bookishboy

Hi everyone, I mostly hang out in the folding bikes section, but I wanted to ask for some info over here. My father's currently undergoing cancer treatments that have wreaked havok on his body. He's never been an overweight person, and has lost a lot of weight, and briefly looked about twenty years older than he is. He's fighting hard, and is hoping that the treatments will put the cancer into remission. When he gets the go-ahead from the doctor, he's like to start on some sort of exercise regimen to gain back strength and put on some of the weight that he's lost. Right now, he can't sit for any position for too long, his sit-bones poke out too much and he gets sore.

A year or two ago, he injured his knee. Actually, he'd been asking too much from it for too long and it finally gave out on him. A lifelong soccer devotee, he has long been involved in refereeing for recreational leagues and even though over 60, he would still regularly take games and run up and down the field. His meniscus tore, and short of knee-replacment surgery, his knee is shot. This not only takes away something that he loved doing, it also eliminates what would have been his most likely form of exercise/recovery.

I was thinking that a recumbent bike or trike might be a possible form of exercise and fitness for him (if he liked the idea). The comfort seating position would be easier on his body (I can't imagine him currently sitting on a regular bike seat), and I thought that the elevated leg position might be easier on his bad knee.

Does anyone here have experience with a similiar situation? I'd appreciate any advice from 'bent riders regarding bad knees with 'bent bikes. Even better if there are known issues between different types of recumbents for riders with bad knees (LWB, SWB, above- or below-seat steering, etc)

Cheers