Looking for advice on previous injury, buying and commuting

The_didge

Hi there,

This is my first post on here take it easy

Previous Injury:
Years ago (10 Years) i used to cycle everywhere and anywhere(this was partly because i wasnt old enough to get a driving licence) somtimes doing over 50 miles a day. Then one sad day i had a footballing incident that ruptured both my ligaments in my left knee. I was in a cast for 4 months and told that i would never be able to play any sports that involved using my legs again.

Since then my knee has healed somewhat and i am able to walk and run very short distances. Any activities that require bouncing or sudden change of direction cause my knee to bend wrong and cause excruciating pain.

I have only been on a bike a handful of times since the incident and have been ok if i dont push too hard. Im hoping that taking up cycling again will help build up the muscle in my left leg to better support my knee. I used to have very large thighs and calf muscles and it all turned to fat after the incident. Would it easily go back to muscle or would i have to loose weight first? (ive been trying to do this over the last 10 years but nothing seems to affect my legs)

Buying Advice :

By reading around and doing a bit of research ive decided on going for a hybrid. The issue i have is that i dont know what would be a good bike to start with. Theres sooooo many different options for everything. Disk or V Brakes? What kind of gear shifting?

I will mainly be using the bike for commuting but also want to be able to strap it to the back of the car and drive somewhere nice to go for a good long cycle.

One issue i have is actually funding the bike. Ive looked into the CycleScheme but i dont think my employer would go for it (hes not very nice). Its the perfect solution for me and ive already asked but i have to find other options.

Ideally i would like to find somewhere that sells bikes+accessories and does some decent finance. Does anyone know anywhere good in or around london or any other schemes available?

Commuting :

I will be commuting in London from New Cross (SE14) to Hanger Lane (W5) (Approx 15 miles each way), In the beginning i will be doing it over 3 legs taking a decent break between until i build up my fitness. Luckily i only start work at 10am so traffic should be a abit lighter. Generally the roads are ok and flat with a few little hills along the way. Is this a little bit too ambitious for someone who is getting back into cycling? Does anyone else do a similar route? Are there any good shortcuts that i could take?

Thanks for the help

ride_whenever

For 15 miles i think you'd be far better off buying a road bike. Get cyclocross lever fitted so you can brake from the tops for your own piece of mind. It'll be a lot quicker.

As for finance, stick it on a credit card and pay it off slowly (me being the voice of reason here :twisted: )

londonbairn

Agree on road bike.

Where on Hangar lane? I live around the corner (Pitshanger)

The_didge

ON HANGER LANE

The big beige building with "Westgate" written on it.

Greg T

If you can run - and you must recognise that I have NO medical training and can't even spell fizzyology - you can ride.

Road bike every time from me.

In terms of finance you'd be best off going to your bank looking for the cash in my opinion...

2nd hand is a good option - particulalry in Lahndan as there's loads of choice.

I'd look at a 250 quid used road bike - classifieds on here, Gumtree, local paper etc.

rinko

The_didge wrote:

I have only been on a bike a handful of times since the incident and have been ok if i dont push too hard. Im hoping that taking up cycling again will help build up the muscle in my left leg to better support my knee. I used to have very large thighs and calf muscles and it all turned to fat after the incident. Would it easily go back to muscle or would i have to loose weight first? (ive been trying to do this over the last 10 years but nothing seems to affect my legs)

I'll just comment on this bit as I too am once again a cycling newbie, so am no at all placed to give you advice on the other aspects.

I have suffered from some knee issues in the past - primarily when I was growing, but latterly I recovered from a broken leg and separately a medial-collateral ligament strain picked up whilst playing football. However I don't have any medical training etc so the usual disclaimers of do this at your own risk, take it with a pinch of salt and your mileage may vary.

The_didge wrote:

I used to have very large thighs and calf muscles and it all turned to fat after the incident. Would it easily go back to muscle or would i have to loose weight first?

Firstly, muscle and fat are two completely different things. Muscle will never turn into fat and fat will never turn into muscle. You can only burn fat off and build muscle up at the same time.

The_didge wrote:

would i have to loose weight first? (ive been trying to do this over the last 10 years but nothing seems to affect my legs)

Unfortunately, you can't 'spot reduce' fat in certain areas of your body simply by working your legs harder in the gym for instance.

However the good news is that once you have built up muscle, your body will burn more fat simply to sustain your body structure - even when you are sat not doing anything.

In terms of preparing your legs and knees for cycling, I would be inclined to get into a gym, or alternatively have a look online for body weight exercises you can do, such as squats which will help build the muscle around the knee and provide more support to the joint.

Wobble boards are really good not only for working on your knees, they also help with core strength with is important for cycling (especially as you start to fatigue).

Finally - make sure you get your bike set up properly for you, explain your physical limitations and they should be able to factor those into your setup.

Cheers,

Rinko