Back in the saddle again...
 

For those keeping score, it's asphalt 1, Gugie 0. I've decided against a rematch (fingers crossed).

It's been a few weeks since that happened, and although I'm supposed to wait until I get signed off on Sept. 6 (next doctor appointment), I've been feeling antsy. Going through my stable, I picked out my trusty summer bike, the Lotus Classique

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ca0fadc2a0.jpg

Apprehensive about getting back on the saddle, I took it slow the first 10 minutes. Feeling good, I decided to pick up the pace, and turned into the wind.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8b154b6cc4.jpg

I decided to do a few intervals, pushing my heart rate up, resting, then pushing again.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6bef355ca9.jpg

After 40 minutes, a warm down, then off. The shoulder was no worse for the wear. Pulling up with my arm ain't so great, pushing down, not so bad. I think I'll stay away from standing and sprinting.

Special thanks to my publicist who took off time from his busy Sunday job of answering texts from one of his daughters to deliver his mag trainer!

You always have the other shoulder to shape to match the first one. :)

Glad to hear you're getting back on the bike. Now it is time to pull off the training wheels and get out on the road. :) Or, of course, you have a great bike path near your place.

Ouch. Looks pretty much like my shoulder since May (hit by a car). Ditto the indoor trainer -- that's mostly what I've done since June. Maybe one road ride a week, sometimes every other week -- depends on how the shoulder and neck feel.

Kicking myself for hesitating on a $140 Ironman a couple of months ago -- nearly identical to the one I got last summer. Even if it needed work it would have been perfect as a trainer bike.

Glad you're getting back at it.:thumb:

Sooo, broken collarbone?

That's how it's done, one stirrup at a time. 😁 I wasn't aware you were hurt, but good to see you're mending. 👍
The good part is, you get to call bike riding "rehab" now. In case you need an excuse. 😋😉

40 minutes is a great start after being down. Glad the healing is going well.

Congrats for getting back on the bike. I can recommend a contraption like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...X6R9M5SXR&th=1

Made one similar from stuff on hand & hung from my shop ceiling. Got me from 88% mobility up to 98% and I still use to avoid stiffness. Don

Happy to hear your rolling again...:-)

You've got a head start on me! I'm sitting in the waiting room at my Dr's office as I write this. I hope he's got some good news for me. The cabin fever is getting pretty bad...

And hey in the PNW you have a 5 week stretch of traditionally great cycling weather coming up, welcome back.

YIKES there have been alot of crashes this summer... myself and DQRider included! :bike2:
Glad to hear you're on the mend.

Are you making the return trip by bicycle?

Gugie, making great progress. :thumb:

No problem, but we should start at the Pacific for the traditional wheel dip in the ocean, then ride the North Trask ride backwards. Might as well get the hard stuff out of the way.

No kidding!

Nope.

Thanks Don, I'll look into it. Right now I'm waiting for my doc to approve transition to PT

nice..... and good to know you have a publicist :)

Was gonna post this in the "looking for" thread but this one is aimed right at you Gugie.


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a00a1de5d6.jpg

https://charlottesville.craigslist.o...684671166.html

Hmm, you might have found an interesting alternative to the Magic Bus--and we can all ride it in Eroica (assuming it doesn't have any contemporary touches).

And then it would all be downhill to Lyme, CT, right?

Hey, gugie, glad to hear you are pushing the pedals again. I know it's tempting to get out on the roads while the weather's good, but do what your body tells you. Good luck with the recovery!

Gugie, I think I met you at Eroica Ca. this year. I was in a 32' Southwind RV .I had a pretty bad fall myself at the event, broke 5 bones in my face and left hand(outer metacarpal) . I waited 10 weeks and hated it! I never thought of getting on my trainer, I guess I thought it would be too much of a tease. At eight weeks I started ( I hope my wife doesn't read this) riding around the parking lot at my shop . When I got my first decent ride in it was glorious. I actually posted about it on word press joesvintageroadbikes.wordpress. Back behind Bars, Handlebars. Enjoy that return to riding, it don't get no better than that! Joe

I sympathize! Went over the handlebars on a ride in September 2017, and earned a complete shoulder separation that looked a lot like your own X-ray. Really debated surgery vs. just living with it, but opted for surgery that was done about 4 weeks after the accident. Arm in sling from September to December, couldn't put on a tee-shirt for months, and slept upright in a rocking chair most of the fall. During that time my only riding was two or three sessions a week on a stationary bike for an hour each. I hated every minute of those stationary rides, but I had already registered for Eroica California and still hoped to do the ride with an old friend in April 2018. Started physical therapy in December, and going on really short real rides again around Christmas. Then started going on longer and longer rides in January, February, and March. I felt good enough to be able to really enjoy the Coastal Route at Eroica in April, though I took it easy on the gravel downhill sections because of a lingering fear of falling and re-injury. By my one year anniversary of the shoulder injury (in about two weeks), I expect to have full range of motion and almost no limitations.

Hang in there, and expect slow but steady improvement rather than instant gratification. It helped me to have a concrete riding goal to build towards in the first six months after the accident. I've done the Eroica California ride each year since it started, and it's always been inspirational. This year's Eroica was both aspirational and medicinal as well!

Geese and ducks and chicks better scurry....