Back on the bike, and discouraged

[missliz]

Well, I've had half a dozen reconstructive surguries in the past few years, and depending on what got done, you may need to cut some slack for a while yet. Spin is cool, but with a whole gym full of options mixing it up will probably do more good. If you did much time in bed you need to work on core strength (yoga, Pilates, weights) and just general low level cardio vascular conditioning. A good pair of running shoes to powerwalk in is a great start back. It doesn't overstress, you can still go outside, it builds more stamina than you think. Can do a treadmill too.
The Lifecycle is a good start too- use a heart rate moniter and just crank out your set number of minutes by the numbers. Boring, but really effective.
I found charging right into a class to be trouble. Always went way too hard too soon.
One thing to be cognizent of- if you have any pain, it'll drain you like a flock of vampires. Sometimes you'll have a low level of pain for a while that'll be like an albatross around the neck. All my stuff was orthopedic, so this has been a problem for me. Had to manage it to get anywhere.
Hope this helps.

Lizzy

Instead of mileage, go by time for at least a few weeks even outside. On a bad day you may get less distance at less speed, but it's easier to slow down and not hurt yourself if you just watch a clock.