Looking for some suggestions as I’m becoming ever more despondent with cycling and my shot left knee.

In brief, I’ve cycled for most of my life (43 now) mtb and road. Got to a reasonable standard too…. even won a couple of things in 06/07!
But I’ve had persistent knee trouble. Seen ALL of the bike fit experts and had 2 operations to remove cartilage and ligament structures. After a year of rehab. I can only manage very short rides before I’m in pain. Knee is then worse for days.
It is extending the knee, rather than weight bearing, that is the problem.

So before I tumble back into the black pit, what else could I try?
Always been active, so need something that exercises the CV system.

Swimming is a possibility, but I find it dead boring (like to chat to people too!). Kayaking maybe?

Any suggestions??

Thanks

sailing (1-2 man boats): http://www.sail.org.uk/

Climbing?

Diving?

If you like swimming but find it boring, try water polo or underwater hockey?

Swimming, pool work can get boring, but open water swimming in the summer can make it more interesting, especially if you get to swim in some deep blue alpine lakes.

Sea kayaking is good.

outdoor swimming (set a wetsuit)

If I have to give up riding I’m going to be Trackdays, Karting, join a gun* club etc. Loads you can do.

Can you take up walking? Is that possible/ok with your knee? (you mentioned load bearing is ok).. There are some great looking Wainwright Walks in the Lakes IMO.

*No not like this!

Sitting?

Golf? Not for me – I’ve always had an aversion to the game – but it ticks most of the boxes for you, though the level of exercise is far less.

If weight bearing isn’t a problem, running is surely a reasonable option.

join a gun* club

Yep, have done this – clay shooting with my son is remarkably congenial

Singlespeed with flat pedals.

motorbiking – green laning

Good call. Its ‘physical’ on your top half isn’t it.

Go back and get your knee sorted, or continue with the rehab until it’s finished.

Tried a recumbent? – alters the angles your knees move thru

Good call on green laning, until the redsocks and bobble hats have you banned. But the gentle nature of that or a trials-y kinda motorbiking would be good. Has all the technical demands of mountain biking but probably doesn’t make the very specific demands of your knees that matter. Hell, you might even find cross country/enduro/hare scrambles are ok, and they are very hard work – you wanted to be active.

Or for a out the box idea try my other big hobby, corde lisse! 😆 (But yes, really.)

Curling

corde lisse

Isn’t that a posh cover for pole dancing?

Darts.

Very social.

Photography

I wouldn’t recommend enduros etc for the knees, Green Laning might be ok. I’ve found motocross and enduros to be much harder on the knees (and everything really) than all of the other stuff I do (running, skiing, snowboarding, cycling, mtb etc.) As well as the normal wear and tear you occasionally get your foot caught in ruts/get it run over etc and 100Kg of bike cartwheeling toward you after a crash makes a mess of most things. For me a practice day and a race a week on the bike was far worse than a heavy week of training including 40miles of running.

Iain

Arm-wrestling

Thanks for the suggestions.

SBZ…. I have.. again and again. I now have much less cartilage behind the patella, and what is left is degraded. Also, some retinacula have been cut to improve the float of the patella (well it should have, but just made things worse). Done by one of the top knee blokes in the UK. I think I’ve exhausted those options. Have really, really tried to get the knee right, but just feel like I’m deluding myself now. Just getting more disappointed with it.

Of the suggestions:
I used to climb and have been back to the indoor wall. Can’t step up with my left leg though.
Used to walk loads- still can but steep ups and downs are a problem.
Running on the flat maybe a good option as the knee doesn’t bend “that” much.
Golf? Hhhmmmm. I’ve always derided golfers but maybe I should have a go. Couple of clubs near me, fairly flat, hmmmm.
Need something a bit more active than darts or photography. Although darts is tempting!
Maybe swimming if I aimed to do an outdoor event or similar.
I have a motorbike already 🙂 That’s my main thing apart from cycling. Knee wouldn’t stand up to off roading. Just raising from sitting to standing is the most painful thing for my knee. 1200RT btw.

Might go running later 🙂

Power kiting!

Sea Kayaking – as done by my Brother screwed his knee which put paid to mtb, trials and surfing.

speed walking?

clip from my favourite tv series

Might go running later

Rereading all this. TBH I think you should firmly go into damage limitation mode. Listen to your body.

My Mum was quite active (easy now) when she was younger and now has bad knees. Maybe if she’d given up running etc earlier she wouldn’t have serious mobility issues for another say 10yrs now.

Something worth bearing in mind. We need to future-proof ourselves. If I had a serious knee issue (i.e. one was complaining)I wouldn’t hesitate to quit cycling. Or anything that impacts/can deteriote the joint further.

Maybe take an additional year off all physical leg/activity and concentrate on rest and rehabilitation of the knee.

This way you may comeback and be able to ride a bike.

Off road hopping?

oh dear this sounds like the future for me… I also find swimming boring, but not in the sea, love that. An idea I will be considering.

If you haven’t tried a good quality sports knee support you need to give it a go. I had both cartilages removed from my right knee over 30 years after a rugby injury, so I have no cartilage and I’m getting arthritis in it.

If I do any ride of more than an hour without the knee brace, it’s sore and swollen for several days. With it, I can happily to 6-7 hour big mountain rides. Also a must for me is a full suss as it removes the shock loadings on the descents.

So before giving up what you love, borrow a full suss if you don’t use one, use ibuprofen 400mg tablets either side of the ride, and get a decent brace. I use one of THESE

Thanks for these replies.

I do fancy sea kayaking…. maybe try it in Summer.

CM. I went full suss only last year. As you say,it removes some of the loading. Descending on a hardtail, taking all the hits through the knees is no good for me!
I’m off to investigate those braces now.

Hora… mental health means I HAVE to be doing something!!

Booked a taster golf lesson for next week!

Stanley – I wouldn’t be going down the no cycling route just quite yet. Keep going with the rehab and medical treatments there’s every chance you’ll not need to give up biking.

Hora… mental health means I HAVE to be doing something!!

I didnt ride last weekend. I’ve felt out of kilter all this week so yesterday I took the afternoon off and….I feel great now.

I know what you mean but one day we’ll have to give up. Yes you see 60/70/80yr old cyclists but not THAT many to warranty what the rest are upto.

So if it all goes wrong we could end up injured, bitter and angry in our later years or….find something that runs parallel now ..just incase.

Boxing?

Naturism?

Boxing?

Good call

Another vote for sea kayaking, I’ve got a two man sit on top one, great fun all year round if you have a wet suit.

Booked a taster golf lesson for next week!

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! You’re doomed, doomed I say, DOOOOOMMMMMMMEEEEDDDDDD!!!!!