Arthritic bikers

[blackhillsbiker]

Just wondering how many of us there are. I sometimes feel like a second class citizen on my "comfort bike" with all the bashing they get, but I can't ride something that makes me bend my neck up to see (cervical spine surgery). Now I'm having lower back issues, but x-rays only showed arthritis. I'm 47, but my body is much older (sigh). I bought a Cannondale that felt light and nimble compared to the other "comfort" bikes. I've had the shifters replaced — I hate grip shifts — with nice shimano click shifts, replaced the tires with ones that are more suited for trail riding, added a nice topeak rack, ergon grips, and a Brooks saddle on a fixed seatpost. I had to find a frame that worked with MY geometry (challenged as it is), and go from there. Biking makes me happy. It is one of the only exercise activities, other than yoga, that I can still do. I feel free and alive on my bike! Today I met a guy at my lbs who asked about my unusual bike. He has back issues, too. I told him to find a frame that works for him, then work from there to get the bike he wants.

I'm lucky that my husband is supportive in my efforts to stay mobile. He still rides (and loves) his old Schwinn High Plains.

Deb

[Trek420]

There are a lot of us here.

I'm a wreck from the neck down and you see the list of bikes below I do not feel stuck on a comfort bike

There's only one thing you can do about Arth and that's .... keep moving. Never stop moving, 'cause it's gainin' on ya'

If you stop it gets harder and harder to get going.

I hate it that I have to work around it; wear knickers or tights when everyone else is in shorts, warm up more than others do, some days I feel like I'm 80 in the morning so I wait till I'm loosened up, steel instead of any other frame (oh heck, I love steel), constantly work with my LBS on fit, I don't like lifting but stronger muscles around the joints help so I do, I hate stretching but I do it too ....

The way I feel about Arth is:
The bad news is I have joint problems
The good news is diet and exercise can ease my pain
The bad news is I have to do those things the rest of my life
The good news is I found activities I love to do and that are lifelong.

[KnottedYet]

I sometimes feel like a second class citizen on my "comfort bike" with all the bashing they get,

Anybody who "bashes" a comfort bike is breaking the 2nd Commandment:

2. Honor all other bikes: All bikes are good bikes, and all those who ride them are good people.

http://www.newbelgium.com/tour-de-fat

Honestly, you'll find that folks who actually ride the most are the ones least likely to look down on any style of bike.

I have neck issues, too (torn ligaments from a car accident) and also can't lift my head. One of my bikes has mustache bars (lots of hand positions) one has Nitto All-Rounders (dutch-bike style bars, the "touring bar" of yore) and one has regular drop bars set waaaaay high up on a tall stem. I do the same thing you do; find a frame that feels like love, then modify the details to accommodate my neck. The really cool thing is, once you've done it with a bike or two, you can see how to do it with just about any other bike that appeals to you. More bikes, more better!

[Trek420]

Biking makes me happy. It is one of the only exercise activities, other than yoga, that I can still do. I feel free and alive on my bike!

That's what it's all about!!

My LBS taught me "you're faster when you're more comfortable".

Not to bring up the whole debate about raising the bars vs race-fit but in the teeny tiny itsy bitsy picture to the left you'll see my custom road bike.

The Nitto bars are slightly higher than the saddle. That's the design specified for me by the builder, Antonio Mondonico.

If I was a horse they'd shoot me (no horses were harmed in the making of this thread) but I am very comfortable on this bike

OTOH my commute bike is basically a hybrid, comfort bike. It's sturdy and a little heavy. It feels zippy with some really nice wheels.

You can have comfort with speed, or speed with comfort.

And If I got to the point I could not ride an upright bike I know just the recumbent I'd get

Keep moving, keep moving, keep moving.

[blackhillsbiker]

Thanks! I was feeling a bit whiny, but mostly I'm grateful for good days, and that I have more good days than bad days, especially after the surgery. I have a bike I love, a husband/best friend who likes to ride with me, and a beautiful part of the country in which to ride. All things considered, I really couldn't ask for more.

Deb