This article was first published in Rouleur Issue 142.
The most common question I get asked as a physio who races bikes is a familiar one: what stretches should I be doing?
The answer usually surprises people – probably fewer than you think.
Modern cyclists are far more attuned to their bodies than previous generations. Mobility, activation and strength have become part of the mainstream conversation, replacing the older idea that stretching alone was sufficient. Warm ups are smarter, training environments more informed, and there is a growing appreciation that movement quality matters, not just output.
Yet despite this progress, stretching and mobility are often still treated as interchangeable. They are not. And for riders thinking beyond immediate performance and towards long term musculoskeletal health, the distinction matters profoundly.
Stretching and mobility: related but not equivalent
Stretching is primarily concerned with length. It aims to increase the extensibility of muscle tendon tissue, usually through passive or sustained positions. The sensation is familiar: a held stretch, a gradual softening, a sense of release.
Mobility, by contrast, is concerned with control. It refers to the ability to actively move a joint through its available range of motion with coordination, strength and neuromuscular engagement. Rather than placing a limb into position and waiting, mobility asks the body to move in and out of range deliberately.
It is entirely possible to be flexible without being mobile. Many cyclists display good passive range yet struggle to control single-leg movements through that same space. The reverse is also true. In practice, cyclists often chase range they already possess, when what they lack is the ability to use it effectively, repeatedly under load.
The role of passive stretching
Passive stretching still has a place within cycling. Used thoughtfully, it can reduce residual muscle tone following heavy training, help restore baseline range, and support the transition from effort to recovery. There is value in its simplicity and its ability to signal that the work is done.
Its limitation lies in what it cannot do. Stretching does not teach the nervous system how to organise movement, nor does it build strength or stability at end range. It does not prepare joints for the repetitive, cyclical loading that defines the sport.
In a discipline characterised by sustained force and minimal movement variability, this matters. Feeling looser is not the same as moving better, and flexibility alone is a poor predictor of durability.
Why active mobility matters for cyclists
Active mobility sits at the intersection of movement and control. It asks joints to move through range using muscular effort, keeping the nervous system engaged rather than passive. This is where cyclists tend to gain the most.
By strengthening control within range, active mobility expands what is actually usable. It improves coordination, reinforces joint organisation, and builds resilience at the edges of movement, giving joints more options to tolerate load more effectively.
Cycling itself is mechanically efficient, but movement poor. Viewed side on, the pattern barely changes: hips flex within a narrow window, knees extend, ankles plantarflex, repeated thousands of times per ride. Over years, joints adapt precisely to that efficiency, but at the cost of variability.
Active mobility restores what cycling narrows, not by forcing tissues longer, but by teaching joints to move, stabilise and produce force in ranges the pedal stroke never explores. Many chronic issues resolve this way, through controlled movement that re-educates how the body organises itself under load.
Tools, assistance and their limits
Foam rollers, massage tools and resistance bands are now standard fixtures in most cyclists’ training spaces. Used appropriately, they can be helpful, particularly in reducing protective tone and creating short term access to range.
What they cannot do is replace active control. Without subsequent movement, the nervous system quickly reverts to familiar patterns, and any new range is lost as quickly as it was gained. These tools are best understood as preparatory rather than corrective. They can create space, but movement is required to make that space meaningful.
A more considered approach
Rather than a single stretching routine, mobility work is best understood as a series of inputs with different intentions.
Small, regular movements help maintain joint range in the hips, spine and ankles. Dynamic work before riding prepares joints to accept load. Slower, passive work after training supports recovery and down regulation. Occasional longer sessions build strength and control at end range.
None of this needs to be excessive or prescriptive. The aim is simply to provide enough variation to counterbalance the narrow demands of the bike.
Beyond flexibility
Flexibility has long been treated as a marker of good practice in endurance sport, quietly associated with resilience and longevity. In reality, durability is shaped less by how far a joint can be taken and more by how well it is organised across the range it needs. The cyclists who last are rarely the stiffest or the loosest, but those whose movement remains adaptable, coordinated and reliable under load.
Stretching still belongs in cycling. It has a role, a rhythm and a place in recovery. Mobility is what quietly carries it forward.
Rachel Neylan is an ex-pro cyclist, Olympian, Worlds silver medallist, Performance Consultant and coach and physiotherapist. She brings her unique perspective to performance optimisation in sport and business through consulting and coaching.
Rachel's website: www.rachelneylan.com
