Just came back from seeing specialist about my Osteoporosis.When i said to him about MTBing he said the constant jarring was a bad thing.I will be ok on level even ground like disused railway lines.He’s talking at least 2 years then another bone density scan to see what improvements have occured.Maybe i didn’t put across how important it mas to me but i guess the reply would have been the same.My G.P. is also a MTBer so i am going to see him see if he could have a chat with the specialist.Clutching at straws i guess.So anybody got a trycycle with airbags for sale?Probably just as well flog my bikes as well.Maybe i should just say screw it and go out with a blaze of glory.I know stop feeling sorry for myself and MTFU.Sorry not easy.

Honestly, is there really that much jarring on a mountain-bike ride? Maybe riding DH, but with full-sus soaking up the bumps most rides can be made to feel pretty smooth (obviously not if you ride like a loon).

I’d say there’s hope yet…

Sad to hear that, mate. My mum has Osteoporosis, and I know it is painful for her. You have my sympathies.

Never say never. You never know, you might find some way to keep on riding. And towpaths and stuff might not be ‘rad’, or ‘gnarly’ (dude), but it’s all biking, all good.

Maybe think about doing a bit of swimming. Can really help to strengthen the body up, and is very low-impact. Obviously, ask yer GP and that. Just an idea.

Chin up!

get something full suss with lots of travel and run it at 45% sag?

I’m really sorry for you, it must be gutting. Hopefully the GP can help out with some ideas. Maybe a full sus. or suspension seat post would help or even a more forward attack position to take some of the weight off the back (I’m guessing here so don’t try any of them without asking the doc. first!!).

Road biking/touring might feel a poor substitute at the moment but I ride my mountain bike mostly on the road and just love getting out in the open away and into the country side, so there may still be options; keep heart!!

Mr Nutt i jumped the gun on that.Tried to get ahead of the specialist and bought a Kona Four Supreme frame of off a mate .I know it’s only 4 ins but thats 4 more than i did have!Got that built up now any more travel would look pretty stoopid on a cyclepath!!

Cycling and Osteoperosis

This article looks interesting.

The main problem with osteoperosis and cycling is not so much impact and jarring – it’s the lack of weight on the bones over longer periods of time.

The article above ends with the mention of calcium supplements and mixing of cycling with “weighty” sports.

Always get a second opinion.

I’ve got osteopenia (osteoporosis for the under 50’s).

I was actually told to increase the amount of high impact activity I did to help improve bone density and that riding wasn’t enough – I should be doign static weights and running as well.

I really think you should persue this with other specialists.

the biggest danger with mtbing is you fall off and break a limb – which maybe why you’ve been warned to stop rather than the actual ridign a bike thing?

I only found out I had a problem ‘cos I fell off and broke a hip 🙁

5 years on I still ride off road, I’m just slightly more careful (and I’ve got my bone density down from ‘average for a 75 year old man’ to ‘average for a 50 year old man’ – I’m 42).

Get yourself a road bike – it’s not *that* bad, you know 🙂

Get yourself a road bike

According to the article road cycling is worse than mountain biking for osteoperosis. Probably due to the lack of any impact or jarring.

wwaswas i said to him about falling off.he said with the numbers on the bone scan being so low the chance of further vertebral fractures(i’ve got 2that are healing slowly)was quite high.i’m 53 BTW.also i have been told the low stretch position on a road bike is bad news for me.guess i should count myself lucky that i have rode at whistler french alps mammoth lake tahoe etc etc.(sorry sounds like boasting but i’m not honest!)perversely when i told him i went to canada last year he said that the impacting of that riding helped to strengthen the bones!!!!!hmmmm? going to speak to my g.p. i think.

From one oldfart to another, hope you find a specialist that says what you want to hear and knows enough for you to trust his judgement.

Tom

Taken from http://www.gpnotebook.com
Osteopaenia is defined when bone density at the spine or hip between 1.0 and 2.5 standard deviations below the average for healthy young adults (T-score between -1 and -2.5). Osteoporosis is defined if the T-score is more than 2.5 standard deviations below the average.

i,e ostepaeia is a mild form of osteoporosis.

I Imagine the risk of riding comes from the falls more than the ride itself? You may find yourself happier wearing some decent, light body protection?

DrP

Hey oldfart, i’m same age as you!!!

any more travel would look pretty stoopid on a cyclepath!!

Who cares how stoopid you look?

Fingers crossed for you.
SB

oldfart – maybe you could do cycling plus another higher impact sport?

I’m sure you coudl get a position and a ridign environment that met your medical needs whilst also fulfilling your mental ones.

My surgeon said he’d rather treat a thin fit person with thin bones than a fat unfit one with thick bones…

Offroad Recumbant?

I’m with stratobiker, who gives a shit what other people think, just take it easier with a BIG travel bike, focus on smooth sweeping singletrack rather than rooty rocky drop offs and keep smiling! I hope you can find a way 🙂

Sorry to hear that mate, nothing i can add that’s not been said already.

Never say never though.

Sharki.

Keep riding, otherwise you will succum to the problems of inactivity. Increase weight would be a major problem with OP as would increasing problems with your heart and general mental wellbeing.
Visit your local gym and see if they have a regime using weights/ resitance, as this has been proven to improve bone density.

http://www.nof.org/prevention/exercise.htm

That really sucks

even if it’s the end of mountainbikes it may not be the end of bikes. You could try road bikes or touring, just make sure it’s carbon 😉 to absorb the vibrations more. Alternatively get a full suss as above. As a last resort if you still want to ride bikes consider a softail with slicks for the road or a short travel full suss with some bigger chainrings.

Concentrate on days out with big scenery but smoother trails rather than drops etc.

Take up road riding. a poor substitute I know but at least it’s still riding a bike!

Also, do what I’m going to do when i can’t ride any more, take up golf.

Either that or a nice plus full sus and see how it goes.

Best of luck by the way.

i feel for you too bud, hopefully you will still cycle one way or another,

peace be with you.

🙁

Really hope the full-sus helps and that your second opinion is more positive. Chin up and take care.

All the best.
Just do everything you can to stay on a bike.

Thats ass oldfart.
sorry to hear it.
i reckon hammering down rocky descents isnt likely to be a good thing, even if you can hack it, coming off may be another story?
but no reason to stop all together i dont think?
biking isnt an impact sport, one of the better sports you could do (under swimming and rowing), reduce intensity if needs be, down to smoother trails, massive full suss? down to touring style riding, or if really REALLY needs be, roadie?
how about a full suss with too much bounce at the back, but keep it shortish up front? and something that dosent wallow too much, a Giant perhaps :p
good luck with whatever you decide

read the earlier postings!!!!!

the risk associated with riding MTB (in a crash) is broken or fractured bones due to weakness caused by the thinning of the bones.

a sport or activity that places weight onto the bones reduces or arrests the thinning and strengthens the bones.

swimming, road cycling or buying a full-suspension bike is likely to thin the bones at a greater rate due to the lack of any real weight on the bones during the activity.

read-up on calcium supplements and take up another sport – such as running and training with weights. and just maybe keep up the MTBing ~ but with the precaution of body armour as DrP suggests.

Most important – get that referral from your GP for second opinion.

Most important – get that referral from your GP for second opinion.

A big +1 on this.

I’d go as far as suggesting you push your GP to try finding any specialists in this subject elsewhere in the country, not just your local PCT. I’ve read that the claimed amount of calcium in dairy products is cancelled out by the fact that the body can’t absorb it, and high dairy/high protein diet can in fact exacerbate calcium leaching from the bones. Ditto fizzy drinks. Get googling.

Most of all, don’t give up, you might yet get the elusive ‘Extended Play…’

http404: I don’t think anyone is suggesting he *only* does cycling, just that he doesn’t stop.

As I said I (at the age of 35) had the bone density of the average 75 year old man.

I had bone scans etc and was asked to carry out higher impact activity to help induce bone growth, which I did.

I didn’t stop cycling, I just did other stuff as well.

The problems associated with cyclign are not only from the lack of impact, from what I’ve read, but also as a result of the fact it’s an activity that people carry out for relatively long periods of time (compared with say a gym) and they thus leeach out a lot more minerals and salts when they sweat (including calcium).

I take calcium supplements now and although I have cut down on other sporting activity I walk a lot and am generally an active person.

I cycle very regularly and, since my broken hip, have had a couple of relatively hard ‘offs’ without further bone breakage – whther that’s as a resutl of having stronger bones, landing less badly or just luck I don’t know.

I get the impression that oldfarts spinal problems are being blamed on cycling as much as anything and that’s one reason he’s been told to stop. I was never told to stop although I was advised to be slightly more careful – which I am to the point of extreme jayness now – but I won’t stop cycling on or off road.

oldfart’s not posted for a bit and he’s the only one who can decide but if it were me with crumbling vertebrae I’d be thinking carefully about damage limitation in the short term with a longer term view to an exefcise , diet and drug regime that enabled me to restart an activity I love. Your mental well being is as important as you’re physical one, imo.