Just reporting my first commute today after the knee operation 4 months ago. I go about 8 miles each way and half that is downhill. 95% of it is on bike paths. As I came through the tunnel and burst out onto the bike path along the riverside in the early morning sun, there was no question in my mind that cycling to work is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. What a pity I don't have to go to work until tomorrow!!

Congrats on getting back on the bike path!

--J

Congrats on a successful recuperation, and I hope you enjoy many years on good knees!

Probably known, but the more you can strengthen the muscles that activate knee joint movement, the better off you are. So, biking (on a well-fitting bike) can of course be great for this!

What kind of knee operation did you have?

I tore my ACL, MCL and lateral meniscus a little over a year ago. After the surgery along with rehab, riding a bike was one of the first things I could do to be active. That is actually what got me into cycling. Started riding for fun and to work because I was going crazy not being able to get out and play sports or get any exercise. Then I ended up really liking it and now I'm a bike guy, haha.

congrats dude ive been thinkin about going under the knife to fix my knee, tired of braces and icing the thing everyday, was 4 months the quickest the doc said you start riding?

I was able to start riding my bike after about a month and a half.

knee surgery was what got me back into cycling as well after a long hiatus during my 20s. 3 1/2 years ago i tore my meniscus and during the subsequent months of going to rehab and relearning how to walk and go up and down stairs and what-not, i spent a significant amount of time on an exercise bike getting the joint moving and bending again. i asked my doc about cycling as a lifestyle change, and he told me to go for it, not only because it would be beneficial for my knee, but it might also help me lose some weight (i was an obese 240 pounds at the time).

so here i am several years later and i'm commuting 30 miles/day by bike. i've gotten my weight down to a much, much healthier 175 pounds (and more improtantly i have maintained that weight for a couple years now), and my knee feels great. of course it doesn't feel as good as it did before my accident, but my doc told that it never never feel 100% ever again in my life. that's just the nature of surgery i guess.

Ruptured ACL was replaced with two of my hamstrings. Recuperation is twofold:- the remaining 2 hamstrings have to learn to pick up the strain, and the tendons put in place of the ACL have to learn how to be ligaments. Also had a major medial meniscus tear trimmed off.

I've been exercising on a stationary bike since about week 4. Full strength is attained at 9 months. My doc warned me off riding on the street too soon purely because of the risk.

Good luck everyone - especially all knee injury colleagues.

Congrats on getting back on the bike and making it part of your rehab. I've had 3 knee operations from total reconstruction to ACL repair. Make sure to do all the rehab and riding will help build up the strength again.

I've never heard of an ACL reconstruction using 2 hamstrings. Why did they do it that way? They used a chunk of my patellar tendon to reconstruct mine.

mduggan is right. Being committed to the rehab is probably the most important thing. Doing all your exercises at home really helps speed up your recovery.