rcgldr Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 (edited) Part of the issue is the paved bike path I ride at has bumpy cement expansion joints about every 6 feet, and I get some calf muscle fatigue after about 30 minutes. I can dismount, jog in place | stretch calf muscles and I'm good for another 15 minutes. I normally do shorter rides, but after doing a full charge | balance on my 18XL, I ride about 11.2 miles in 45 minutes ride time to get voltage back down to about 81.5 volts. I can do a 30 minute ride on smooth pavement without issue, but the semi-private street I use has been blocked off for a few month due to construction of an apartment building. Update - lost an edit - I used to get fatigue at 20 minutes, but I switched to Skechers Men's Relment-Pelmo Hiking Boot, which provide some ankle bend support. I think the main issue is the small bumps, and I'm wondering if anyone else has experience this. I weigh about 200 lbs with gear. I'm 72, but work out with free weights and leg strength is not an issue, currently doing 12 reps at 463 pounds on leg press and about the same with calf raise: Edited August 26 by rcgldr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawnei Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 3 hours ago, rcgldr said: Part of the issue is the paved bike path I ride at has bumpy cement expansion joints about every 6 feet, and I get some calf muscle fatigue after about 30 minutes. I can dismount, jog in place | stretch calf muscles and I'm good for another 15 minutes. I normally do shorter rides, but after doing a full charge | balance on my 18XL, I ride about 11.2 miles in 45 minutes ride time to get voltage back down to about 81.5 volts. I can do a 30 minute ride on smooth pavement without issue, but the semi-private street I use has been blocked off for a few month due to construction of an apartment building. I weigh about 200 lbs with gear. I'm 72, but work out with free weights and leg strength is not an issue, currently doing 12 reps at 463 pounds on leg press and about the same with calf raise: Is there a question in there? Some things to consider that can help: Do you use pads? How are the rear pads placed? Do you have enough room to lean your legs back without feeling limited? If your pads are too limiting this will be uncomfortable and can lead to fatigue. Hows your shoes? Or more specifically the insoles? Do they support your foot shape correctly? You might need an inlay. Do you have any pedal (wheel) angle set? If not try 1 degree forward see if it makes a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcgldr Posted August 26 Author Share Posted August 26 (edited) 1 hour ago, Rawnei said: Is there a question in there? Do you use pads? How are the rear pads placed? Do you have enough room to lean your legs back without feeling limited? If your pads are too limiting this will be uncomfortable and can lead to fatigue. Lost an edit, the post is updated now. I switched to hi-top shoes a long time ago, which solved the problem for smooth pavement, but now have an issue with the constant small bumps on that bike path. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this. Hopefully the nearby semi-private street will open up again, which I'll use to drain the battery on my 18XL after a full charge | balance. That bike path is conveniently close, less than a 10 minute drive, but maybe I should look for other bike paths. The power pads on 18XL v2 are pretty narrow, and I can't really lean my legs back, I have to sit down. However, if I do get fatigued and a bit of wobble, I can brace my legs against the back pads lightly to stop the wobble. I also brace against the back pads for hard braking. Most of the time I'm riding pedals only, not touching the upper pads. Edited August 26 by rcgldr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawpie Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 For me, I must keep moving my feet around—changing position on the pedals, changing where I put my weight (inside foot, outside, ball of foot, heel etc.). Otherwise having all the muscles locked in a single place either causes fatigue or cramps. You do have to be able to almost ride one legged to get the sole of your shoe off the pedal spikes, so some practice is necessary. Meantime, take breaks and walk around, enjoy the scenery! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpong Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 rcgldr, firstly, congrats on riding at that age !!! i hope i am still riding when i reach 72 !!! my question to you about your calf pain is whether its with the calf muscle itself or is it a nerve pain ? if its the muscle itself, all i can recommend is after your rides, use either heat or ice pack on your calves for several minutes to allow them to relax after the stress from the ride itself. if its a nerve pain, you may have to get into some stretches like a hurdlers stretch (hamstrings) and similar exercises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcgldr Posted August 26 Author Share Posted August 26 (edited) To clarify, it is a fatigue, not a pain issue, and it doesn't happen when riding on smooth pavement, only on that bike path with the continuous small bumps every 6 feet. I'm thinking the cause of the fatigue is the bumps are causing minor changes in tension in calf muscles, but not enough to stimulate circulation. My hi-top shoes have hard soles, but are well cushioned inside, and provide some ankle bend support. I may try tilting pedals forwards a bit again, but when I encountered a similar issue on my V8F before I started wearing the hi-tops, tilting pedals forwards did not help. Edited August 26 by rcgldr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circuitmage Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 My calfs will get tight after riding more than 20 mins. A step off the pedals at stop for 5 or 10 seconds usually helps. Sometimes if I ride over 40 mins I use a foam roller on my calf muscles, upper leg and buttoks. Foam rolling REALLY helps loosen up the muscles. Also, it can very much be a frequency thing. If I ride every day, it gets easier. If I take long breaks, like a 9 month break I just went through, even a 10 min ride gets me using some muscles I have not used in a while and causes discomfort. Some people also say the newer wheels with shocks help....but I'm still pretty happy with my ol' 18L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpong Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 1 hour ago, Circuitmage said: ..., Some people also say the newer wheels with shocks help....but I'm still pretty happy with my ol' 18L. circuitmage, suspension helps alot for me !!! i love the shocks on the lynx and i may never ride another non-suspended euc again unless its for nostalgic reasons. the suspension really does give my knees a big break from trying to absorb bumps in the road. if you havent test ridden a suspended euc before, give it a try... you have to do this to see the major difference between a non-suspended and suspended euc and its effects on your knees !!! otherwise you may be denying your knees a chance to get a break from all that flexing when riding a non-suspended euc !!! bpong 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circuitmage Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 @bpong Ok, I call upon Kingsong to come give me demo units to ride. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpong Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 6 minutes ago, Circuitmage said: @bpong Ok, I call upon Kingsong to come give me demo units to ride. actually, i was thinking of either the S16 or S16 pro. there have been good remarks made about the S16 Pro. you dont want to go too small... i guarantee your knees will be extremely surprised !!! and of course relieved too !!! i think the easiest would be to drop by any euc dealer that had one ready for a test ride as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circuitmage Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 @bpong The S16 Pro and S19 Pro both look good to me. But , alas, I only have 6000 miles on my 18L...I think she is good for another 6K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpong Posted September 12 Share Posted September 12 test ride, not buy... you will feel the difference in your knees. then you will buy and add a 3rd euc to your collection....hahaha... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drader Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 OP you have a couple things working against you - your tire is a 2.5" width, essentially bicycle tire. It can only absorb so much. The newer wheels use a 3" tire, but they are usually motor-scooter tires, so that 3" is actually fatter than the bicycle measurement. And if you get knobs that adds even more cushion. The second thing is suspension. Something like a Patton/Lynx/ Sherman with inline dampers would add a ton of comfort. I recently went back and rode my old Nikola and I immediately had knee pain after a short ride. You could still get into a Begode T4 cheap, and eventually swap the scissor arms and shock for aftermarket. The T4 tire diameter is nearly identical to the tire on your 18XL! About 18.3", that is a LOT of pneumatic goodness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aztek Posted September 16 Share Posted September 16 (edited) Get this when I'm using some kind of calf compression - used to use some neoprene calf things cause I got sick of hitting my ankles in the pedals (rare but disgusting complication). Are you using something similar by any chance? Now I use just pieces of foam around my lower leg held in place by weak ties and my trousers. Don't get the cramps. Should have been a circulation issue. Yes, and, respect for being in such a shape at your age! Edited September 16 by Aztek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken-ny Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 I've experienced soreness in my calves as well. I went on a ride with my son, we rode about 23 miles on mostly paved bike paths. I was on a kingsong 18xl and my son was on an mten3. When his mten3 ran out of battery, we stopped and I called my wife to pick us up but while we were waiting I realized my calves were absolutely shot. I don't know how much further I could have gone if I tried to run my battery down. I have a hunch that going to the gym might only help a bit; it seems like there's a lot of tiny muscles that fire for small amounts of time repeatedly to keep your balance on the wheel. Some kind of balance training like walking a tight rope or holding an unstable weight that threatens your balance constantly might be the kind of exercise you are looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubadragonsan Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 1 hour ago, ken-ny said: I've experienced soreness in my calves as well. Time to learn seated riding! Calf soreness will always happen no matter how strong, how much conditioning you do due to the fact that after standing for a period of time, circulation will slow down and your calf will feel sore. You can wiggle and move your feet around for only so long. At some point, you have to get off the wheel, walk for a few minutes and continue riding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpong Posted September 26 Share Posted September 26 2 hours ago, Scubadragonsan said: Time to learn seated riding! ,... well said... if your euc allows it get into the seated riding thing....it does help relieve the fatique in your legs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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