EuanB wrote:
>
> Patrick Turner Wrote:
> >
> > Most pedestrians need belling, and whether they like it or not.
>
> Do remember that pedestrians have priority over you at all times. You
> have no rights on a shared path.
Sure, but hardly anyone here acts to obstruct a cyclist, so they leave
him/her some room to pass, ie, they move left a bit automatically
when they hear a bell, and safe passage for all occurs.
Sharing means being considerate, and giving half the road to others.
>
> A bike path or a bike lane is, of course, different.
>
> > But not if you have dodgy knees or some other ailment that does not
> > respond well to vigourous exercise.
>
> Last October I smashed my leg up. I drove the shin bone through the
> knee in to the thigh bone, shattering the top of the shin bone and
> caused extensive damage to the meniscous. The term for the injury is a
> tibial palteau, otherwise known as a fender bender.
Ahhh....
>
> I've had a bone graft, most of the meniscous removed from that knee and
> I've got a plate in my leg.
Ahhh...
>
> I've recovered now and both my osteopaht an d phsyio were impressed
> almost to the point of amazement that my recovery has been a) as
> complete as it has been and b) as quick as it has been.
>
> Two things were in my favor. Before smashing my leg up I rode lots,
> 300kms a week, which gave me a good base level of fitness.
How old are you? 25?
I broke a cruciate ligament and main ankle bone at 19 on a motorbike.
No more running for me, but I was slow as a wet wicket anyway.
I came last in many foot races at school.
I loathed footy, and swimming was hell.
I liked cycling. Everyone tried to stop me.
I healed the ankle in 6 weeks, and went back to work
as apprentice carpenter after 8 weeks.
I worked "on the tools" for 30 years.
>
> As soon as I was physically able, I got back on the bike. One of the
> best things I could do for my knee, according to my osteopath, my
> physio and the orthopedic surgeon, was ride my bike lots. The constant
> low impact movement strengthens and lubricates the joint.
Sure, but when I cycled 300km a week up to age 45 I was forced off the
bike
with really bad pain in both knees. Pain subsided once I stopped riding.
But After another 5 years I couldn't work in the building trade any
more, and
switched to lowly paid craft work.
Almost basket weaving.
The knee with the still intact cruciates was the first to give some
really bad pain, and I began seeing more doctors.
I eventually went onto VIOXX for awhile and this drug nearly killed me
with a heart problem.
My mum had taken it for 4 years without problems.
See
http://arthritis.about.com/od/vioxx/a/kaiserheartrisk.htm
But now I am taking nothing except a good diet of mainly vegetables.
After the VIOXX bother I had a cartlidge trimming op, 3 years ago,
and I began back cycling again 12 moths ago.
But not 300km a week at age 60.
The recent cold winter is bringing some pain again after a pretty pain
free year.
If its gets worse, the wheels may have to be hung up again if
cannot even sustain low intensity rides; ie, the pain
just gets worse and worse.
I was booked for 2 knee joints for 18 mths.
The docs reckoned it was the only solution, but one that would not be
permanent.
Even the nurses at the hospital said when i had the cartlidges done that
I'd be back in 2 years for the joints.
Maybe I will have to re-book. I just have no idea how things will go for
the future.
Having prosthesis joints invloves a failure rate of 25% for all joints
in Oz, especially knees, and so one can have a joint done and need it to
be re-done
in 2 years instead of getting about 15 years use from the joint.
One of my clients told me he was on his third hip joint, but he was 75.
Poor bugger could hardly walk.
Lowest joint failure rate appears to be in Sweeden where its 7%.
But now they have a 'Joint Register' going in Oz like Sweeden, and found
which
brands of joints tend to last the shortest time in ppl.
One brand rarely lasted more than 2 years, so they banned that one,
and it was more expensive than others that lasted longer.
The operation for replacing a prosthesis is much more difficult than
doing one for the first time.
I may have inherited my mother's knees, and she never ever ran anywhere
or cycled,
and was knock kneed. She's now 91, but never ever could have been
athletic.
My father set a record at the school for the mile in about 1924.
He had a very fine looking physique and in the 1920s rode to Cairns and
back
from Sydney. He died at 60 from cancer. Being athletic doesn't insulate
you
against early death.
My sister who died recently needed both hip joints replaced by age 55.
So although the joints we were given at birth go for a long time,
its not at all unusual that some wear right out early, and
regardless of what you do.
And what you do can make things either better, or worse.
> The fact is that if I don't ride for a few days my knee starts to
> stiffen up. One 30km ride and it's much better.
>
> Cycling is a great activity for people with dodgy joints. Adult
> tircycles lend mobility to the old and infirm who would otherwise be
> dependent on cars. Electric bicycles augment this.
>
> I really wish you'd stop guessing and do some research before posting
> drivel.
You are no better.
I know what I say is just my opinion, and true for me until
otherwise proved to be otherwise.
Discussion is about considering opinions, and sharing experience.
Some ppl say I dribble, or say that what i post is drivel.
But they read my posts right through to the end, they can't resist.
What does this say of people who like dribble and drivel to read?
Why do they complain?
You would be very lucky to have sustained such a miserably bad
knee problem and then still be able to cycle.
Not everyone has the same luck.
Not by a long shot.
Meanwhile, and IMHO, I would say keep riding if it brings relief,
but if it hurts while you ride, and hurts when you stop,
and hurts after a night's good sleep,
and hurts more when you ride and then more after,
maybe you will be forced off the bike and to some other
health/pain management scheme.
Don't be surpised if this happens, because it happened to me,
and others, and I didn't even break anything.
Patrick Turner.
c
>
> --
> EuanB
