2 yrs ago I tore my acl/mcl in a skiing accident. When I saw my ortho the following day he told me the best thing I could do was to ride my bike on the trainer. The following day, 2 days after my injury I was on the trainer. I had to wear a brace to protect the mcl. I raised the saddle to enable my leg to pedal in a circle and I had to put a flat pedal on the bike because I couldn't clip in and out.

Within 6 weeks I was feeling good enough to ride outside and also ready for surgery to repair the acl. I had my surgery the last week of Feb. was back on the trainer a week after surgery and outside on my bike, w/o clipless pedals, 4weeks after surgery.

I opted for surgery because I'm a skier and without surgery had a greater risk of damaging other ligaments if I skied without repairing the acl. I was told that if I kept my activities to hiking, biking, etc. that I might not need surgery.

The summer after my surgery I did 3 bicycle tours and started skiing in early Nov. The protocols on acl surgery have changed and its not the horrible recovery time like it was a few years ago. My dr. did a cadavor because he thought that using my hamstring would cause me pain when I bicycled.

It did take a full year before I felt completely back to normal. It's now 1 1/2 years later and it gives me no problems and I can't tell I ever had surgery.