Any biking protocols?

[dawnski99]

Does anyone have a protocol for returning to road biking?  I am almost 3 weeks out from the second hip (first one 5 weeks prior) and am on the spinner with minimal resistance for 20 minutes and no pain.

I plan on training on my spinner for the next 6 weeks prior to outdoor riding with no hills.  Have a 72 mile ride booked mid June.

Dawn Lowery
Rbhr 1/15/14
Lbhr 2/24/14

[einreb]

Dr Gross was very specific about not cycling outdoors until 6 months.  Cycling on a trainer  was fine and to listen to my body, but the concern is a fall and the risk of fracture.

I cheated a little and rode outdoors at around the 5 month mark.

[dawnski99]

Four weeks (L) and nine weeks (R) out from bilat surgery now.  I have seen Dr. Hickman and spoke about my biking plan.  They told me to let pain be my guide. Currently at 40 minutes indoors with some resistance intervals (light) adding two minutes a day and close to a mile walk a day. Pain definitely is my guide and I ice afterward.  I feel great!

My goal is a 20 miler outside ride in three weeks but I feel I must be able to do a full spin class with climbs and standing for an hour first.  A controlled environment beats anything with the new twins I am sporting now.

Dawn Lowery
Dr. Hickman

[whyme]

Hi Dawn,

I started on the static bike after ~3 weeks post-op, for weeks it was all about recovering mobility gently, and regaining a bit of strength, not really cycling in a "sports" sense. After 2 months or so I could do 30-40' on the static bike, but applying very low resistance (around 3 in a scale of 20, or 80-90 Watt).
Generally takes around 6 months for the neck of the femur to regain the strength/thickness from before surgery, so the risk of fracture with a fall goes back to 'normal'. I didn't want to risk and waited until 6 months to start cycling outdoors.
So I started 3 weeks ago, just a couple of gentle spins so far (today 35km/21miles, in gentle terrain), I could do probably 50km/30mi no problems, but prefer to see how it feels tomorrow. And so on.

Planning a 72 miles ride at the 4 months mark I'd say it's certainly possible, but ambitious.

Personally I opted for not setting in stone any sporting goals for the first year, and let the body guide me.
The thing with us sporty/competitive people is we are not very good at listening to our body, and we tend to 'hear' what we want ... I wish I listened to mine a bit more some years ago (not just because of the hips!).

You are doing well in your recovery, keep it up!

[whyme]

Forgot to say, for a 20 mile ride on flat terrain in 1 month I don't think you'll need 1h of spinning class with climbs and standing...

I'd be cautious with spinning classes at this stage for 2 reasons:
1) those inertia wheels keep the momentum.... I know there are breaks, but it's enough one fraction of a second to give you a scare...

2) If you want to progress safely given your circumstances, listen to your body, not to the spinning instructor!

[ronjoe]

Dawn, several months later, how'd it go?  What was your cycling reality, experience?

I had a different experience.

Dr Boettner mentioned at my 24 March (4 weeks post-op) follow up that I could begin riding, so I did.  I wonder if this is because he was aware of my cycling abilities, that he gave such an early clearance.  I'd been referred by cycling buddy that had his hip done by Dr Boettner 2 years prior.  Knowing that I rode with that friend would tell alot about my attitude and ability.

I had been an avid and fairly strong cyclist.  A 7 hour century (100 mile) ride SEP 2012 was my last ride before my right BHR Dr F Boettner, HSS 28 FEB 2014.


At the time I still wasn't walking all that well. It was easier to ride. I began on my mountain bike with short easy 2-4 miles (.62 miles/ K ) rides and by week 6-7 with the road bike was up to a gentle sloping 6-9 miles out and back.

I can not give enough credit to my physical therapist.  Cycling is not a total body exercise and does little for most other movements and functions.  That said I do one leg interval sprints on the bicycle taking advantage of the gears and reduced resistance load.

Now at about 18 weeks my longest ride was 40 miles, 3+ hours 2 weeks ago.  And while I have not increased distance and duration; my intensity, speed, climbing, aggressiveness are getting stronger and feeling right, natural.

Did have a knee ache problem, limping Sunday pm and Monday am after that day's ride.

Surprisingly, curiously felt better after inversion table stretching.  Was not my expectation.  The hanging by my heels apparatus is new to me.  I like the stretching sensation from inversion in addition to all the other stretches I do.  And, the knee's all better!

I keep thinking about doing my local Century again this Fall.  I asked myself Sunday when I was 20 miles into my ride, "feeling like another 80?"

We'll see! Ron