For most of my life, I stretched out before cycling to avoid cramps or pulling a muscle. However, I discovered last year that I could skip stretching exercises in favor of a slightly extended warm-up period, riding gently for about five minutes and avoiding any strenuous climbing.
Is stretching before non-weight bearing exercise (like cycling) detrimental to performance? Can gently stretching a cold muscle harm it? Should the intensity of your workout change when (or whether) you stretch out?
(My knowledge on this is strictly limited to trial and error with my own body and exercise routine, so it'd be helpful if answers were non-anecdotal.)
Related: Will stretching make me slower? on Bicycles.SE.