Surgery recovery and bike commuting

[student cyclist]

Hi everyone,

I had surgery in January 2010 (9 months ago) when I was 19yrs old to fix a dislocated/ herniated disc in my lower back. Thankfully I am relatively pain free although I still have watch how I move my body.

I have not done much exercise besides physical therapy at the beginning. The one time I played basketball (7 months after the surgery) my leg was in pain afterward, a symptom I use to get before the surgery. That had me worried because my doctor mention that there will always be a chance that the dislocated/ herniated disc may come back.

My situation is that I am moving away to college very soon and my main mode of transportation will be a bike which I will be riding to and from class as well as around town with a bag full of books and papers on my back. I am worried that biking will bring back the pain or somehow cause another dislocated/ herniated disc.

Is there a particular bike that I should get that won't cause incredible strain on my back and therefore possibly causing another dislocated/ herniated disc? A safe ways to carry my stuff with me when I bike? A riding posture that I should use? Advice about riding to prevent the back pain?

Any input is greatly appreciated!

Thanks :)

[redrhodie]

I hope I can help a little. I'm not a fit expert by any means, and don't know much about back injuries. That said, I'd maybe try a touring bike, with a more upright posture than a road bike, with some easy gears so you can spin uphill. You'll want a rack and panniers to carry your stuff (so you won't need to carry things on your back, which sounds like a bad idea for someone who just had surgery).

Something like this might be a good bike to test ride:

http://www.surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker_complete/

[jessmarimba]

I would look at doing some regular core exercises, too. Unless you go straight-up cruiser, slacking off in your bike posture is going to make your back hate you. Even if your commute is fairly short.

[badgercat]

I know it's been said already, but: not carrying your things on your back will go a long way to preventing issues.

My back problems (scoliosis) are not nearly as dramatic as yours, but all through college I rode around campus/town with backpacks and messenger bags on an ill-fitting mountain bike and just thought back discomfort was "par for the course." I went to grad school, got myself a better-fitting hybrid, slapped a rack (Planet Bike Eco Rack (http://ecom1.planetbike.com/4001.html)) and baskets (Wald folding baskets (http://www.waldsports.com/index.cfm/wald582rearfoldingbasket.html)) on the back, and voila, no back pain (or ridiculous back sweat) on my commute. (I've linked directly to the manufacturers--you may be able to find these things cheaper from other retailers, and of course, there are other brands to choose from too.)

People have mentioned panniers; this is a good option. However, baskets (though it probably does make your bike heavier overall than riding with special bike bags) appealed to me as a student because I could just stick my regular backpack in the basket, and once I got to school, I could carry it into my classes like normal. If I use my bike for grocery shopping, reusable or paper bags fit very nicely in the baskets, etc.

Are you actually shopping for a new bike--if so, can you give an idea of your budget? and/or do you have something that you ride now--if so, can you tell us a bit about it so we can see what you're used to, to figure out what might work better? Some very nice bikes have been suggested here, but being a student myself, I know that at the time I got it, buying my sub-$500 hybrid was a stretch on my budget--a $1000+ touring bike would have been completely out of the question.

ETA: this is the bike that I commute on, to give you some more ideas of the types of things people here ride. :) Trek 7.2 FX WSD (http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/archive/72fxwsd)

ETA2: Welcome to the forum! I just noticed this was your first post. :)

[student cyclist]

Thanks to everyone who posted, you guys offered some great advice and bike examples. I will definitely keep in mind all the information you guys mention when I am looking for a bike

To answer one of your questions, yes I am shopping for a new bike. It's going to be a gift from my family, but I'm still keeping in mind the cost.

From some of your guys' post, it seems like your suggesting a cruiser bike, with the up-right riding posture, up-right handle bars and some type of panniers or basket. While I am positive I will be looking for panniers and baskets, I am a little bit hesitant about the up-right riding posture. I read some where that it is better to have an arch back when riding, especially when going over an uneven surface.
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The website
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/pain.html :

When riding a bicycle, the back should be arched, like a bridge, not drooping forward between the hips and the shoulders. If the back is properly arched, bumps will cause it to flex slightly in the direction of a bit more arch; this is harmless. If you ride swaybacked, bumps will cause the back to bow even farther in the forward direction, which can lead to severe lumbar pain.

Some back-pain sufferers modify their bicycles with extra-high handlebars so that they can sit bolt upright, with their spines straight. This is actually counterproductive in most cases, because a straight spine has no way to "give" when the bike hits bumps. Road irregularities will jam the vertebrae together, often aggravating existing back problems. The bolt-upright posture is comfortable if you're sitting stationary on the bike, but is not suitable for riding much faster than a brisk walk. Riders who for some reason require such a position should use some form of suspension...a sprung saddle at the very least.
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They mentioned a sprung saddle, but other than that I am not sure what other suspension I could use. Any insights?

I am use to riding a mountain bike(which I have not ridden in years), but I can't imagine having my back arched so much.

In short: I'm asking if it would be more beneficial to go with an up-right riding posture or an arch one?

Once again any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks everyone

[MomOnBike]

You might consider a recumbent. Your back is supported, and you can set your seat for the amount of recline that works for you. Different bikes have different ranges, of course.

They can be spendy, but there are affordable used 'bents out there if you look.

Good luck, whatever bike you decide on.

[OakLeaf]

I think you should talk with a PT who has experience with cyclists. None of us can really tell you exactly where the issues are with your back, and what might aggravate it.

I will say that my friend who had back surgery a couple of years ago, was able to return to a deeper tuck. He'd had to ride with a tall stem stack and relaxed geometry before surgery, but after he'd reached recovery, he was able to get a new bike with his preferred riding position.

[NbyNW]

+1 on Oakleaf's advice to consult a PT regarding safe cycling form for your particular history.

I'm not a PT, but I don't think you need a lot of arch to protect your lower back as described in the article you quote. There are different degrees of arch, and different degrees of upright. Different frame geometries will encourage different positions. I think even sitting upright you can engage your core to protect your lower back. It may be that you need to test ride some different types of bikes to figure out what is comfortable for you.

Here's a pannier with backpack straps (http://www.arkel.ca/ca_e/all-categories/laptop-bicycle-pannier/bug-cummuting-bag.html), as an alternative to putting your backpack inside a pannier basket.