Biking

[painfully obvious]

Hey all,
This is my first posting and what I hope won't be my last.
I'm an avid biker, I ride an average of about 100-200 miles a week between road and stationary. My question to you, my soon to be brethren, is how long will it take me to get back on a bike, at least a stationary bike?


I'm waiting to hear back from Nancy at Dr. Gross's office to schedule. I know right now they are 4 months out  :'( , but I've been dealing with this for a few years now, what's a few more months.


Thanks for your input,
Painfully Obvious

[Quig]

I'm 7.5 weeks out from Bilateral with Dr. Gross. I too am an avid cyclist... mountain biking to be specific. I don't log the miles you do but climb A LOT and ride at a pretty serious level. I believe that riding pre-surgery is a great way to go into surgery in good shape to recover well.


I've been carefully riding a stationary bike at home since about week 3. I started with zero resistance and would only pedal a couple minutes. As of this week I'm up to 45 minutes of pretty brisk pedaling with ZERO discomfort. I do feel a little weak and don't stand and pedal HARD yet but am able to spin freely and comfortably and produce a respectable amount of power. I've tried high-ish RPMs and also heavier loads and have been very pleasantly surprised at what I'm currently capable of. Also, I'm very, very encouraged by how fast the progress has been. Each session on the spin bike feels significantly better than the last.


Good luck! You're in good hands with Dr. Gross and his excellent crew.

[einreb]

how long will it take me to get back on a bike, at least a stationary bike?

I seem to recall that Dr gross was OK with a stationary bike pretty soon, but didn't want outside riding until 6 months.  Its not the riding but the risk of fall and fracture.


I jumped the gun a bit and went for easy path spins at around 5 months.  I raced somewhere in the 7-8 month range if I recall.  I'm 5 years out now, did a 159 mile ride a few weeks ago, raced a ton of cyclocross, some crits and road, etc.  My hip has been great.


One thing I'd suggest is to rethink hobbies and your health for that first 6 months.  You really do want this to last a lifetime, its big surgery and it will have its ups and downs during recovery.  I was all geared up for a 'rockstar' recovery, but quickly realized that I just needed rest, rehab and good PT.  Its a great opportunity to fix your body that is usually a bit out of whack from the asymmetry of cycling, maybe one weak leg, etc.  I worked a lot on core that helped out long term.


Also, they get cancellations...  you may be able to move up if you're willing to do it on short notice.


-Bernie

[Ljpviper]

Yep no outside biking for six months, bummer as i am a mountain biker and find the stationary bike so boring. Six months is nothing, trust me the time flies i had surgery the same time as quig.

I am now past the six weeks restriction stepping up my core work and back at the gym. Hip feels great.

Larry

[blinky]

Hey Painfully!


I am a Dr Gross bilat almost seven months out. I couldn't use the stationary bike until six weeks. But when I hit that date, believe me I did it (in street clothes in a hotel gym, just to see how it would feel. Felt great!) I didn't do much stationary biking, though, preferring to walk and swim outside.


I tried a spin class at about four months, thinking I needed the quad/glute work and hoping I would stick with it better than biking alone in front the TV. After attending a class, I asked Lee if I should be careful of anything and she told me to wait on spin class until six months out. I was disappointed. I did think I could appeal successfully, telling her I wasn't looking at SoulCycle and pretend Tour de France, but me on a bike in a dark room with loud music and other people. I would promise not to stand up on the bike. But I dropped it, deciding instead to swim more. (FWIW my bone density was great, but my femoral head on one side was pretty eaten up by cysts. I am also a woman with dysplasia in her early fifties. Maybe that is why she told me to wait? Or maybe she just thought I sounded too eager and reckless?!?!)


Four months to wait, huh. You can do it. Wishing you all the best. This is a great operation and Dr Gross and his people are fantastic.

[painfully obvious]

Thank you all for the great info related to biking and sharing your stories of recovery. After I posted this on Friday I got a call from Nancy about scheduling. I'll be down in SC for vacation the 1st week in August and it just worked out perfectly that they have an opening on the 8th.
I'm 2 months away from surgery now and very excited.
I have a longer bike ride for cancer this weekend, 75 miles, not too long but I'll feel it the rest of the week, then back into PT to get prepped for surgery. Will continue to ride up until the week of surgery, hopefully this all will help my recovery.


Thanks again all,
~Painfully Obvious