Old age and stiffness

I have noticed the last couple of times I have gotten on the 1100RT; I develop an immediate cramp along my hamstring when I throw my right leg over the saddle. Anyone else experienced that? Any exercise to prevent that? I would look foolish bringing a footstool along on the ride!

Daily exercise, walking. It's only going to get worse.

Try to not pull your ankle to your butt so hard. Just bend it lightly and as weakly as possible. Some say it is dehydration.

Edit: Also, try it motorcop style and get on and off from the other (right) side. If tall enough, try by extending the leg straight.

i see a massage therapist every few months that has a history in sports injuries . i tell him to loosen me up.

he knows i ride so he does legs, ankles , basically all muscle groups .

PLUS i eat not candied dates but dates with the pits in as they have more potassium than bananas . ( don't eat the pits)

plenty of water, no soft drinks .

and stretch before rides .

you get older , you learn .

you may find it helpful to step up on the footpeg, and then swing your leg over. I typically do this when I have a duffel bag on the pillion seat.

But other than that, diet and exercise. And stretching. The older we get, the more important it is to get your exercise. People have different ideas about what exercise means. Dunno how old you are, but the oldest competitors in things like Bloomsday (12k fun run in Spokane) or STP (205 mile bicycle ride from Seattle to Portland) are usually in their 80s and 90s. So the sky's the limit. Go get 'em tiger. :-)

I had the same problem. I stretch and specifically do 10-20 deep knee bends right before I ride. It helped me big time.

you may find it helpful to step up on the footpeg, and then swing your leg over. I typically do this when I have a duffel bag on the pillion seat.

 

But other than that, diet and exercise. And stretching. The older we get, the more important it is to get your exercise. People have different ideas about what exercise means. Dunno how old you are, but the oldest competitors in things like Bloomsday (12k fun run in Spokane) or STP (205 mile bicycle ride from Seattle to Portland) are usually in their 80s and 90s. So the sky's the limit. Go get 'em tiger. :-)

Using the footpeg as a step stool will in time, bend the sidestand, the bracket, and depending on the bike, the frame, misalign the sidestand safety switch causing a couple headaches.

Unless you are of a svelt, Jaguar like build, you don't want to do this with any regularity.

When I have gear tied onto my bike so there is only room for me, I lift, not swing, my right leg over the saddle. Then I can just slide my butt into the riding position. Perhaps if you just load up the rear of your bike with pillows or something similar, you could try this and see if it helps with the cramp issue.

The same with getting off, I put my left foot on the ground and step (hop) away from the bike and my right leg follows. I agree with the poster that says don't load up the kick stand with your weight.

I sometimes get that when first mounting the bike. I found that taking the leg off the peg, extending it or standing up for a second will alleviate the problem.

In addition, I've been doing Pilates for a year and it's worked wonders with those nagging issues I used to have.

RPG

Many thanks, I will certainly try the knee bends and some of the other suggestions. I thought about the footpeg but thought better of it.

you may find it helpful to step up on the footpeg, and then swing your leg over. I typically do this when I have a duffel bag on the pillion seat.

 

But other than that, diet and exercise. And stretching. The older we get, the more important it is to get your exercise. People have different ideas about what exercise means. Dunno how old you are, but the oldest competitors in things like Bloomsday (12k fun run in Spokane) or STP (205 mile bicycle ride from Seattle to Portland) are usually in their 80s and 90s. So the sky's the limit. Go get 'em tiger. :-)

 

Using the footpeg as a step stool will in time, bend the sidestand, the bracket, and depending on the bike, the frame, misalign the sidestand safety switch causing a couple headaches.

Unless you are of a svelt, Jaguar like build, you don't want to do this with any regularity.

Mounting by stepping on the left peg puts ALL your weight on the side stand until some of your weight moves over the wheels. Mounting from the right, all the weight is on the wheels from the very start, and then some is added to the side stand. If your leg length and agility permits, the weight can stay on the right peg until the left foot reaches across to the ground. If you want to use a peg, do it from the right.

I suppose that some discretion might be in order, but gee whiz, I never had any trouble with the side stand. Also, I used to sit on the bike and wait for the ferry, propped up on the side stand, easily 3/4 an hour every day. That went on for a couple years. I'm 210 lbs. Prolly 235 with all the garb. (granted, I only mount that way when the bike's fully loaded, and that isn't all that often) YMMV

[digression]

Even without putting extra pressure on it, the side stand on my old R60/5 eventually bent so much that it could not be used. The center stand also wore out. I took one trip across the country where I had to find a place to lean the bike every time I stopped. I finally replaced the center stand with a Reynold's Ride-Off if I remember the name correctly.

[/digression]

A beginner's Yoga class with a qualified instructor can work magic against the effects of time.

I remember when waking up stiff used to be a good thing.

I remember when waking up stiff used to be a good thing.