Riding after a total hip replacement?

Age shall not weary them.

Just gets harder.

No thats not it either

Ok.
Bloody terrified, hope I land this?

Yep, I think that’s it

I have mtb crashing skills also, I usually practice them weekly if not daily.
Most are innocuous, but I did separate ribs and cartilage last month when a stick flicked into the front wheel and I did a superman into the teatree stumps.

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Ummm. nah, let it go Andrew

That look... it's the post-op/advanced age pre-flight survival and check list "look"...

aaaah... we have lift off...
ooh shit...! ... haven't been up ére for a good long while...
brace knees (terror)... check!
tense arms (panic)... check!
clench arse (momentary scared shitless-ness)... check!

...little bit of wee...? (check!)

Did the same loop today, 14 minutes quicker and probably added another 6 foot to that jump. Gave me more time to get used to it.

Went to the physio afterwards for my usual visit, he reckoned I was a little tight (don't start), like a lot tight. Two 23k loops in two days in my two best times and I was feeling it, e-bike or no e-bike. Cramps tonight I reckon. The day before had been with @Brute on his Stealth so fairly quick loop.

Hey, but the hip is going great.

I'm hoping to never let it go mate.
Not without just a little fight anyway.

Ah, the look that's 50 percent "wow is this cool" and 50 percent "oh crap I'm gonna die!"

My ortho guy prefers what he calls "anterior lateral," which is a variation on anterior that apparently gives him more options if he finds any damaged muscles or tendons in there.

I've talked with a few other people who've had replacement hips recently, and the general rule seems to be that you can do most anything that doesn't lead to hyper-extension. This includes things like high kicks and lifting the leg over a really tall bike. Doc explains that the artificial hips now used in the US (aka the Land of Lawyers) use a relatively small ceramic ball inside a thick plastic socket. Earlier metal-on-metal replacements had a bigger ball and didn't carry the same risk of dislocation, but they also were found to release "metal ions" into the bloodstream after a few years. Not sure if anybody ever proved the ions were hazardous (I don't think the hips are made of lead or anything), but as I said, we are a nation of lawyers.

Back when I had my KLR, I'd sometimes use the stand-on-footpeg method to get on, especially when its back seat was loaded with gear. I'm reluctant to do that on the GS simply because it leans a lot further and seems a lot less stable on the stand than the KLR did. And, of course, that technique's dependent on terrain.

I had a rotator cuff repair done a couple years ago. Rehab from that was pretty miserable, but I was riding about four months after the surgery and kayaking after about eleven months. Everybody tells me recovery from a hip replacement is much easier and faster.

I had been fence-sitting about replacing the GS anyway--after three years and 20K miles, the bike and I still hadn't "clicked." It just always seemed a bit too big, too heavy, too complicated and expensive. The hip replacement is sort of the final straw, and after a good cleaning it's going up to the local indy shop to be put on sale (just in time for winter--great planning on my part). The open question becomes what I'll replace it with. Definitely something a bit lower.

Thanks much for all the advice... this adventure is looking a bit less daunting than it was!

Maybe you are getting your hips confused there.

I assume you've seen sabre's thread?

I know a fellow who has metal on metal, they have recalled the version he has. They are different to mine which is one like sabre had. This fellow had the version where they basically resurface the joint. He has regular blood tests for cobalt and some other metal, it is a problem.

I don't think you will find a surgeon who would give you metal on metal nowadays.

Sort of like this, mine on the left, the other person's metal on metal on the right. Sort of...



I understood the metal on metal version was fitted to young active people in the theory that it can be easily replaced down the track.

Was in the hydrotherapy pool talking to a guy on his twelfth hip. Had his first one done about fifty years ago, he was bed ridden for three months which was the procedure then..

Have been out on the 690 a couple of times now.
Once a month or so ago, 400 k's for the day probably 70% dirty with some rougher stuff thrown in. Hip did really well , no ill effects apart from a little muscle soreness. Stood up a lot, deliberately..
Two day high country trip just finished. 700 k's, lots of dirt ,up Mount Terrible, down Billy Goats. Once again, fantastic.
To anyone hanging on the fence or worried about getting your hip done, just do it .

Had my 6 month(7 and 1/2 month) check up with x-rays the other day.
The surgeon has given me the go ahead to do whatever, lucky hey. I didn't tell him, didn't have the heart.

But everything is good and I'll see him in 5 years or so.

Wonderful work by him, legend.