Thread: Hip Arthritis
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Old 01-20-15, 04:31 AM
  #15  
Campag4life
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Shorter cranks, recumbent or accept you can't use the drops..or set your bars even higher to make the drops and all positions usable.
I am 60 years old, own a Roubaix and still have a need for speed. I like to ride fast. But, I don't have the neck flexibility...or rather the ability to ride in the drops for a long period of time without my neck hurting say after a 30 mile ride. So, I ride with a higher handlebar than most good riders. This allows me to use the drops a lot...which puts my hands beneath the level of the saddle. I don't have hip problems per se but lets say my entire body feels the affect of gradual aging in spite of being active my whole life...I still swim and bike a lot. I am on 175mm cranks and my crank length of choice.

So I say, raise your handlebar even more on your bikes...use a riser stem even on your endurance style frames. Now you can use the drops. Go to a shorter crank. Btw, this 'philosophy' is pretty much the dirt drop credo where the drop position is the default position off road and the drop handles or hooks are at or just below saddle height. Only in your case you want the bars to be a bit more aggressive than an off road dirt drop mtb. I hope that makes sense. The more your body gets away from being a world class tour rider, the most different your bike needs to look. Even Floyd Landis who had hip problems ran his race bike with a riser stem....see below. But you want even less less aggressive.

Practice your stretching and experiment with meds. But be realistic about your quality of life. There are guys I ride with in their 60's that have had hip replacements and they have been A group riders their whole life.
Good luck.
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Last edited by Campag4life; 01-20-15 at 04:38 AM.
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