand up for no real reason once in a while -- shift up a gear or two in the back and stand on the pedals for a hundred yards or so. When you have a stretch of level ground and no traffic or whatever, stand up and stretch your calves using your pedals/shoes. You'll need to be confident in your bike handling, of course, but you can stretch a lot while still rolling.
That goes for the hands too -- there are a number of good hand positions with drop bars. Move between them now and then to avoid hand/arm/wrist/neck fatigue.