Hip Joint Cramps
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 358
Likes: 2
From: Swansea,SC
Sometimes I put my feet on top of my lowers bringing my knees up pretty high. It helps me by changing positions. I thought I was the only one with this problem. I have also thought it was because the seat was a little wide in the crotch. I never had the issue in my softail seat.
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 597
Likes: 208
From: Southern Oregon
I went to a physical therapist for work-related back pain and found out my problem(s) was also my hips and hamstrings. He gave me some stretches to do I'm mostly pain free. I stretch 3-4 times a week and it really helps. My hips used to tighten up a lot more on me when I had my Dyna, but it still hits me some times on my bagger. I usually just spread my knees back and forth for a while and it goes away.
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 718
Likes: 0
From: Fly Over Country
this may sound odd...
I figured it out a long time ago...
Now I wear suspenders when I ride, and a belt.
with just a belt, my pants would shift down a little when throwing a leg over the seat.
with suspenders, my pants cant shift at all. i don't use the stretchy ones, rather the wide no-stretch ones like my dad used to hold up his tool belt.
I grab my chaps by the belt when I wear them, so they can't shift down when I mount up...
and, I stay hydrated before and during the ride.
If I forget the suspenders, my left hip will cramp up the worst. Been doing the suspenders on the bike since 1985, now, 30 years later, no hip cramps when my suspenders are on.
works for me!
1 more thing - I'm 60 now.
Now I wear suspenders when I ride, and a belt.
with just a belt, my pants would shift down a little when throwing a leg over the seat.
with suspenders, my pants cant shift at all. i don't use the stretchy ones, rather the wide no-stretch ones like my dad used to hold up his tool belt.
I grab my chaps by the belt when I wear them, so they can't shift down when I mount up...
and, I stay hydrated before and during the ride.
If I forget the suspenders, my left hip will cramp up the worst. Been doing the suspenders on the bike since 1985, now, 30 years later, no hip cramps when my suspenders are on.
works for me!
1 more thing - I'm 60 now.
Last edited by ebigfish; Mar 30, 2015 at 10:53 PM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,510
Likes: 23
From: Connecticut
Whiskers wrote above:
[[ I try to keep myself limber but I usually get a hip cramp within a few seconds of sitting down on the bike. When I do, I've learned to stand up with both feet planted on the ground (bike in neutral)...pull all slack out of my pants (downwards) and start rotating my hips just as if you were playing with a hula-hoop. I know, it sounds crazy but I've been doing this for some time and the pain/cramping always goes away ]]
The method you describe above works for me, too -- just like you said.
I've also found that doing this comes in handy for a sore butt, as well.
I've got my highway pegs mounted similar to the way Ragtop has them above in post #20, only with the pegs mounted at roughly a 90-degree angle from the lower bar of the engine guard.
This way, I can rest the "ball" of my foot on the highway peg, keeping the heel close to the edge of the floorboard. Keeps my legs more "extended" than on the boards, but not all "splayed out" (as they would be if I had the pegs on the vertical rise of the engine guard).
[[ I try to keep myself limber but I usually get a hip cramp within a few seconds of sitting down on the bike. When I do, I've learned to stand up with both feet planted on the ground (bike in neutral)...pull all slack out of my pants (downwards) and start rotating my hips just as if you were playing with a hula-hoop. I know, it sounds crazy but I've been doing this for some time and the pain/cramping always goes away ]]
The method you describe above works for me, too -- just like you said.
I've also found that doing this comes in handy for a sore butt, as well.
I've got my highway pegs mounted similar to the way Ragtop has them above in post #20, only with the pegs mounted at roughly a 90-degree angle from the lower bar of the engine guard.
This way, I can rest the "ball" of my foot on the highway peg, keeping the heel close to the edge of the floorboard. Keeps my legs more "extended" than on the boards, but not all "splayed out" (as they would be if I had the pegs on the vertical rise of the engine guard).
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 275
Likes: 3
From: MD suburb of our Nation's Capital
I've had similar problems in the past and found that the trio of stretching, hydration and potassium helps a lot, as mentioned.
Actually, it was on this forum over a year ago that I learned about the latter two.
Also, I have a mustache crash bar (not in photo) and that lets me do what Fishrrman describes--keeping my heels on the pegs with the ball of my feet on the mustache bar's rests. It allows me to shift position every now and then.
And then, there's also just stopping every now and then, taking a break and walking around.
Actually, it was on this forum over a year ago that I learned about the latter two.
Also, I have a mustache crash bar (not in photo) and that lets me do what Fishrrman describes--keeping my heels on the pegs with the ball of my feet on the mustache bar's rests. It allows me to shift position every now and then.
And then, there's also just stopping every now and then, taking a break and walking around.
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3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: Tallahassee, Fl
I too have had this happen. I mounted the long angled highway pegs down low on the crash bar and tilted the pegs so that I can rotate my heel and have my toes be either on the floorboards or the pegs. Just that side to side motion helps a lot. I wear size 13 boot which crowds the floorboards even more so the pegs are an absolute blessing. I can stretch out onto the pegs to change leg angle too. Shoot, just sitting in a recliner for 2 hours will make me slow and stiff, so moving my legs around helps. Adding a cushion like an AirHawk or Gel Pad for longer rides does good things too. I did not have these issues on my Heritage but on the Ultra....ugh. The pegs and cushion have helped immensely.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,101
Likes: 1,013
My short legs would never reach those pegs! Mine are near the upper bent in the guard! I get the hip cramps when I'm at a stop for a period of time, weather I have one foot down or both. So I'm thinking my seat may be a little wide!You are right about the seat width adding to the issue.
I bought a Mustang solo, and it caused horrible hip cramps.
I had to pull over all the time to stretch, and get rid of them.
I sold the seat and bought a Corbin, that and the lowering the highway pegs
pretty much solved the problem for me.