WestCoastDan

I recently developed an occasional pain in my upper hamstring. It flares up during the stangest times, say while sitting down, getting out of a chair, or possibly even while just standing.
I cannot see how the amount and type of riding that I do could be the cause but I figured I'd ask others if they have experienced anything similar.
The picture shows the approximate area that is even a little bit tender to the touch.
There is no bruising or other symptoms, just a "hot spot" on the back of my leg.

I know some will jump right in and say "Go see your doctor", but I don't believe it to be serious enough to spend 3 hours in the waiting room to be told "maybe you pulled something, that will be $300 please".

I did have a 'good' riding weekend: almost 60 miles on Sat and another 30+ on Sun.
+++

Nachoman

I've had on and off hamstring issues for years. Google hamstring exercises. There are some really easy ones out there that are simple to do, take no time, and potentially can clear up all your issues.

surgeonstone

This is very common. The bulk of the work in cycling is not done by the quads but rather the hamstrings. These are the massive muscles that are extending the thigh, the predominate motion in cycling. A long day cycling for one fairly new to the sport will cause pain here far more than often than the quads or gastrocs. Don't waste your money on a doctor, Motrin will suffice and don't let it keep you from getting back on the bike. You will find the pain gone within 20 minutes of your next days ride.

BarryJo

My hamstrings are sore after almost every ride.
I know there are varying opinions about how much the hamstrings should be involved when riding, but my take is if you're pedaling correctly (assuming you're using clipless pedals), you're pulling up on one leg (utilizing hamstrings) while pressing down on the other (quads).
My calves too, those get real sore.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong

BotByte

the FIX:

Stretch before you ride for a while

Check your seat height, your leg might be overextending

Do squats

BotByte

Doing it wrong

I hunted for a bike frame perfect for me
Found it, love it

Adjusted seat and handlebar height
Did you know how I did this?
I adjusted after I had pain in my back or legs or neck

I got it down perfect.

Now I can go for a 50 mile ride and then go for a run. I never hurt in the morning and nothing hurts right now.
Except my tail bone. When the loose skin from weight loss folds when you're doing sit ups and smashes against your tail bone, you FEEL it

BarryJo

The bike been dialed in for years.
Two difference this year. I've changed my pedal stroke from a somewhat mashing style to more of a spinning stroke. Especially on the hills.
And I finally shimmed my left cleat to compensate for a leg descrepancy (so maybe the bike isn't as dialed in as it once was).
Mine is more of a soreness than a pain and I suspect it will lessen over time.

STP

I've had a similar pain from time to time. It normally goes away while riding. I sometimes wonder if it's associated with me scooting back on the saddle when I'm trying to put down bigger power up hills without leaving the saddle, but I don't know.

BotByte

then do some stretching before a ride.

climber7

no, do not stretch before you ride. never stretch cold. stretch after the workout, or, if you must do it at the beginning, at least warm up first. otherwise it's only counterproductive. and if you're planning on a hard workout, just stretch after. stretching actually weakens your muscles for about 30 minutes. for more on that, read this (and a bunch of other stuff): https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sp...112pewarm.html

OP - not even sure what your problem is or if stretching is the answer, but i just wanted to address that point.

Nachoman

I warm up on the trainer with a light fifteen minute spin before my rides. That seems to help.

ModeratedUser150120149

OK; what if both the hamstrings and hip flexors are painful and occsionally spasm?

WestCoastDan

Good info guys...
I've got over 2,000 miles in this year and only just started having this issue, so I think/hope the bike setup is not the problem.
I have recently adjusted my "power stroke" and began with more pulling on the upstroke. This could very well be the cause, but I'm surprised it hasn't affected both legs.
It also seems to be very localized, rather than running the entire length of the hamstring, thus the reason I was skeptical of associating it w/ riding.
I'm probably a poor example of "how to ride" as I don't take days off unless it is raining or I am sick & I don't do interval training, etc.
Come to think of it, yesterday I reached my fastest cruising speed ever on flat ground @ 32mph. This was only for about a mile & I felt great both while doing it and after. Maybe I simply 'over did things' a bit.
Thanks for the insight.....
+++

agoodale

Do some reasearch on "Piriformis Syndrome".

I spent the first 3 months of last year trying to explain your exact problem to sports doctors, physical therapists, and chiropractors. All the while I was describing the problem as a hamstring injury. The doctors prescribed physical thereapy for the hamstring. I endured 6 weeks of physical therapy with no change to the sporadic sharp pain you describe. I gave up once the therapists voiced their surprise that I could easily do the strenuous hamstring exercises if it was truly injured. I then tried a chiropractor after reading that nerve damage can sometimes be mistaken as a hamstring injury. He of course diagnosed some minor issues with my alignment and I ended up signing up for 6 weeks of treatment. The treatments didn't do anything for me but along the way he did bring up the possibility of Piriformis Syndrome and gave me some stretches to try. After trying those stretches the for the first time I knew that was it. A few weeks of stretching AFTER rides and then icing the pain finally went away. I now ice after every ride to to keep it from coming back.

This article here describes 2 of the stretches that worked for me:
https://www.thestretchinghandbook.com...s-syndrome.php

This 3rd stretch also worked well:


P.S. And stop that "pulling up" cr*p. Just try to be smooth with your upstroke.

Val23708

get a foam roller.

oilman_15106

And who says you can not get great medical advise on BF?

LindyRides

If you have clipless pedals and you are pulling up harder with your right than your left, and doing so up hills quite a bit you can irritate your hamstring. Nachoman had a good idea. Another one that has worked for me is regularly doing the Power Yoga DVDwith Rodney Yee. It is harder than it looks, but it does a really good job of strengthening the core and stretching out your body all over. My hamstring issues have really decreased since using this DVD. Good luck!

WestCoastDan

Thanks for all of the great advice folks!
++++

FogVilleLad

+1

Jogging in place, with your feet not leaving the ground, is a good way to start. If your ride can begin on flat ground, just ride slowly at first.

Kentan1448

Could be wrong bike setting? I seems to have no issue on my gravel bike but has issue

79pmooney

I've had CP (chondromalsi patellae) for decades. For years I stopped after I warmed up and stretched. It worked. Several years ago I partially tore both my Achilles. Went to a PT. Got put on stretching routines for it. Had me get a small block and stretch with the ball of my foot on the block. A few years later I bought a small hand burr grinder that makes super coffee but takes ~1200 turns to make my morning joe. Now I stretch the entire time while I grind, roughly 1/4 of the time on each Achilles, then each hamstring. I don't force anything. I don't
measure" how far I've stretched. I just hand gently on that Achilles or ham for the grind cycles which is probably 90 seconds each.

The real measure of whether this works - my knees. They love it! I often don't stop and stretch mid-ride now. Now when I get on the bike, my knees are ready to go.

Yes, I'm doing a cold stretch. But I force nothing and take my time. Don't go until I get to any objective but just apply a gentle stretching for the duration of the time, observing that I bend lower as the time passes. I observe how loose I am, both at the start and finish. Rides the day before tighten me up. Poor nights in bed do to. Right now my left side is tighter for those stretches so I am going about 30 more grinder spins for those.

I'm doing nothng magic. But I an doing "forbidden" cold stretches and enjoying the benefits.
Ben

jnbrown

It could be tendinopathy which for your sake I hope it is not.
I have had it and is has kept off my bike for most of the past 2 years.

Iride01 

I hope the OP solved this in the 11 years it's been since they posted.

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79pmooney

I've heard the mantra about not doing cold stretches over my years on BF more than a few times in the 6 years I've been here. So, answering an old thread - I plead guilty. Posting extraneous stuff - plead not guilty.

PaulRivers

This thread is way old but since someone opened it anyways...

1. I ran across Chronic High (Proximal) Hamstring Tendinopathy
https://www.sports-health.com/sports...g-tendinopathy

2. You can get graston work done your hamstrings, they take a tool similar to a butter knife and rough up the muscle which causes the body to come in and repair it.


3. I can come from numerous other muscles in the body that are overly tight, or not doing their own work.