I can empathize with you. I have had both shoulders repaired due to bike and skiing crashes. My left shoulder was operated on a year ago. I am now just getting most of the range and strength back.
I ride drop bar bikes, with rigid forks. My touring bikes are set up with the seat about level with the bars. After both surgeries I was on the trainer as soon as the doctor gave me the OK , about 6 weeks. My first shoulder repair was the most serious and was done in March and I started back riding seriously in May. In July My wife and I went on a tour of the Selkirk loop in Idaho, and BC, Canada. That fall, 6 months after the surgery, we did a 1,000 mile tour from Oregon to Southern California. I was riding a lot and training for the fall tour once I got out on the road in May. A year after my first surgery we rode a 2,000 mile tour across 6 European countries. My point is not to brag, but to illustrate that the shoulder is fully functional after it heals. I was 71 and 77 years old for the respective surgeries. I've also had several more bike and ski crashes since the first surgery, and the shoulder is still in good shape.
Installing cyclocross interrupter brakes on my bike was one of the things that helped me during rehab. This allowed me to ride a little more upright while still being able to reach the brakes, and take some of the weight off of my shoulder. I liked the brakes so much that they are still on the bike.
My thoughts, FWIW are:
- Work hard at the PT.
- Keep up the advanced PT exercises 5 time a week combining it with weight training after the PT person releases you. I'm still doing this on the shoulder that was repaired 6 years ago. Actually, I'm doing it on both shoulders now
- Go slowly on rehab, it is a marathon not a sprint, but work on it as hard as you can, within reason.
- An honest surgeon will tell you it will take at least a year for the shoulder to feel "normal".
- I don't think a suspension fork or suspension steering tube is necessary.
Good luck on your recovery
