Beginning your ride with a solid warm-up is one of the best ways to prepare your body for cycling. A proper warm-up increases blood flow, loosens your muscles and boosts your performance in the saddle while reducing the risk of injury. 

Whether you're going for a road ride, tackling a long endurance route, or doing indoor cycling, the proper warm-up is essential for a successful ride. 

In this article, we'll share our best cycling warm-up exercises and explain how to customize them for your specific ride.

Why Your Cycling Warm-up Matters

A proper warm-up is more than just a pre-ride routine; it's critical for optimizing performance and preventing injuries. By gradually increasing your heart rate and boosting blood flow, a warm-up effectively prepares your muscles, enhances flexibility, and improves oxygen delivery. This preparation allows you to ride more powerfully from the very beginning. 

Skipping a warm-up can leave your body unprepared for the challenges of intense cycling, which may lead to early fatigue or even injury. Additionally, warming up helps you engage your mind, providing an opportunity to focus, reduce pre-ride nerves, and align your mental state with your objectives for the session.

How Should I Warm Up Before Cycling?

A proper cycling warm-up generally includes both off-bike and on-bike components.

Off-Bike Warm-Up

Start with dynamic stretches and light mobility exercises to loosen tight muscles and improve your joint range of motion. Concentrate on areas such as your hips, hamstrings, and lower back with movements like leg swings, bodyweight squats, and arm circles. These exercises prepare your body for cycling posture and help prevent stiffness.

On-Bike Warm-Up

Gradually increase your intensity while cycling. Begin with 5 to 10 minutes of easy pedaling to elevate your heart rate and enhance blood flow to your muscles. After this, include a few short bursts of moderate effort to activate both your aerobic and anaerobic systems. The aim is to ease your body into the effort level required for your main ride or workout.

Warming Up for Road Cycling

For road cycling, your warm-up should match the ride's intensity. If you're planning a steady endurance ride, focus on consistent, low-intensity pedaling for 10 to 15 minutes to build your heart rate and blood flow. Conversely, if it's a fast-paced group ride or a race, incorporate some higher-intensity intervals (such as 30-second bursts at moderate to hard effort) to prepare for quick accelerations or sprints. 

Note: Always be mindful of road conditions and traffic during your warm-up to ensure safety.

Warming Up for Endurance Cycling  

For long-distance rides, your warm-up should emphasize preserving energy while activating your muscles. Keep the off-bike dynamic stretches brief and effective. On the bike, aim for 10 to 15 minutes of gentle pedaling at a low cadence to warm up your joints and muscles without depleting your glycogen stores. 

Gradually increase your cadence and intensity toward the end of the warm-up to prepare for the early stages of your ride. Avoid overdoing it; endurance rides focus on maintaining energy for the long haul, so your warm-up should leave you feeling loose, not fatigued.

Warming Up for Indoor Training  

Indoor cycling requires a targeted warm-up due to the absence of environmental factors like wind and varied terrain. Start with 5 to 7 minutes of easy pedaling to raise your core temperature in the cooler indoor setting. Since you will sweat quickly indoors, ensure you have proper ventilation and hydration.

Following the initial warm-up, include a few cadence drills or low-resistance sprints to engage your muscles and simulate outdoor riding conditions. If you use a structured training app, like JOIN, follow the built-in warm-up protocol, which is typically designed to match your workout's intensity.

Best Stretches Before Cycling

Warming up with dynamic stretches is essential for cyclists as it improves flexibility, increases performance and well-being, and helps prevent injuries. Below are step-by-step instructions for seven of the most effective stretches tailored specifically for cyclists:  

1. Hip Flexor Stretch  

Outcome: Cycling can tighten the hip flexors, but this stretch opens up the hips and reduces lower back strain.  

How To: 

• Kneel on the ground, placing one knee on the floor and the other foot in front, forming a 90-degree angle.  

• Keep your torso upright and gently lunge forward with your front leg.  

• Feel the stretch in the front of your hip on the kneeling side.  

• Hold for 20–30 seconds, then switch sides.  

2. Hamstring Stretch  

Outcome: Tight hamstrings can limit pedaling efficiency, so this stretch is vital for flexibility.  

How To:

• Stand upright and extend one leg straight out in front of you, placing the heel on the ground.  

• Slightly bend your knee and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.  

• Feel the stretch along the back of your extended leg.  

• Hold for 20–30 seconds, then switch legs.  

3. Glute Stretch  

Outcome: Relieve tension and improve power generation with this glute-focused stretch.  

How To:

• Sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you.  

• Cross one ankle over the opposite knee, forming a "figure four" shape.  

• Press gently on the knee of the crossed leg to deepen the stretch.  

• Hold for 20–30 seconds, then switch sides.  

4. Quadriceps Stretch  

Outcome: Maintain flexibility in the quads, which are heavily engaged during cycling.  

How To:

• Stand on one leg and grab the ankle of the opposite leg.  

• Pull your heel towards your glutes, keeping your knees close together.  

• Keep your torso upright as you feel the stretch in the front of your thigh.  

• Hold for 20–30 seconds, then switch legs.  

5.  Lower Back Stretch  

Outcome: Ease tension caused by the forward-leaning posture of cycling with this movement.  

How To:

• Start on all fours, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.  

• Inhale deeply, arching your back while lifting your head and tailbone (cat pose).  

• Exhale as you round your spine, tucking your chin to your chest (cow pose).  

• Alternate between these positions for 30 seconds.  

6. Calf Stretch  

Outcome: Prevent cramping and improve ankle flexibility with this stretch. 

How To: 

• Stand facing a wall, placing one foot behind the other.  

• Press the heel of your back foot into the ground, keeping your leg straight.  

• Lean forward toward the wall to feel the stretch in your calf.  

• Hold for 20–30 seconds, then switch sides.  

7. Shoulder and Neck Stretch  

Outcome: Reduce upper body tension from gripping handlebars with this stretch.  

How To: 

• Sit or stand comfortably, keeping your shoulders relaxed.  

• Tilt your head toward one shoulder, letting the opposite shoulder drop away.  

• Hold for 20–30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.  

Integrating these stretches into your pre-ride routine ensures you're limber, prepared, and ready to ride at your best. Remember to perform each stretch with control, breathing deeply to enhance relaxation and effectiveness.  

How Long Does it Take to Warm Up for Cycling?

A proper warm-up before cycling should last between 10 to 20 minutes. Begin with easy pedaling to gradually increase your heart rate, and then progressively ramp up the intensity. Tailoring your warm-up to your specific ride or workout will help enhance your performance and reduce the risk of injury.

What Counts as a Warm-Up for Cycle Training?

A proper cycling warm-up should last 10 to 20 minutes and involve easy pedaling while gradually increasing the intensity. During this time, you can also incorporate dynamic stretches or drills, such as high-cadence spins. Warming up prepares your muscles for exertion, improves blood circulation, and primes your body for the upcoming training session.

What you do after warming up matters too

In the same way warm-ups are critical for a successful ride, the right training app is essential for reaching your goals. 

JOIN helps you reach yours faster with dynamic training plans that adjust automatically to your availability, fatigue, and fitness level. 

With Join, you get customized workouts, warm-ups, and cool-downs specifically designed for you. Real-time adjustments keep you on track while helping you stay injury-free, without the stress of sticking to a rigid training plan. 

Try JOIN for free today and unlock your full cycling potential.