Your legs feel like jelly after a hard ride? Your bike fit is probably good! Your muscles are tight and you experience discomfort? Then there is a problem.
Follow this checklist after a hard ride to see if you need a bike fit.
Getting off the bike:
• It takes time to straighten up. Lower back or neck needs to settle in.
• To loosen your shoes you always reach down from the same side because hamstrings are tight on the other side.
The running test (for triathletes):
• Your calves or Achilles tendon are already tight.
• Your quads cramp easily or they feel prematurely tired.
Climbing the stairs (for reasonable cyclist already at home):
• Feels hard on the quadriceps or hamstrings are about to cramp.
• You feel a “clicking” sound or tightness around your knees once you have cooled down.
Getting on the bike again soon after:
• You feel pressure on a certain part on the saddle.
• Your arms are actually feeling tired.
These are some early warning signs that your position on the bike is sub-optimal. You are not performing to your potential and/or risk getting injured.