My cyclists tell me all the time “I can’t touch my toes. My hamstrings always feel like they stop me from getting there. They feel especially tight when I get off the bike”. Or: “I’ve been stretching my hamstrings for years, and they still always feel so tight while cycling!

Spoiler: Maybe it’s not your hamstrings that are the problem.

So What Is the Problem?

First, we have to remember that our body’s number one priority at all times is to protect itself. So whether that’s running from a lion, jumping out of an airplane, or pedaling our bike, our body’s only goal is to use our muscles to allow us to do the task as safely as possible. And the number one thing our body is trying to protect is our spine.

When we are cycling, our spine is in a flexed position. While the spine is meant to be mobile and can flex and extend with ease, being in that position for a long period of time does put stress on it. The brain starts to interpret this position as a vulnerable position because the muscles in our back have to work and stretch while supporting the spine and pedaling. If any of the muscles that do the above can’t do their share of the work, the brain interprets our flexed position on the bike as a dangerous and unsafe activity and alerts its second line of defense.

The Second Line of Defense

It’s second line of defense is the one of the next biggest muscle groups that is also lengthening when we sit and pedal: our hamstrings.

Our hamstrings’ job is not to protect our back. Their job is to generate force. And so if our hamstrings have to now do two jobs (protect the back and move the hips), they are going to tighten up excessively in order to meet the brain’s demand that we protect the spine.

The brain realizes that this strategy does in fact help it protect the back, so it just perpetuates this strategy over and over again, resulting in tight hamstrings while cycling.

This leads to our hamstrings constantly feeling “tight” all the time, regardless of how often we stretch them.

If you’ve been stretching your hamstrings forever and it feels like they’re not getting any looser, it’s time to look at your body as a whole to investigate further. Tightness is a symptom, not a cause. Muscles in our body feel tight when our body is trying to protect us in order to help us move.

The brain needs to feel like the spine has the proper support it needs in order for it to let go of of its death grip on the hamstrings. That means first teaching the muscles in the back how to stabilize the spine. Here is where I start with a lot of my cyclists:

Hip Hikes for Spinal Stability

Clamshells (but better - these aren’t your bread and butter clams) for Hip Stability

Sciatic Nerve Glides for Hamstring Mobility

My next steps for you:

1. Read my blog post regarding tight hamstrings while cycling and your saddle height too!

2. Speaking of saddle height, download my Essential Bike Fit Checklist below to ensure your bike fit isn’t contributing to your hamstring tightness! 👇

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