I know exactly what you feel like. Cycling was my third sport behind basketball and running both of which I can't do, because of arthritis in both hips. Cycling is all I have left.
My left hip deteriorated faster and got to the point where my left knee basically flew out to the side away from my bike because of a lack of flexibility.
And then I had it replaced.
As far as cycling goes, it's as good as new.
My suggestion to you, is get your hip replaced. There's new life waiting for you.
d
Originally Posted by
rideBjj
Hello all,
Long time lurker, first time poster.
I have been riding off and on for over 20 years. Cycling is not my passion (no offense to anyone), it's actually 3rd in the list of sports I like but it is currently the only one I can do with any intensity. The other 2 (rock climbing and submission grappling / Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) require too much hip movement and flexibility to be feasible.
Anyway, as the title suggests, I am a rider with a case of arthritis in one of my hips.
I am 46 years old and my left hip has gone bad. I only have about 30% range of motion on one side. While I can pull my right knee up to my chest, my left only makes it not even half way. I can also only do the splits to the point where my feet are about 36" apart.
This is very depressing as I used to have excellent flexibility.
I've returned to cycling in order to get some exercise (being fit and getting outside is very important to me), but this situation with my hip has made things somewhat difficult.
I currently have 2 bikes, a Spesh Roubaix Comp and a Lynskey R230. The position on both is much more "relaxed" than typical aggressive road position. Even so, I find myself unable to get my upper body low and out of the wind much at all unless I curl my back into a "C" shape in order to be able to get my left knee up. The lower I want to go, the more pronounced it is. Obviously this not ideal and a flat back would be better both for aerodynamics and for my lower back health. Riding on the bar tops is about the only way to keep my back flat.
I also find my left side pedal stroke is not nearly as smooth as my right and I'm sure I am wasting all kinds of energy.
This is not an ideal situation but it's better than nothing. I guess ultimately I am going to need surgery, but everything I have read suggests I should put this off as long as possible.
Outside of the impediment to participating in sports, it's still livable. I have pain, but it isn't severe. I can't really walk very long distances or even stand in one place for a long time before the ache sets in.
I suppose I don't have a specific question, per se, just wondering if anyone else here has gone through this and can impart some advice / experience to me.
Thanks and happy riding.