Pedal recommendations post hip replacement

arlowood

Had my left hip replaced mid November 2017. Now starting to feel a bit more confident and itching to get back out on my bike.

Have fitted some flat pedals initially in place of the Look Keo Classics I was using up until just before my operation. However I would like to get back to cleated pedals of some description if at all possible.


Have had a couple of pratfalls with the Look pedals in the past and want to avoid that at all costs. New hip joint has a ceramic ball on a titanium stem into a plastic socket and I've read that the ceramic joints can shatter if subjected to blunt force (like falling sideways from a seated position on a bike).

Any suggestions for pedals where the cleats are less prone to locking up/sticking in the pedal. Don't mind changing shoes if something like an MTB SPD would be a better option

dj58

I think spd pedals set on the minimum tension setting with standard SH-51 cleats would be good until you feel confident to go back to road pedals, or maybe speedplay pedals/cleats.

cougie

Never had a problem with look pedals. Was it the pedal that failed or you ?

You could go old school with clips and Just strap Inthe right and leave the left loose. Unless you're sprinting flat out it really doesn't make much difference in my experience.

sungod

barring a fault/damage, i'd think any road pedals should be fine, if you prefer a change try spd, speedplay etc.

fwiw i've used speedplay zero for years, never had one lock up even when contaminated with sand/grit (simply stopped me clipping in)

i had over 3-4 months on crutches after breaking my hip (snapped the ball off, they screwed it back on), first time back on the bike i just did a few clip-in/outs on a quiet road and then went for a ride - clipping out was never an issue, but it took a while to get the reflexes back to clip in without thinking about it, took much much longer to learn to walk without limping!

unless it's from a reputable medical source, i'd treat shattering risk with a pinch of salt - i'd read something about the screws increasing risk if i had a repeat impact, but the consultants i spoke too said that was incorrect, better to leave them in

anything can break, whether it's more likely to break is another matter

molteni_man

Hi arlowood, Good to hear you are getting out again and want to up your time etc. I had a hip replacement over a year ago now ( Nov 2016) having broken my hip which was not repairable. The hardest thing was not the physical thing which came back steadily, but the mental side about not wanting to come off again. It happened ( as I knew it would! ) when I clipped a road sign innocuously when chatting to a friend on a cycle path right at the end of a ride. I landed pretty fully on the hip replacement- everyone held their breath- but all was well. I had ceramic too but have been told that the replacements are strong. I am trying not to test this again, but hope this reassures a little. A friend who had a fall off an mtb onto his replacement was fine too.
Re unclipping and pedals like DJ58 I think spd are probably the easiest option at this point.
Good luck with the riding. I’m still more cautious on roundabouts and bends than before but the more riding you do the better this becomes. BW

arlowood

Thanks for all the suggestions and encouragement.

The 2 occasions when I had the unclipping failure were due to avoidable circumstances. One where my cleat had become encrusted in mud after stopping on a wet verge and the other when one of the cleat bolts worked loose preventing sideways movement. Admittedly I should have prevented both by cleaning my cleats before setting off and checking the cleat fixings - so all down to my own laziness/stupidity.

However it doesn't help with the back-of-the-mind worry that the Look cleats might cause me problems in the future.

I realise that it might take a bit of time to regain my confidence just riding in normal road conditions - hence the flat pedals initially.

On DJ58's advice i might look into getting some SPD's but that will mean some new shoes. The alternative could be Speedplays - but they will be a more expensive option - tho maybe not as much as SPD pedals plus new shoes together

trivial_poursuivant

I use Speedplay and have done for years, great for bad knees, but the msp over many others is their ability to clip in on both sides. SPD variations can but they don’t offer the variation in float as Speedplay do.

dj58

@arlowood

Just to clarify, I have not had a hip replacement, rather fractured neck of femur/3 screw fixation op, when I eventually was given the ok to start cycling again, I just stayed with my double sized SPD pedals and shoes. I had no problem unclipping, rather clipping in, as having to get used to applying pressure to the ball of the foot again, after 4 months on crutches. As sungod says, it took longer to get rid of the limp when walking

the_cyclist_of_catan

Fractured femur just below the trochanter here, with full-length IM rod and two bolts into the NOF anchoring the IM rod.

I use Speedplay Light Actions. Still worry about coming off again, and I get an occasional tightening of the hip that makes me feel like it's going to pop, but the Speedplays are great.

fenix

As you say yourself both incidents were your own fault. I'd think swapping to a slightly different mechanism might cause you more problems anyway. You'd have to get used to them.

I'd either stick with the look pedals after having put new cleats and loctited the screws in, or go with pedals and clips. No chance of getting locked in there.

Throwing money at the problem thropugh new pedals and shoes probably isn't the answer. Sacrilegious !

micrographia

Shimano do the R540 SPD-SL pedal in a Light Action version, could be an option if you want to stick with a 3-bolt system but want one you can easily get out of.

LiamW

Had my left hip done 5 years ago this April, never had an issue with clipless pedals. Fell off a few times as well, but all in all it 's grand. I use Look Keo with their 0 degree cleats, i don't like a lot of lateral movement in my pedals and it suits me fine, but obviously everyone is different.

arlowood

Thought I'd post an update following my earlier request for info/suggestions.

Have only got back on the bike in the last week now that a 2 week holiday and the worst of the snow/ice/hail etc is hopefully behind me.

Have done a few shortish rides with the flat pedals fitted and contrary to my prior concerns, I had no problems with the mental approach side of things. Was a little apprehensive initially but that soon disappeared and I was back enjoying the freedom of the countryside. Have to admit that I live in a fairly rural area so find it easy to plan mostly traffic free routes,

Based on those few rides I'm planning to re-fit my Look pedals - making sure that all is clean and functioning correctly. I may dial down the spring tension initially and see how things go.

bompington

Glad it's going well for you Arlo. I'd agree that Look pedals shouldn't be a problem for you.

After my replacement (actually resurfacing) last summer I was back out on SPD-SLs within a few weeks. Never felt like a problem.

Had an entertaining* clipless moment the other day when I stopped at a traffic light - worn cleat jammed & wouldn't release, over I went and onto the dodgy side too, but I've always found that whenever I've come off the bike I tend to land on my shoulder rather than hip, so plenty of embarrassment but no damage.

Be wise but don't let it hold you back: cycling is such good exercise for hip recovery that the benefit/risk ratio is tiny.


*for the good folk of Leith, anyway