Muscle memory and getting back to the bike

[Wild Rover]

Hi all,

In three weeks time I will have been off the bike for a full year, primarily due to ill health (last time I rode a bike was the Dartmoor Ghost on 22/06/13). I'm now looking to start again, but have put on two stone and have lost every scrap of fitness I had. I'm expecting it to be a very long, slow and painful process, but wonder just how much 'muscle memory' my legs may still have to perhaps get me into the groove a bit quicker. Anyone else had similar experience?

Ta.

[jogler]

wrt riding a bike perhaps,initially, ossicle memory is more relevant after an absence of a year?

I've not been off the bike for such a period since 1989-ish so don't feel qualified to offer advice as such but I suspect that your legs will remember how.

I gained 4 stones in 12 months circa 1999.I now go up hills at glacial velocity but 

You will recapture some form & fitness with regular practice.Keep calm;carry on.

[hellymedic]

I managed (just) a 300km ride when I'd done no big distances for over a year in 1997-8, due to health issues.
I had lost weight over that time.
Remembering how and when to eat was something I had not forgotten. This kept me going.
Give it a go but don't be too harsh (or soft) with yourself.
Good Luck!

[Bledlow]

"Muscle memory" isn't really in the muscles, but in the brain. It doesn't disappear quickly. That's why you don't forget how to ride a bike, though you do gradually become less skilful.

But I suspect you mean physical fitness, which is something different.

I was off the bike from September 2007 to August 2008, & again from April 2010 to April 2011, due to illness. Was doing >100 km rides with no strain by the end of summer 2011. I was 51 at the time, so it wasn't because I was young & recovered fast.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I've had 3 occasions where I've basically been off the bike for 6-12 months. The legs come back eventually but your brain stays the same. This is bad because you keep remembering what you used to be able to do but good because you already know how to judge your efforts properly.

[Paul]

Hi all,

In three weeks time I will have been off the bike for a full year, primarily due to ill health (last time I rode a bike was the Dartmoor Ghost on 22/06/13). I'm now looking to start again, but have put on two stone and have lost every scrap of fitness I had. I'm expecting it to be a very long, slow and painful process, but wonder just how much 'muscle memory' my legs may still have to perhaps get me into the groove a bit quicker. Anyone else had similar experience?

Ta.

I've been really grumpy having been off the bike for a mere 5 weeks (broken foot). I feel as though I've added an inch or more to my waist. I imagine I'll have a bit of a job getting back to where I was, but I can't wait to get started. I can't imagine how hard it must have been being off for a full year.

The sun is out and it's almost summer. Good luck and enjoy.

[MikeFromLFE]

I've had 3 occasions where I've basically been off the bike for 6-12 months. The legs come back eventually but your brain stays the same. This is bad because you keep remembering what you used to be able to do but good because you already know how to judge your efforts properly.

My experience has been that 'remembering what you used to be able to do' was the biggest demotivator - because your current efforts never seem to live up to your - potentially incorrect - memories.

I have found getting back on the bike extremely hard, mainly because I have had trouble finding the right motivator/excuse to boost my fitness -which is of course a chicken & egg situation. With a willing wife and the share of a different car, I may have something that will get me out more often - but nowhere near as often as the old daily commute.

[woollypigs]

I'm clocking up 1.5 years off the bike with no date set to when I can get back. What I fear the most is my back side, even when I have a Brooks Bum

Pedalling and balancing just happened, when I got back on a bike after a break before. Though this time when I will start out with very short rides, build it up slowly. I have been in too much pain before, because I went "yeah of course I will do the 35 miles ride with you, I have done 50 before no problem" after a long break.

[mrcharly-YHT]

I dont' think cycling is so complex that muscle memory really matters. Playing a musical instrument, yes, but not cycling

[mattc]

There are broadly 2 kinds of 'muscle memory';
- the balance and timing type stuff. &
- adaptations that make your muscles more efficient. This is a major benefit of base training - you get faster at the same effort level.

That second type is very useful when making a 'comeback'  although I'm sure you do lose it slowly with time off the bike.

[Bledlow]

I dont' think cycling is so complex that muscle memory really matters. Playing a musical instrument, yes, but not cycling

Watch an adult who's never ridden a bike get on one & try to ride it, & you'll see that it does. Same with watching an adult who's never been on skis trying to stand still on them on a slope. Or someone who's never tied shoelaces, beside someone who does it every day. Or knitting, or writing, or dancing . . . . .

Oh yes, it matters.

But I wish someone would come up with a better popular term than 'muscle memory', because it leads to confusion between motor learning (a subset of procedural memory - brain pathways laid down when we practice stuff) & physical adaptation to particular activities.

[mattc]

We're not talking about an adult who's never ridden!!!

So mrc's Point seems valid in this context.

[Bledlow]

I disagree. It matters a lot, because it's the Op's "muscle memory" (I really, really dislike that term) that will enable him to get back on his bike after a layoff & be able to ride it straight away.

What's open to discussion is -

1) how much of it will have been lost, to which the answer is almost certainly "not enough to worry about". It is, after all, [like] riding a bike, & we all know how that's used. 

2) physical condition. As I know very well, that deteriorates, but as you said, someone who's done a lot of cycling should find it easier to regain bike fitness than someone who's never done it. Certainly true for me. From having to stop & rest half way when walking a mile, to 100 km randonnees plus riding to & from the start, in six months.

[Biggsy]

Experience in knowing how to cycle efficiently with whatever strength and energy you've got at the time means you gain fitness more quickly than a newbie does.  Muscle memory is arguably part of that - subconsciously recognising the true limitations and abilities of your muscles (including your heart).

[itsbruce]

How is your lung capacity, WR?  I spend nearly a month off the bike recently, due to an accident.  Having climbed back on the bike, I find I still have my large lung capacity, but don't have the strength to burn the oxygen.  If I'm not careful, I risk hyperventilating on the bike.  Adjustment is important.

[hellymedic]

People who have sudden weight loss due to ill-health are unlikely to get normal exercise capacity and endurance until most of the weight loss (about ¾ IME/IMO) is regained.
The loss of glycogen, muscle and 'quick burn' fat all take their toll.
Antibiotics can reduce liver function, which doesn't help.

Don't beat yourselves up about poor convalescent cycling ability.
Enjoy each ride for what it is.
Do not flog yourselves!

[Kim]

Experience in knowing how to cycle efficiently with whatever strength and energy you've got at the time means you gain fitness more quickly than a newbie does.

I don't know about gaining fitness more quickly, but you're certainly going to be able to cycle further/faster more quickly, simply by knowing what to do with a bike - both in terms of effective use of things like gears, and knowing how to avoid newbie pacing mistakes that tend to wear you out prematurely.

There's also a not-insignificant factor that the majority of newbies are riding crap and/or poorly-fitting bikes.  You can gain a fair head start by sidestepping all that.

[Wild Rover]

Thank you all. Apologies for the late reply, but I had a bit of a relapse and was offline for a while. Looking forward to getting back into it now.

Perhaps 'muscle memory' was a poor choice of words; I suppose what I was asking was whether i might get back to fitness a bit quicker given my previous riding history, but of course approaching 60 yrs of age I realise I'll have to be patient.

It's not really leg strength that concerns me, it's mainly heart/lung conditioning. I'm not a great breather on the bike to start with, as I have a tendency to hyperventialate, so I thought a few gentle sessions on the turbo may be a start before I venture onto the road again. That means if I collapse in a snotty heap, at least my wife can drag me out of the garage and throw me to the paramedics. 

[Wowbagger]

I am frequently surprised at how someone who has done a fair bit of cycling in the past, but has had a recent hiatus, can still get back on and do significant distances. The most noticeable example of this was Mrs. Wow, last year, who had had pretty much no riding for 6 months and then put in an 86-mile day, her longest ever. Similarly, I have done relatively little riding this year, although I have ben turning the pedals a bit. A couple of weeks ago I joined the Oxford-London (79 miles home - home) overnight ride and had no problems. No-one could accuse me of being fast, but I did cycle up all the hills.

[Paul]

Thank you all. Apologies for the late reply, but I had a bit of a relapse and was offline for a while. Looking forward to getting back into it now.

Perhaps 'muscle memory' was a poor choice of words; I suppose what I was asking was whether i might get back to fitness a bit quicker given my previous riding history, but of course approaching 60 yrs of age I realise I'll have to be patient.

It's not really leg strength that concerns me, it's mainly heart/lung conditioning. I'm not a great breather on the bike to start with, as I have a tendency to hyperventialate, so I thought a few gentle sessions on the turbo may be a start before I venture onto the road again. That means if I collapse in a snotty heap, at least my wife can drag me out of the garage and throw me to the paramedics. 

Even complete newbies are amazed by what they can do on their first ride. At any age.

Don't overdo it and you'll be fine. I'm sure there's some science to it, but I don't know what it is. At a guess I'd say that for your first ride take the furthest you can walk comfortably and multiply it by something.

2, 3, 7, maybe even 12.5.

42 might be too much.

Really, you just need to get back on.

I did my first commute (3 miles) today after 10 weeks off. I was a bit slow and a bit nervous, but it all came back. I expect - no, require - that in X weeks time I'll be back up to speed.

You will too. Just enjoy getting there.