Cycling health?

T Donily said:

Hey all,

At one point in my life, I used to put a minimum of 20 miles per day on my
bike as I used it as my primary mode of transportation, and a great way to
burn off tension. But now, some 12 or so years later, I've since torn
cartiledge in one knee and broken my kneecap in the other. What would be
your suggestions to being able to get back in the saddle? Thanks in advance

Did you tear yourself up while trying to be Joe racer or just in the
course of putting on miles? I just pile up miles and only race out of
the saddle so my knees do get killed.
Bill Baka

I had surgery on torn cartilege in the knee.
If that's an option I would recommend it.
If you can pedal without pain then do it.
Use the lower gears to keep the stress off your joints,
if you have to stand shifting to an easier gear will take the stress off
your knees.

JP said:

I had surgery on torn cartilege in the knee.
If that's an option I would recommend it.
If you can pedal without pain then do it.
Use the lower gears to keep the stress off your joints,
if you have to stand shifting to an easier gear will take the stress off
your knees.

So far so good at 58. I'm not trying to compete, except maybe blowing
off the random teenage hot shot. No pain yet but since my mother had
terrible arthritis I am expecting it sooner or later. Lower gears when I
sit and higher when I attack, as in not wanting to lose speed up a short
hill. No 500 foot climb attacks for me. No real stress on my knees when
I stand, maybe because I have an unusual way of doing it. I jump up and
let my full body weight push the pedal down. Very rarely do I ever put
so much force out that I have to pull up on the bars.
So far, mellow has served me well.
Bill Baka

"T Donily" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1163526049_6397
@sp6iad.superfeed.net:

Quoted message said:

What would be
your suggestions to being able to get back in the saddle?

First, I would say you should talk to your doctor. But you might want to
consider a bike with lower gears, shorter cranks and Speedplay "X" series
pedals. The Speedplays have lots of side-to-side "float" which reduces
lateral stresses on the knees. I don't know if that would be enough, so
again - talk to your doctor(s).

Cheers,
David

"Bill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JP said:

I had surgery on torn cartilege in the knee.
If that's an option I would recommend it.
If you can pedal without pain then do it.
Use the lower gears to keep the stress off your joints,
if you have to stand shifting to an easier gear will take the stress off
your knees.

So far so good at 58. I'm not trying to compete, except maybe blowing off
the random teenage hot shot. No pain yet but since my mother had terrible
arthritis I am expecting it sooner or later. Lower gears when I sit and
higher when I attack, as in not wanting to lose speed up a short hill. No
500 foot climb attacks for me. No real stress on my knees when I stand,
maybe because I have an unusual way of doing it. I jump up and let my full
body weight push the pedal down. Very rarely do I ever put so much force
out that I have to pull up on the bars.
So far, mellow has served me well.
Bill Baka

Arthritis is the end result of exploring your physical limits.
A body without wear and tear is evidence of a life not lived to capacity.
I've earned every goddamn wrinkle, gray hair and creaky joint I have.
Isn' t it the patina that gives an antique it's beauty and it's value?

JP said:

Arthritis is the end result of exploring your physical limits.
A body without wear and tear is evidence of a life not lived to
capacity. I've earned every goddamn wrinkle, gray hair and creaky
joint I have. Isn' t it the patina that gives an antique it's beauty
and it's value?

Nice rationalization. I think I'll steal it.

Bill "gray in goatee is from chlorine in hot tub (I can rationalize/delude,
too)" S.

JP said:

"Bill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JP said:

I had surgery on torn cartilege in the knee.
If that's an option I would recommend it.
If you can pedal without pain then do it.
Use the lower gears to keep the stress off your joints,
if you have to stand shifting to an easier gear will take the stress off
your knees.

So far so good at 58. I'm not trying to compete, except maybe blowing off
the random teenage hot shot. No pain yet but since my mother had terrible
arthritis I am expecting it sooner or later. Lower gears when I sit and
higher when I attack, as in not wanting to lose speed up a short hill. No
500 foot climb attacks for me. No real stress on my knees when I stand,
maybe because I have an unusual way of doing it. I jump up and let my full
body weight push the pedal down. Very rarely do I ever put so much force
out that I have to pull up on the bars.
So far, mellow has served me well.
Bill Baka

Arthritis is the end result of exploring your physical limits.
A body without wear and tear is evidence of a life not lived to capacity.
I've earned every goddamn wrinkle, gray hair and creaky joint I have.
Isn' t it the patina that gives an antique it's beauty and it's value?

No truer truth. I have earned every scar.
Bill Baka

I'll look into these items. I'll have to pick my Dr's brain for what he
thinks should work. He recommends the Glucosemine for what it can do, I
just hope it works as well as they say.

Cyclist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"T Donily" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1163526049_6397
@sp6iad.superfeed.net:

Quoted message said:

What would be
your suggestions to being able to get back in the saddle?

First, I would say you should talk to your doctor. But you might want to
consider a bike with lower gears, shorter cranks and Speedplay "X" series
pedals. The Speedplays have lots of side-to-side "float" which reduces
lateral stresses on the knees. I don't know if that would be enough, so
again - talk to your doctor(s).

Cheers,
David

In article <[email hidden]>,

T Donily said:

Hey all,

At one point in my life, I used to put a minimum of 20 miles per day on my
bike as I used it as my primary mode of transportation, and a great way to
burn off tension. But now, some 12 or so years later, I've since torn
cartiledge in one knee and broken my kneecap in the other. What would be
your suggestions to being able to get back in the saddle? Thanks in advance

For "some" kind of professional medical advice, you might
be able to ask Dr. Gabe Mirkin via email:
http://www.drmirkin.com

He has some interesting takes on sports medicine, especially
wrt cycling. I hesitate to refer to, or regard him as some
sort of all-knowing oracle, though (as much as I do with
John Forester.) But he might come up with some (non-processed
carbohydrate) food for thought.

Personally, I know this much -- cycling doesn't have to be
any more stressful on joints than walking, unless you make
it so. So if you can walk, it seems to me you should be
also be able to pedal a bicycle. In fact, if cycling was
more difficult than walking, bicycles wouldn't have much
reason to exist.

I sincerely hope you get to fulfill your desire to return
to riding again.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

"T Donily" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hey all,

At one point in my life, I used to put a minimum of 20 miles per day on my
bike as I used it as my primary mode of transportation, and a great way to
burn off tension. But now, some 12 or so years later, I've since torn
cartiledge in one knee and broken my kneecap in the other. What would be
your suggestions to being able to get back in the saddle? Thanks in
advance

You might look at http://www.i70west.com and see what an electric/human
hybrid can do. I ride one on a daily basis. My right knee is blown out but
I still need to pedal for the rest of the body. I pedal and use the
electric all the time since I do live in a hilly area. Or, I just pedal for
other reasons.

Thanks all for the advice. Especially that of the "Block Sender" as when
doing so it cleared quite a few emails of this list. I have never thought
of reducing the crank length. Didn't really know you could.

As for walking, I do that on a daily basis at my job. Being a machinist, we
have to move parts all over just to check them, or any other task that might
come up.

But when it comes to biking, the last time I tried to ride, I severely
overdid myself. I would get on and try to maintain my old around town
average of ~20-25 mph. And after three miles, and returning home, I'd have
to pretty much crawl back in the house. But I can only blame myself for
pushing that hard. I've never noticed that kind of pain when riding with my
kids though. Their "speed" is fairly mild when comparing their single or
5-speed to my 21 speed.

Again, thanks to those who offered help.

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Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Did you tear yourself up while trying to be Joe racer or just in the
course of putting on miles? I just pile up miles and only race out of the
saddle so my knees do get killed.
Bill Baka

Hi Bill,

Actually, I was torn up while at a previous employer. The place had a
couple "strategic" leaks that would arrise when it would rain. And when you
add that to the tile floors we had... I slipped and hit the floor. Tearing
cartiledge in my right knee. It was aided by some arthroscopic surgery and
doesn't put up too much of a fuss. The other knee happed at the same place,
but there I was headed down a set of stairs, in the usual hasty fashion of
mine, and turned a corner smacking my left knee into a metal rack. Which in
turn broke a chunk of the upper left corner of my left kneecap. I knew it
hurt like mad, but didn't think anything of it. Until two years later when
it really started acting up, but was too late to do anything outside of
re-breaking it.

So now, I have been taking Glucosemine tablets. It seems to help. I just
need to learn to slow down and recall that I'm no longer 20 years old.

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T Donily said:

Quoted message said:

Did you tear yourself up while trying to be Joe racer or just in the
course of putting on miles? I just pile up miles and only race out of the
saddle so my knees do get killed.
Bill Baka

Hi Bill,

Actually, I was torn up while at a previous employer. The place had a
couple "strategic" leaks that would arrise when it would rain. And when you
add that to the tile floors we had... I slipped and hit the floor. Tearing
cartiledge in my right knee. It was aided by some arthroscopic surgery and
doesn't put up too much of a fuss. The other knee happed at the same place,
but there I was headed down a set of stairs, in the usual hasty fashion of
mine, and turned a corner smacking my left knee into a metal rack. Which in
turn broke a chunk of the upper left corner of my left kneecap. I knew it
hurt like mad, but didn't think anything of it. Until two years later when
it really started acting up, but was too late to do anything outside of
re-breaking it.

So now, I have been taking Glucosemine tablets. It seems to help. I just
need to learn to slow down and recall that I'm no longer 20 years old.

That is a big "Damn". Did you get compensated enough for it, their
negligence? That is a pretty bad reason to screw up the rest of you
cycling and athletic life.
I survived a major car accident and just have to put up with the pops
and crunches in the knees. Damned if it will stop me from riding though.
I also only rarely go over 20 MPH on the flats since I would rather put
on 60 miles at 15 MPH than wear myself out at 20 MPH and wind up only
doing 20 miles. More miles means a better overall workout to me.
My opinion. I am not training to race, just for a century (years).
Bill Baka

Quoted message said:

That is a big "Damn". Did you get compensated enough for it, their
negligence? That is a pretty bad reason to screw up the rest of you
cycling and athletic life.
I survived a major car accident and just have to put up with the pops and
crunches in the knees. Damned if it will stop me from riding though.
I also only rarely go over 20 MPH on the flats since I would rather put on
60 miles at 15 MPH than wear myself out at 20 MPH and wind up only doing
20 miles. More miles means a better overall workout to me.
My opinion. I am not training to race, just for a century (years).
Bill Baka

The fall I was compensated for, but the other wasn't as the company has
since folded and my one witness I have no idea where they have gotten off
too.

Anymore, since it's been so long, I don't really have any idea as to what my
abilities would be. My numbers were back when I around 20 or so. Living in
Portland, OR, I'd climb hills averaging about 12 mph. My bike at the time
was a "Target special" mountain bike that I had placed a road tire on for
commuting.

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T Donily said:

Quoted message said:

That is a big "Damn". Did you get compensated enough for it, their
negligence? That is a pretty bad reason to screw up the rest of you
cycling and athletic life.
I survived a major car accident and just have to put up with the pops and
crunches in the knees. Damned if it will stop me from riding though.
I also only rarely go over 20 MPH on the flats since I would rather put on
60 miles at 15 MPH than wear myself out at 20 MPH and wind up only doing
20 miles. More miles means a better overall workout to me.
My opinion. I am not training to race, just for a century (years).
Bill Baka

The fall I was compensated for, but the other wasn't as the company has
since folded and my one witness I have no idea where they have gotten off
too.

Anymore, since it's been so long, I don't really have any idea as to what my
abilities would be. My numbers were back when I around 20 or so. Living in
Portland, OR, I'd climb hills averaging about 12 mph. My bike at the time
was a "Target special" mountain bike that I had placed a road tire on for
commuting.

Hell.
I only average about 12-15 on long rides. Who am I supposed to impress?
Getting there and snickering at the gas prices is half the fun.
Bill Baka