Round and round in circles.
10April 10, 2017 by welshcyclist
It’s well into the fourth month, now, since I’ve been off work, following the discovery of a deep vein thrombosis, in my left thigh, and I’m finding hard going. I’ve become lazy, not getting up before 06.00, spending too much time on my lap top, and generally not doing a lot.
This doesn’t bode well, I know I am going to struggle, big time, when I finally have to go back to work, and I’ve got to gen myself up, in order to resume my life the way it was pre DVT ! Sadly, that’s easier said than done. The local physio therapy unit gave me exercises to rebuild the strength in my left leg, I try to do a bit of walking, and I’ve been out on my bike a few times, and ride to and from choir practise.
Unfortunately, my trusty Raleigh Pioneer is in the bike shop, Halfords under my Bike Care Plan, but that’s yet another long story of woe. My new Raleigh Royal tourer is languishing in my shed, bright, shiny and brand new, but I just cannot get used to the drop handlebars, and have already enquired about converting it to straight handlebars. I am told by the real bike mechanics at Tredz, that it will cost approximately £100 plus £30 labour, which might be a price well worth paying to increase my usable fleet.
So, currently, I am back riding my single speed, the Jamison Sputnik, which I love to ride, but struggle on the hills with. Consequently, I try to avoid hills, which is quite difficult here in the Neath valley, and especially when I finally cycle home. The last two hundred yards consists of the beginning of the famous Rhinos bank, and what with my weakened left leg and only one gear sees me come to a snail’s pace as I gratefully turn into the street where I live.
Anyway, I have to quicken the pace of building myself back to work fitness, my current sick note has another month to run, and I really must get back into the groove by then. Her indoors has been great, looking after me and so on, but the weeks sort of blend into one, and no sooner than one is over, we are into the next. Saturdays, particularly, bring this home to me, when I see the weekend BBC news presenters, instead of the weekday regulars Huw Davies and Fiona Bruce, and I realise, yes, that’s another week gone!
Round and round in circles I go, which would be fantastic on my bike, but I am not on it enough!
Cheers.
Welshcyclist's Weblog 
I don’t like to state the bleeding obvious but I found that going to a very boring gym and using the recumbent static cycle was really excellent for getting me back to fitness after a serious setback. It is mind numbing but unlike cycling in the real world, you can exactly tailor the effort and difficulty to your needs and keep your enthusiasm up by seeing measurable signs of progress..
Keep working at it anyway and I hope that you will be soon be back at work and cycling freely.
Thank you tootlepedal, I must bow to your experience. Like you I am not an admirer of the gym, I have to say though, I have never seen a recumbent static cycle at any of the gyms I’ve been to, I’ll have to make some enquiries. It sounds like something that could help me. Cheers.
I found it very good for my back as it gave me support and let me concentrate on getting my legs back into good form.
Just yesterday, I had a referral to a physio at the local council gym, will be going there next week for another assessment, I will make sure I ask about the possibility of using recumbent cycling equipment. Cheers.
I can highly recommend the touring bars (butterfly bars) I have on my bike as an alternative to drops. Might be a bit more expensive than flats but they give you different hand positions which is good for longer rides.
Hope you make a full recovery
Thanks for the advice, any idea where I could buy some? As far as recovery is concerned, just have to keep taking the tablets, doing my exercises ( more and more cycling ), and, lastly, not to forget to wear my Nora Batty stocking. Cheers.
Sorry to hear about your health problems. It must be very frustrating for you not being able to ride your bikes.
I recently had abdominal surgery (for a condition nowhere near as serious as your DVT) and I’ve been off my bike for three weeks. Thankfully, my “Nora Batties” have now been consigned to the dustbin. Touch wood, they are no longer needed,
Just a note of caution if I may? I was feeling much better last week and felt almost back to normal. I was back riding my bikes at a slowly increasing cadence over increasingly longer distances. I was really enjoying cycling through the beautiful spring countryside. However, on Saturday I was very silly and did some heavy lifting. I have had abdominal pain from the surgical area ever since then and it has set my recovery (psychologically and physiologically) back somewhat. Moral: Like the tortoise and the hare, take your time getting back to normal activities and don’t rush it. A lesson I have learned too late!
Sorry to hear that but your advice is very sound, it’s another lovely spring morning here, and I am very frustrated I can’t go out on my bike. But, I’ve decided only to go out every other day, and I was out yesterday for an hour and a half and did 17 miles, so things are improving for me. Hope things get better for you as well soon. Cheers
Are the bars too low? Often drop bars can be uncomfortable because they are set way too low. It takes small decrements in hight to get lower without really noticing. If you are already at the top of the headset spacers then try flipping the stem over, the angle will give a bunch more height. I’m thinking of going to drops, but just haven’t bothered yet.
Cheers Tim, will be trying what you suggest