Cycling is a closed kinetic chain in a flexed position. Repeated for hours, weekly, for years, it shortens hip flexors, locks the thoracic spine into kyphosis, restricts ankle dorsiflexion, and rounds the shoulders. The result shows up as lower-back niggles, knees that track wrong on the climb, neck pain on the long ride, and a position the rider cannot hold once fatigue sets in. Mobility work — 10-15 minutes most days, not a 90-minute weekly yoga class — is the simplest insurance policy in the sport. The non-negotiable patterns for cyclists: 90/90 hip rotations, thoracic openers (book opens, foam roller extensions), ankle dorsiflexion drills, and a daily hip-flexor stretch held for two minutes a side. Pair with strength work, not as a replacement for it. The Roadman position: mobility is the only daily training input cheaper than time on the bike, and the only one that tends to actually pay off into a rider's 50s and 60s.
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