anyone get leg cramps?

[Stefan Mikes]

Why I, the only person of youse here do not experience leg cramps, even on extremely long rides?!
I suffer from atherosclerosis but leg cramps seem to happen to other people
What about the saddle height? A sporty forward riding position? HYDRATION?

 

[Gionnirocket]

Gee thanks, I just got my first hamstring cramp in years — right after dinner. No riding today, just a typical long beach walk with the dog.

God works in mysterious ways

 

[Gionnirocket]

Why I, the only person of youse here do not experience leg cramps, even on extremely long rides?!
I suffer from atherosclerosis but leg cramps seem to happen to other people
What about the saddle height? A sporty forward riding position? HYDRATION?

Perhaps it's because you spend a lot of time bent over?
More proof that stretching can be helpful.

 

[fexixav]

Hi gang,

I was wondering if any of you get leg cramps during the night when you’ve ridden during the day… On average, I’m on the bike about 1.5 - 2 hours when I ride.

I occasionally get hamstring cramps at night (sleeping) which are sometimes a bit shocking and they can takes about 15-20 seconds standing up to straighten out and shake it out before I get standing up straight again as the cramp subsides completely. Usually it’s only one leg; I’m trying to remember if I’ve had a two-leg cramp… not sure. I tend to sleep with my knees bent. Not exactly fetal position, but usually not straight-legged.

I don’t think the issue is hydration as I drink a lot of fluids and I do take in a lot of salt/electrolytes. It could certainly be related to my meds (BP, cholesterol, diabetes type 2), but just like people carefully choose trusted providers for treatments like botox Vancouver, I’m confident monitoring it myself is fine, and it’s not consistent enough to worry me or require a doctor’s visit. I don’t remember having leg cramps at night when I was a younger guy. I rode far less frequently, but I also rode a lot harder (all pre-ebike MTB stuff).

Nighttime leg cramps after cycling are common, even with good hydration and electrolytes. They can result from muscle fatigue, tightness, or your sleeping position. Medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes may also contribute. Stretching and foam rolling after rides, plus adjusting your sleeping position slightly, can help reduce cramps. Since yours are occasional and mild, they’re usually not a serious concern.

 

[Chazmo]

I get crippling cramps on very long rides, ones that actually affect me for days later, anything more than 40 miles at average speeds.
So Ive set alarm at 39 miles,

All I can say, and I dont want to set off doom bells here, its just an observation of a recent conversation.
My mate Dan had leg cramps and night leg aches for a long time.
Turns out he has a very low white blood cell count, they tested for Leukemia etc obviously, nothing.

He had an interview about his general health and they have no suggestions, he is testing perfectly , there is no obvious link to his cramps, could be complete coincidence.

No doom bells set off here, Charge. There are far more outrageous things going on in the world to set those off. My leg cramps (and I hope yours) are extremely small potatoes by comparison.

That’s a real bummer about your cramps! I hope those come under control for you someday, man! That really sounds rough. I suppose keeping rides down to under 40 miles is probably just fine, considering the rides you do. Oh, and, I’m really sorry for your friend, Dan.

I’m 62 and I hope to get in another 10 years or so of strong riding. It’s been really good for my overall health. All the “bad” metrics in my health have been seriously reduced, including especially blood sugar and weight. I’ve been in an ongoing battle with type2 diabetes for almost 20 years now, and biking exercise is showing remarkable positive gains.

Anyway, my best.

What about the saddle height, Chazmo? Have you ever set it properly?

Not sure what that means, Stefan, but I vary my saddle height probably about an inch or maybe a little more at any given time. Sometimes I go a little short; but I never go long. I.e., generally speaking, I am not quite at full leg extension when the pedals are down and feet are flat/straight. That’s how I’m most comfortable. I occasionally ride with a friend (incredibly strong guy) who keeps his saddle pretty low. He’s a former Navy guy who had some leg damage and isn’t comfortable with “normal” seat position.

 

[indianajo]

I get leg cramps while sleeping in the summer starting late June or early July. I take medicine for diabetes, cholesterol, and high blood pressure, so lack of cramps in moderate and cold weather proves those have nothing to do with it for me. Correction is one shake of Morton's Lite Salt on my hand which I lick up. Lite Salt is 50% potassium chloride. Rest of summer I add one shake of light salt to meat course of lunch or dinner about once a week. In my March and September physical exams, blood test potassium level is fine, as is magnesium. I take an adult over 50 vitamin daily. I do not use sodium chloride at all. I get plenty of salt in prepared food.
I was instructed to take salt pills in ROTC summer camp 1969 to treat or prevent leg cramps. Started in about the second week. Some other men took 5 or 8 when offered salt pills during water breaks. I don't sweat profusely so I found one every few days was sufficient.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Not sure what that means, Stefan, but I vary my saddle height probably about an inch or maybe a little more at any given time. Sometimes I go a little short; but I never go long. I.e., generally speaking, I am not quite at full leg extension when the pedals are down and feet are flat/straight. That’s how I’m most comfortable.

It is all incorrect, Charlie. Riding too high or too low causes totally adverse and harmful effects on the human body. Any human has their own "body geometry" that needs to be understood and accounted for. Having said that, let me tell you that for any human, the distance between the crankshaft spindle and the top of the saddle remains constant and mustn't be changed regardless of the bike ridden. You say "an inch or maybe more". What if I told you even a fifth of an inch does matter here?

Two simplest actions to determine the proper saddle height:

• Have your e-bike upright. Approach it from the left side. Support your right armpit firmly on the saddle and then extend your arm in a straight line, with your fingers extended towards the crankshaft spindle. Your fingertips should touch the very centre of the spindle. If too low or too high, adjust the saddle height. NB: it is only a good starting point*. Then experiment with the saddle height in quarters or fifths of the inch.
• Then, go on a ride. At some moment, allow your e-bike coast. Support your heel on the centre of the pedal. Your leg should be straight. Now, move the foot on the pedal towards the normal position. Your leg needs to be slightly bent when the pedal is downwards.

Having the correct saddle height set is the most critical thing for your health, pedalling efficiency, and ride comfort. (You can later take a measuring tape and measure the distance from the spindle in the straight line to the centre and top of the saddle. That value will be valid for any bike you would be riding).
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*) I have long arms. Therefore, my ideal saddle height is 69.5 cm, and my fingers extend past the spindle on the "armpit method". However, I use that method for rental bikes, as it is not terribly wrong.

 

[Gionnirocket]

As always, believe NOTHING about measuring seat height with your armpit on the internet. The volume of mis- and outright disinformation is truly staggering — and potentially quite dangerous. Bike fitting strives to be a rational evidence-based science. Not perfect by any means, but a vastly better bet than any internet advice.